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Feature articles in this issue:

• Manufacturing and the Midwest Rural Economy: Recent Trends and Implications for the Future. by G. Andrew Bernat, Jr.. Rural communities in the Midwest gained manufacturing jobs during the 1980’s and into the 1990’s even as urban areas sustained large job losses. Mirroring national patterns, most of the rural manufacturing job gains were in less urbanized and completely rural nonmetro counties. In addition, counties that have gained manufacturing jobs exhibited substantially better economic performance than other counties. These recent trends indicate that, as long as rural manufacturing firms are able to maintain their competitiveness, manufacturing may well provide the basis for continued economic growth.
• When Rural Communities Lose Passenger Rail Service. by Dennis Brown. Some rural areas have recently had cutbacks in passenger rail service. While the loss of this service usually does not, by itself, threaten a town’s economic survival, it may have adverse effects that can be offset by public policy. This article explores some of the options available to these communities.
• Direct Farm Marketing as a Rural Development Tool. by Fred Gale. Many farmers, government officials, and rural advocates are enthusiastic about the prospects of direct farm marketing for bolstering farm income and promoting rural development. Direct marketing plays a role in rural development by encouraging a climate of entrepreneurship and innovation, attracting agricultural tourists, and promoting alternative forms of agriculture. However, an analysis of 1992 Census of Agriculture data indicates that the income from direct selling is relatively small and limited to communities near urban areas. Communities in remote locations need to make a concerted effort to benefit from direct marketing.
• Why U.S. Agriculture and Rural Areas Have a Stake in Small Farms. by Cheryl J. Steele. Despite a two-thirds decline in the number of farms since 1945, small farms remain important contributors to rural communities and U.S. agriculture. They constitute 60 percent of all farms, own 29 percent of farmland held by farmers, and hold 39 percent of the farm sector’s net worth. Small farmers often concentrate on alternative crops and niche markets, pioneering new areas for U.S. agriculture. They also contribute significantly to the rural economy as purchasers of inputs and supplies, preservers of the rural landscape, and sources of off-farm workers in local economies.

Contents and Editor's Notebook, 20 kb

Manufacturing and the Midwest Rural Economy: Recent Trends and Implications for the Future, 199 kb

When Rural Communities Lose Passenger Rail Service, 112 kb

Direct Farm Marketing as a Rural Development Tool, 210 kb

Why U.S. Agriculture and Rural Areas Have a Stake in Small Farms, 154 kb

A County-Level Measure of Urban Influence, 1,165 kb

Book Reviews, 41 kb

Book Announcements, 11 kb

Download entire issue, 1,859kb.

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Updated: December 17, 1997