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Publications
Multistate Policies Needed
for Sustainable Entrepreneurship
The Central Appalachian region comprised of Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia contains the highest concentration of economically distressed counties in Appalachia. Traditional industries such as coal, timber, agriculture, and manufacturing are no longer in demand, and Appalachia has struggled for decades to define a new economy. Popular solutions such as industrial recruitment strategies and biotechnology clusters have not created the hoped for success in this region’s rural communities.
The Central Appalachian Network has been meeting since 1993 to examine regional approaches to poverty alleviation. CAN members see that economic revitalization for the region must result from a diverse new economy that includes not only business attraction investments, but also supports the region’s entrepreneurs and small businesses. With support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the CAN network has undertaken a three-year project to communicate to key stakeholder audiences about the multistate policy frameworks that are needed to create a positive climate for rural entrepreneurs. This regional roundtable is the culmination of that effort.
In Strategies for Sustainable Entrepreneurship, five key strategies for supporting rural entrepreneurs are presented. An entrepreneur’s story illustrates the success of each strategy. The concluding section offers research on the importance and effectiveness of the strategy and the essential role of public policy.
Strategies for Sustainable Entrepreneurship is available from the Central Appalachian Network at http://www.cannetwork.org.
Values of Agrarian Landscapes Go Beyond Food and Fiber
Most people know agrarian landscapes by what they produce—whether it’s the corn and soybeans of the American Midwest or the olives of the Mediterranean. But agrarian landscapes are vital in countless other ways. In addition to producing food and fiber, many forms of agriculture also create a wide range of social, cultural, scenic and natural values and benefits. As the world’s farmland continues to shrink, these values can no longer be taken for granted.
Values of Agrarian Landscapes Across Europe and North America emphasizes the beauty and benefits of farm landscapes in these regions, while highlighting common challenges and solutions shared by the two continents. The book concludes with a series of policy recommendations, including: fair market prices that reflect costs on efficient small and moderate-sized farms; encourage sustainable agriculture; support landscapes and conservation; green space and landscape protection from urban sprawl; private initiatives such as regional labels and agritourism; and innovation through improved research, testing and public education.
Values of Agrarian Landscapes is available from Renewing the Countryside at (866) 378-0587, http://store.rtcmarket.org/.
Communities of Hope
Communities of Hope provides a step-by-step blueprint for a strengths-based approach to community capacity building, as developed by St. Luke’s Anglicare (Bendigo, Australia). It is about a community’s capacity to learn, to change, to grow, and to build respectful connectedness.
The book contains a three-day workshop for community leaders focusing on the building of community by the community. It emphasises self-determination, ‘power-with,’ and people’s right to deep respect. Planning, competency and decision-making are owned by the community. Additional expertise, information, knowledge and other resources are accessed by the community to complement its vision, its strengths and resources.
Communities of Hope is available from St. Luke’s Innovative Resources at http://www.innovativeresources.org/opendirect.asp?id=8003.
Return to Inside this Issue (Vol. 28, No. 1, 2005)
Return to Rural Development News Index
North
Central Regional Center for Rural Development
Iowa State University
107 Curtiss Hall
Ames, IA 50011-1050
(515) 294-8321, (515) 294-3180 fax
For questions, comments or concerns about the NCRCRD website, contact
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Last updated May 12, 2006 .