Publications: Rural Economic Studies

Articles

How Local Economic Analysis Can Help Focus Community Engagement and how one local foods campaign used Crossroads’ analysis (2006).

Finding Food in Farm Country, the groundbreaking study, by Ken Meter and Jon Rosales (2001).

Ken Meter’s testimony before the Senate Agriculture Committee presenting the results of Finding Food in Farm Country (Stewartville, Minnesota, 2001).

“Finding Food in Farm Country” Presentations

Economic Realities of the Region. Ken Meter’s 2007 PowerPoint presentation at Rep. Collin Peterson’s annual forum, “The Home Grown Economy,” incorporating results from “Finding Food in Farm Country” studies.

Growth in Local Food Economies. Ken’s PowerPoint presentation at the 2008 “The Home Grown Economy,” forum, focussing on successful local foods initiatives around the U.S.

Reports

Economies of Size Considerations for Hiawatha Fund . By Ken Meter for the University of Minnesota—Experiment in Rural Cooperation, Southeast Minnesota Sustainable Finance Initiative (2004). Economies of size are not always as large as is commonly believed.

Historical Review of Research Covering Economies of Size . By Ken Meter for the University of Minnesota—Experiment in Rural Cooperation, Southeast Minnesota Sustainable Finance Initiative (2004).

National (U.S.) Data Summaries

Finding Food in Farm Country: National Findings (2004). Data Summary

Alabama

See Florida, below.

Arizona

Coconino County (July, 2006). Partner: Northern Arizona University Center for Sustainable Environments. Data Summary

Navajo County (July, 2006). Partner: Northern Arizona University Center for Sustainable Environments. Data Summary

Yavapai County (July, 2006). Partner: Northern Arizona University Center for Sustainable Environments. Data Summary

California

State of California, Sacramento metro area and Ventura County (January, 2005). Partners: Roots of Change "Vivid Picture" project, Ecotrust. Data Summary

Finding Food in Farm Country: Findings in Central Coast, California (2004). Data Summary

Florida

Sarasota (2006). Partner: City of Sarasota economic development. Data Summary

Santa Rosa County Region (Florida and Alabama) (March, 2006). Partner: Team Santa Rosa (Santa Rosa County economic development). Data Summary

Hawaii

Finding Food in Farm Country: Findings in Hawaii (2003). Data Summary

Iowa

Pathfinders RC&D region (Southeast Iowa). Partners: Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development District, Aldo Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University. Data Summary

Iowa River Valley RC&D region (East Central Iowa). Partners: Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development District, Aldo Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, Northwest Area Foundation. Data Summary

Golden Hills RC&D region (Southwest Iowa). Partners: Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development District, Aldo Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University. Data Summary

Prairie Rivers RC&D region (Central Iowa). Partners: Prairie Rivers Resource Conservation and Development District, Aldo Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University. Data Summary

Black Hawk region (November, 2005) Data SummaryPartners: University of Northern Iowa Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign, Aldo Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University

Woodbury County (November, 2005). Partner: Woodbury County Rural Economic Development, Aldo Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University. Data Summary

Northeast region (2004) Partners: GROWN Locally, Northeast Iowa Farm and Food Coalition, Iowa State University Extension, Aldo Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, Oneota Coop. No data summary available.

Wright County (2004) Partner: Here’s 2 Our Health, Aldo Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, ALCES Foundation. No data summary available.

Finding Food in Farm Country: Findings in Wright County and Northeast Iowa, and the state as a whole (2004). Data Summary

Maryland

See Virginia, below.

Minnesota

Southeast Minnesota (15 counties, 2007—new study with expanded region). Partners: Experiment in Rural Cooperation, University of Minnesota. Data Summary

West Central region (12 counties, November, 2005). Partners: West Central Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, University of Minnesota. Data Summary

Northwest region (13 counties, October, 2005). Partners: Northwest Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, University of Minnesota. Data Summary

Southeast region (Original "Finding Food in Farm Country" study, 2001). Partners: Experiment in Rural Cooperation, Community Design Center, & University of Minnesota. Data Summary

Finding Food in Farm Country: Findings in Southeast Minnesota (2001), Northwest Minnesota (2005), and West Central Minnesota (2005). Data Summary

New Mexico

Northern New Mexico (7 counties, 2007) Data SummaryPartner: New Mexico Acequia Association

North Carolina

Western North Carolina (23 counties, 2006). Partner: Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Program. Data Summary

Oregon

Corvallis region (3 counties, 2007). Partners: Ten Rivers Food Web, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Oregon State University Extension, Northwest Area Foundation. Data Summary

Virginia

East Chesapeake Bay region (Maryland & Virginia) (7 counties, 2007). Partner: Food and Water Watch, East Chesapeake farmers. Data Summary

State of Virginia (2007) Partner: University of Virginia. No data summary available.

Washington

Clark County (2008). Partner: Community Choices (Vancouver, Washington). Data Summary

Northern Olympic Peninsula (2 counties, 2007). Partners: Washington State University Extension, Team Jefferson, Northwest Area Foundation. Data Summary

Wisconsin

Northwest Wisconsin (10 counties, 2008). Partners: Barron County, Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin Extension, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Data Summary

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