Partnerships in Communities

Renewing the fabric of rural AmericaAn in-depth look at Fairfield, Vermont

Jean Richardson

Threadbare Fabric of rural America

Varied physical resources and socioeconomic characteristics - Few people, low incomes, few jobs, no public transportation

Rural America: Problem areas or unspoiled recreation

83% of United States is classified as rural - Devoted to farming, forestry, mining or recreation

Rural regions rarely experience long periods of stability

American market driven economy provides challenges and opportunities

Sustainable rural development must be a high priority

Fairfield, Vermont: From Closed School to Rural Community Center

Founded in 1788 as an agricultural center

Population of 1600, which is comprised from East Fairfield and Fairfield Center

There was a need for women to take on more leadership roles

Once had 15 schools, but now students travel elsewhere for high school

60% of work-force travel 20-60 miles

By 1990 the railroad was gone

No banks, hotels, or coffee shops

Fairfield, Vermont: From Closed School to Rural Community Center

Fairfield women formed a group to persuade the town fathers to keep the land from the former school as a public space

They applied for a small seed grant of $2,000 for community-based ideas

They started with the goal-setting process

They turned the school into a community center, which serves the immediate and surrounding communities

Houses a health clinic, satellite center, recreation and senior citizen activities

Reinvigorated the town and inspired citizens to be active in their community

So, What is Rural?Our Preferred Vision

Friendly people with solid family values

Urban is distant from rural and we like it

Most of the media-fed information glorifies the low-key gentle lifestyle and beautiful landscape

We feed our preferred vision of rural life that we hope still exists

The draw to rural areas due to lower population densities, open spaces and wanting to be a part of the community

Problems include unemployment and low standards of living

To separate problems of “urban” from the preferred vision of “rural,” is to do a disservice to the complexity of rural America

So, What is Rural?The Statistical Definition of Rural

Census Bureau: Those areas and populations not classified as urban, when urban is defined as all territory and populations in places of 2,500 or more

Many living in rural America can be classified as “urban hinterland”

Economic activity does not clarify the definition of rural

Rural Characteristics

Agriculture and forestry are important industries worth saving

Landscape is primarily open

Communities – several houses where people live clustered together in low- densities over a large area

May have rural and urban characteristics, where rural characteristics prevail

Local residents fell that the land uses are “rural”

So, What is Rural?Indices of Rurality

16 variables to an index of rurality in Britain

Variables statistically derived from socioeconomic data

Three types of rural identified: extreme; intermediate and urban influenced

These types force us to remember the degree of importance of the urban influence and the evolvement of the rural landscape

The urban-rural relationship helps determine the best means of moving us towards more sustainable rural communities

Linkages Between Rural and Urban Areas

Perception and other criteria must be considered to create a more accurate characterization of urban and rural

Demarcation is a zone where conflict and tension over land use exist

Urban Sprawl encroachment vs. location

Ecotones between urban and rural are often neither town nor city

Threadbare Fabric

Rural America is changing from a land-based economy to one of increased economic linkages and social constructs

Inequality in schools leads to socioeconomic inequities

Businesses can remain in rural areas if they have connections to urban centers

Rural manufacturing must find a way to compete with foreign competition

Seasonal rural jobs are created in the service-sector with no concern of faming

Non-farm rural economy is an essential source of employment and income

Threadbare Fabric

Media and interstate have reduced rural isolation

Cultural gap reduced by increased urban to rural migration

Ability to work from home has increased rural migration

Problems for rural areas include loss of young people and isolation for those who work locally

Closure of small schools determines the future of the rural landscape

The Role of Rural Institutions

Institutional structures affect the development of rural communities

Efforts are made to stem rural depopulation through economic incentives

The role of the church remains strong

Kids were shipped to larger city schools and never came back

Community centers are being phased out

Rural immigrants have disposable income

Global marketing techniques are critical for sustainable rural development

Agencies and services have had a positive and negative affect

The Role of Rural Institutions

Morrill Act of 1862 allowed agricultural colleges in each state - Promoted agricultural experimentation

Smith-Lever Act of 1914 assigned extension agents to each county - Assigned to help with national emergencies

Higher standards of living in rural areas come at a cost to the environment

A model is needed to meet present needs and changing global conditions

Land grant institutions is to produce more food

Tension over conservation between agricultural and environmental professionals must be addressed if sustainable rural development is to work

Agriculture colleges tread a line between meeting the demands in the context of the global economy

Institutions are working with out-dated information

Conservation with Rural Development

Concept of conservation and preservation are strong in the American psyche

Conservation implies multi-use, preservation implies limited-use

These opposing ideas cause conflict for leaders of rural development

Regional approaches to rural development issues will continue to strengthen

Combination of countryside and regional approaches offers a more sustainable approach to development

Tension between agriculture and extraction industries is growing

Environment vs. economy will continue to be destructive to individual lives and the environment

Community Perspective Approach – new linkages are sought so diverse interests can be refocused

It is implicit that private rights yield to public good

Integrating Research with Community Action

Nationally funded development efforts have been in place for decades

Research and practice remain largely separated

“Scatter-gun” dissemination strategy is the traditional method

Community must be engaged in the vision of development

Promoting Integrative Thinking

Rural development projects are not comprehensive or integrated - developed in theory only

Integrated thinking should create linkages between economic development and environmental conservation

Contextual issues are ignored

Decisions over the rural/urban eco-tone zone need an ecological perspective

Changing False Perceptions of Rural Areas

There remains an unrealistic view of rural economy, society and people - Serious disservice to the rural resident with a business

The trick is getting all individuals to use their collective and individual expertise

Making Data Accessible

Overwhelming but inaccessible data on most rural communities

Often out-of-date and not much detail

Data is generalized to fit a regional context that is inappropriate for the area

Communities do not know how to use the available accurate data

Data needs to be accessible to all after the agency hours

Local Resources and Building a Connection

People just moving into communities mix with long-time residents, and they should all be involved in community decision-making

Goal: build collaborative partnerships among locals and neighboring cities

Rural development decisions were made without influence from urban areas

Today, local decisions must be made in a global contextRecognizing Women, Youth and Senior Citizens

Placing more women and senior citizens in leadership roles can help create successful programs

Appropriate leadership development that can draw more of these groups into leadership roles is an important factor for sustainable rural development

Local youth see the landscape all the time and activities are too expensive

College-bound youth receive no agriculture education and non-college- bound receive little environmental education

Encouraging Celebration in Local Community

Role of celebration has decreased as people have become work-oriented

Family members travel to other communities to work and spend less time at home

Realities that must be considered in the rural development effort

Networking takes place at annual community gatherings

Using Local Media

News must be actively provided to the most preferred form of media in the local rural community

Local newspaper is the most powerful source of information

Television and local radio play minor roles

Local paper is effective in encouraging rural development through articles and plays a leadership role in the agricultural counties with the best coverage

Key Principles of Sustainable Rural Development

Empower community members

Strengthen democracy

Encourage women, senior citizens and youth to be key leaders

Encourage systems thinking

Encourage innovation

Foster rural and urban linkages

Conclusion

Sustainable rural development is defined as a collaborative process that strives to reconcile economic opportunities and livable communities with the conservation of ecological integrity and bio-diversity, a process of change in which exploitation of resources, national and human, direction of investments, orientation of technological development, and institutional trends are made consistent with future as well as present needs.

Sustainable rural development will not be determined by planners or politicians - the perspectives of the citizens are essential