Latest News

A new paper by Stephan Goetz and former Northeast Center research associate Yicheol Han advances the field of network science by introducing a new method of measuring how relationships in networks change over time. It was published in PLOS ONE this month.

For a new food hub to succeed, it should be located in a community with a population sufficient to sustain it, according to a team of economists, who found that a county seeking to establish its first food hub needs roughly 182,000 residents for that food hub to break even. Their findings could help funding agencies establish criteria to determine whether and where new food hubs should be added.

Smaller and rural businesses innovate in ways that are often missed by traditional measures of innovation and, as a result, little is known about their innovation activity. However, through a funding program administered by the Northeast Center in collaboration with the USDA Economic Research Service, three research teams have broadened our understanding of how rural businesses are innovating and the effects such innovation is having on communities. With the goal of distilling some of their findings for a general audience, the Northeast Center is launching a new series of research briefs. The first focuses on a new, broad measure of innovation that provides insight into the effects of innovation on the economic health of communities and businesses.

We're delighted to welcome to the Northeast Center our new business manager, Kim Boonie, and three new postdoctoral scholars: Devon Meadowcroft, Anne Põder, and Sarah Rocker.

Looking for ways to better understand your local food system? A new toolkit, developed by Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Jefferson County, may be used to support projects seeking to acquire a more robust understanding of local/regional food system assets.

With funding from the Northeast Center, a team of Extension staff and faculty from five states explored how communities can leverage their existing trail systems to promote vibrant downtown economies. They've recently released an infobrief that summarizes what they learned.

Ted Alter, professor of agricultural, environmental and regional economics in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is among an international group of community, industry, government and academic leaders who are being lauded for their work to help manage an invasive and destructive species in Australia. The team has received the 2019 United Nations Public Service Award, the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service.

The National Extension Tourism Design team has been busy planning their biennial conference, and the program is taking shape. There's still time to register for this conference, taking place in the port city of Astoria, Oregon October 8-11.

The National Association for Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) 2020 conference will take place May 31-June 3 in Portsmouth, NH. For a peak at what's in store, check out a video produced by planning committee members from the University of New Hampshire!

The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD) announces a new competitive grant opportunity that is intended to help Northeast (NE) Land Grant University (LGU) faculty and educators document the impacts of their work while also encouraging collaboration across state lines. Proposals in the topic areas of innovation or tourism are especially encouraged. Proposals will be accepted until September 30, 2019.

The Appalachian communities that enjoyed persistent economic growth following the 2008 Great Recession have a number of factors in common, according to researchers who analyzed all 420 counties in the Appalachian region. Their findings will help guide future economic development strategies across Appalachia.

An article by the Health Insurance, Rural Economic Development and Agriculture (HIREDnAg) team led by Shoshanah Inwood of The Ohio State University (formerly of the University of Vermont) was selected to receive "Honorable Mention" for 2018’s Outstanding Choices Article. The article describes a study consisting of in-depth interviews with 100 farm families and surveys of 1,062 randomly selected farmers and ranchers in ten states. The team's findings paint a picture of how prominently health insurance figures into the decision-making of many farm families, who are engaged in one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S.

NERCRD research is being used in the highest level of Federal Government. The 2019 Economic Report of the President cited three scientific papers written by NERCRD and collaborating researchers.

The USDA, EPA, and others have recently announced funding opportunities that may be of interest to those working in community development, outdoor recreation, and food systems.

A team of Penn State Extension educators has developed a free video series that offers practical strategies to facilitate and build trust in the community. Titled “Community Conflict: Finding Middle Ground,” the series is designed to help community leaders, municipal officials and others who work in the public and nonprofit sector learn how to guide meetings toward a more productive and positive outcome for all. Each short video focuses on individual topics important to productive community conversations.

The National Extension Tourism Design Team is hosting its biennial conference in Astoria, OR, October 8-11 and registration is now open. The team is working out its final agenda details and will be updating the conference website regularly.

In 2018, the Northeast Center continued its work of growing strong, collaborative networks across the land-grant system, across federal agencies, and across the nation. Together with our collaborators, we worked on a number of research and outreach projects that reached thousands of people. Read all about it in our 2018 Annual Report!

The Northeast Center's Board of Directors and Technical Advisory Committee recently filled their remaining vacancies with the addition of two new members from the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension: Ken La Valley and Molly Donovan.

Under the 2018-2019 National Governors’ Association (NGA) Chair’s Initiative, "Good Jobs for All Americans," the NGA is sponsoring three regional workshops in different locations across the U.S., with a culminating conference in Montana at the 2019 NGA Summer Meeting. The first regional event was held in Pittsburgh, where NERCRD Director Stephan Goetz provided context for a discussion around empowering the rural workforce.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) recently released "Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia," a new study identifying factors common across communities experiencing persistent economic growth in the aftermath of the 2008 Recession and other economic disruptions. Together with West Virginia University, the NERCRD played an instrumental role in developing this report. The research includes a statistical analysis of key factors common to economic resilience. A companion Guidebook for Practitioners offers additional insight that can inform economic development strategies across Appalachia.