Roundup: June 10, 2022
Recent Publications
Kenneth Johnson (Sociology, New Hampshire) and Daniel Lichter (Policy Analysis and Management, Cornell) recently published Growing Racial Diversity in Rural America: Results from the 2020 Census discussing how diverse populations have increased in rural America, even as the rural population has declined.
Elizabeth H. Golembiewski (Mayo Clinic) and colleagues synthesize the qualitative literature on patient and caregiver experiences of accessing health care services for chronic disease management in rural areas in Rural Patient Experiences of Accessing Care for Chronic Conditions: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Studies.
Jessica Quinton, Lorien Nesbitt, and Daniel Sax (all of the Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry, Vancouver, BC, Canada) discuss trends in “green gentrification” research in How Well Do We Know Green Gentrification? A Systematic Review of the Methods.
In a recent article in Sociologia Ruralis, Hybrid Food Networks and Sustainability Transitions: Shared and Contested Values and Practices in Food Re-Localisation and Re-Socialisation, author Simona Zollet (Hiroshima University) identifies how the processes of food re-localisation and re-socialisation occurring within Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) are fundamental to fostering sustainability transitions in agri-food systems.
In Fertile Ground, Complex Matter: Plurality of Farmers’ Attitudes Towards Green Waste Application as Sustainable Soil Management, authors Maaike Happel (Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning Group, Wageningen University & Research), Francesco Orsi (Geography and Geospatial Sciences, Kansas State University), Thomas Hartmann (Spacial Planning, Dortmund Univeristy), and Martha Bakker (Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning Group, Wageningen University & Research) elaborate on the adoption of green waste programs used in dairy farms located in the Netherlands.
News & Commentary
High Country News published Why Rural Communities Struggle to Bring in Much-Needed Federal Grants by Kylie Mohr (Journalist, High Country News) and Theo Whitcomb (Editorial Intern, High Country News). This work suggests a large number of rural communities lack the capacity to take advantage of new infrastructure bill funding (a topic that came up often in our recent Rural Infrastructure programming).
The First Street Foundation recently published new data that, for the first time, calculate the risk of wildfires and flooding facing every property in the contiguous United States. Here is the New York Time’s summary of risks across the 48 states.
The Rural Blog discusses how rural communities may be struck the hardest by the national baby formula shortage. In fact, Spencer Kimball of CNBC, reports the FTC has begun an investigation on formula manufacturers focused on whether they illegally kept formula from going to smaller retailers in inner-city and rural areas.
Dean Hampton of NBC News reports how millions of older adults living in rural America no longer drive and don’t have adequate access to alternative transportation. This issue could be helped through the Biden Administration’s infrastructure law set to unlock $2 billion in federal money for various rural transit projects, if it can be distributed successfully. See more information in the Upper Great Plan’s Transportation Institute’s Rural Transit Fact Book (and other Project work on Rural Transportation here).
Policy Resources
The Biden Administration announced its deal to make broadband more affordable – and often free – for millions of low-income households, including those in rural and tribal areas. About 48 million, or nearly 40% of those in the country, are eligible for the broadband benefit. See more on the Affordable Connectivity Program (and, our prior discussions of Rural Broadband issues here).
The U.S. Department of Energy appointed Alexandra Klass (Minnesota Law) to serve as Deputy General Counsel for Litigation, Regulation, and Enforcement. (Now just getting annoying, but recall the Project recently hosted Professor Klass for a discussion on Clean Energy in Rural America and has chronicled some of her important energy work.)
The USDA and EDA unveiled a joint resource guide to help community organizations access USDA and EDA resources to build strategies to boost economic development in rural America. See more general information here.
The USDA and the University of Kentucky’s Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky released a free digital toolkit to help rural leaders build placemaking plans in small towns and communities across America. See more general information here.
The Government Accountability Office released a report that demonstrated rural schools are more at risk for mass shootings and need more mental-health care. Further, some experts believe bullying may be more prevalent in rural areas. For example, see this report on bullying in rural Missouri.
The National Groundwater Association recently urged private water well owners to have their systems inspected by a certified water-well contractor in response to increasing awareness of the health risks caused by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often called “forever chemicals.” (Finally, because we are on a tear this week, see the larger discussion on private water wells and the effect of “forever chemicals” in Oday Salim’s discussion from the Project’s Panel on Rural Water Justice.)
Events & Recordings
The National Summit on Journalism in Rural America was livestreamed on June 3rd - 4th as it explores how to sustain news that serves local democracy. Find the schedule general information here. A number of notable speakers will be present, for example - Dr. Teri Finneman of the University of Kansas will report on her research of alternate business models for rural newspapers.