The United States is experiencing its longest economic recovery on record, but much of the country is not reaping the benefits.1 Economic restructuring and policy decisions over the past several decades have hollowed out opportunity across the United States and left many rural communities behind. At the same time, agglomeration effects and the growth of the technology and service sectors have boosted the growth of major cities while rural areas shrink.2
Some sectors in rural America have been particularly harmed by recent changes in the economy. For example, agribusiness monopolies have put economic pressure on family farms as they struggle to survive in an age of globalization, rapid technological change, and climate change.3 Furthermore, the decline of union density has harmed workers in the manufacturing sector, a largely rural segment of the economy.4 Continue reading “Adversity and Assets: Identifying Rural Opportunities”
