Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, Enhancing the capacity of Land Grant Universities to foster regional prosperity and rural development.

Archive for News

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Digital divide hinders rural innovation, study shows

June 9, 2023

Cloud-based computing directly contributes to business innovation, but rural businesses lacking sufficient broadband capacity to access cloud services are missing out on their innovation-boosting potential, according to a team of researchers from NERCRD and the National Science Foundation. The findings can be used by policymakers and business-support organizations to foster greater opportunities for rural innovation.

Just released: Agritourism and direct sales fact sheets for all 50 US states

June 2, 2023

A new set of fact sheets provides comprehensive insights into the demographics of U.S. farms that offer agritourism activities or sell food directly to consumers or both. The fact sheets are available for all 50 states and are intended to help local decision makers, farmers, and the organizations that support them in their efforts to strengthen and expand agritourism enterprises.

Webinar Recording: Local Climate Action Planning—Penn State and Municipal Partners Implementing Together

May 31, 2023

This webinar, which took place on June 28, 2023, provided an overview of the Local Climate Action Program (LCAP), a partnership initiative of the PA Department of Environmental Protection, Penn State’s Sustainability Institute, Penn State’s Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, and ICLEI: Local Governments for Sustainability. While this webinar described a Pennsylvania-based program and related opportunities for PA municipalities, it will also give non-PA viewers an overview of an innovative program that could potentially be replicated in other states.

Northeast Digital Equity Summit Call for Presentation Proposals

May 25, 2023

The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD) is pleased to announce a call for presentation proposals addressing issues of digital equity for inclusion in its upcoming Northeast Digital Equity Summit, which will take place virtually on September 19, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET.

Opening farms to visitors boosts nearby farms’ direct sales, and vice versa

April 19, 2023

Farmers use many marketing strategies to diversify their incomes and stay in business. New research led by NERCRD Faculty Affiliate, Claudia Schmidt, suggests that two of these strategies—agritourism and direct farm sales—complement one another when they occur within the same community. The findings could help farmers and the local organizations that support them plan strategically for farm resilience and growth.

RRDCs release findings from National Listening Sessions on Rural Community, Economic, and Workforce Development

February 27, 2023

Today the nation’s four Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs) are releasing their findings from a comprehensive initiative aimed at identifying the critical investments needed to build community capacity and improve quality of life in rural America. Their report, Investing in Rural Capacity: Comprehensive Summary of National Rural Development Stakeholder Listening Sessions, can be used by a broad audience of practitioners, decision makers, and government agencies to inform where programmatic efforts and resources may be most effective in tackling key issues facing rural communities.

NERCRD releases its 2022 Annual Report

February 1, 2023

NERCRD has released its latest Annual Report, which highlights the Center’s accomplishments and activities of 2022. We are grateful for the many opportunities to work with our regional and national partners in support of a strong and equitable rural recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges facing rural communities. We invite you to download the report for a comprehensive look at the NERCRD’s 2022 activities and impacts, and to reach out if you have any questions or feedback or would like a print copy.

Land-use webinar series offered by Penn State Extension

January 23, 2023

Penn State Extension is offering a monthly webinar series, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association (PA-APA), to provide in-depth information on land use topics affecting the communities of Pennsylvania, including current planning issues, land-use planning tools and techniques, and local regulations. This series benefits land owners, farmers, elected and appointed officials, developers, and community members who are involved in decision-making processes regarding using or preserving natural resources.

NERCRD annual meeting provides opportunity to reconnect, reflect, and look ahead

December 7, 2022

Members of the NERCRD’s Board of Directors (BOD), Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), and staff gathered last month in Newport, RI, for their first in-person meeting since 2019 to reflect on the Center’s research and outreach accomplishments and to identify priority areas to guide its 2023 plan of work.

team members posing for photo in stairwell

Catching up with Pennsylvania’s Coming Together for Racial Understanding Team

December 6, 2022

The team discussed how they adapted the Coming Together curriculum for Penn State Extension, the reach and impacts of their work thus far, and their plans for taking it to a wider audience.

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