Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: International presentations by David Freshwater Modernizing Rural Economies . Keynote address, 8th OECD Rural Policy Conference, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, October 3-5, 2012, Thoughts on Peripherality, Productivity, Entrepreneurship & Roles for Development Policy in Small Rural Regions. Invited Seminar New Zealand Productivity Commission, Wellington NZ, Sep. 4, 2012, Applicability of the New Rural Paradigm to Australia. Invited seminar Regional Australia Institute, Canberra Australia August, 31, 2012, Renewable Energy and Rural Economic Development. OECD Renewable Energy Workshop, Paris June 14-15, 2012, Academic presentations by David Freshwater Simms, Alvin, David Freshwater and Jamie Ward. Developing a User Friendly Economic Tool for Rural Areas: A Case Study of Newfoundland and Labrador. Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation, Ottawa, ON, May 24-25, 2012. Simms, Alvin, David Freshwater and Jamie Ward. Developing a User Friendly Economic Tool for Rural Areas: A Case Study of Newfoundland and Labrador. Southern Regional Science Association, Charlotte N.C. , March 23, 2012. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Work by Freshwater focused on providing policy recommendations to government officials in two main areas. The first was on the role of renewable energy as a source of employment in rural areas. This work shows that renewable energy can in very specific circumstances help drive rural economic activity. However both the renewable energy project and the host region have to be structured in a specific way to make this happen and in most cases this is not the case. The second theme is the need for a new vision for rural policy that captures the changing nature of economic opportunity in rural areas brought about by the fundamental changes that are taking place in terms of economic opportunity and demographic conditions. The main message is that rural regions have to focus on improving worker productivity because of an imminent drop in workforce numbers and because rural regions are exposed to global competitors with lower wage costs.
Publications
- OECD. 2012. Linking Renewable Energy to Rural Development (lead author for sections of the report dealing with policy implications) OECD: Paris
- OECD. 2012 OECD Territorial Reviews: Chihuahua, Mexico (author for section 4.3 on Rural Challenges in Chihuahua) OECD: Paris.
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Conducted surveys on the impact of broadband availability on farmers. Conducted a survey to determine the value of the fine arts extension program in Kentucky. Hosted the Kentucky Tennessee Institute for Sustainable Development in May. Conducted an evaluation of the University of Kentucky Health and Wellness program. Conducted the Stronger Economies Together program in 2 regions of Kentucky. Completed an evaluation of the Kentucky Healthcare Economy. Information was disseminated through the CEDIK quarterly newsletter, Choices journal, professional reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, workshops, conferences and trainings all across Kentucky. PARTICIPANTS: David Freshwater worked extensively with OECD in several countries over the last two years. Alison Davis worked with Mississippi State University and the Southern Rural Development Center on many activities related to this project as well as the University of Tennessee. In addition, Davis worked with the University of Nevada on the Community Business Matching Model. Davis worked with state partners including the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, Kentucky Association of Area Development Districts, and the Kentucky League of Cities. Davis and Freshwater advised 6 graduate students during 2011. TARGET AUDIENCES: County Extension educators, Locally elected officials, nonprofit organizations, The NORA Region governments (Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Coastal Norway), Researchers at peer institutions, University administrators PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Improved understanding of regional economy and the industries that support regional clusters. A shift in focus from industrial attraction to workforce development. Creation of partnerships across county lines. A better understanding of how farmers use broadband and the willingness to pay by different types of farmers for high speed internet. Community has better understanding about the value of the University of Kentucky's fine arts extension program in addition to the costs associated with employing a county agent in this area. The University of Kentucky's HMO decided to invest in the Wellness Program at UK because of the realized cost savings to them.
Publications
- Davis, A and Frank. S. 2011. CEDIK quarterly newsletter
- Jeffcoat, C., Davis A., Hu, W. 2012. An Evaluation of Broadband Use and Access for Kentucky Farmers, Selected Paper Journal of Agriculture and Resource Economics. Accepted.
- Jeffcoat, C. and Davis A., 2012 Farmers and Broadband Needs, Invited Paper Choices. Accepted.
- He, X. and Davis A. 2011. Why Rural Kentucky Patients Bypass Local Critical Access Hospitals, Journal of Rural Health. Pending.
- He, X. and Davis, A. 2011. Hospital Choice Behavior, Submitted to Health Services Research, Pending.
- Kibler, M. and A. Davis. 2011. Evaluation of Employer Wellness Programs, Submitted to the American Journal of Public Health. Pending.
- Davis, A. and Bowker, S. 2011. Kentucky Healthcare Market Report. Submitted to the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky
- Icazza-Lara, C, McMaster I., Freshwater D., and Neuwaler C. 2011. OECD Territorial Reviews: NORA Region. OECD: Paris. Freshwater, D and Bryce, B. 2011. OECD Rural Policy Reviews: England, UK. OECD: Paris
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Was a partner in the creation of the Stronger Economies Together curriculum for regions across the United States. This curriculum was based on the "Targeting Regional Economic Development" book edited by Goetz, Harris and Deller of which Alison Davis contributed two chapters. The crux of this curriculum focuses on cluster analysis and building on a region's competitive advantage. Continued work with Nevada, Montana and Hawaii to coordinate the Community Business Matching (CBM) model. Created CEDIK, the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky which is an integrated research, extension and instruction program within the College of Agriculture. Alison Davis is the director of this project. Prepared quarterly CEDIK Newsletters that highlights trends in data in rural areas as well as available programs for communities. Concluded the "Growing Local Economies" initiative. Reports were generated for three communities in Eastern Kentucky that identified business opportunities that might fit well with their current assets. The mission was to help promote local businesses by first having them understand their current local economy. Davis was also awarded a research project that investigates the state of health access, quality and quantity, in Kentucky. This project will look at clusters of health care, health care professionals, and the economic impact of health care on communities. PARTICIPANTS: Alison Davis is the Director of CEDIK, the Community and Economic Development Initiative at the University of Kentucky. She is an Associate Extension Professor with a small fraction of time devoted to research as well. Dave Freshwater is a professor at UK who has recently worked with the OECD and in Newfoundland. Dave Debertin is a professor at UK and continues working on social capital issues in rural areas. TARGET AUDIENCES: There are many audiences for this project. They include extension agents, communities, locally elected officials, state agencies, peer research institutions, and international audiences such as the OECD. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The participants in Growing Local Economies reported a greater understanding of their local economy, particularly understanding the concept of leakages and how best to plug leaks. Extension is more aware of Community and Economic Development both at the County level and the State level. More agents have requested information and programs that would be useful in their county.
Publications
- Johnson, R., W. Hu, A. Pagoulatos and D. Debertin (2011), Response to General Health Information in the Food Industry: A Panel Case Study in the Domestic Cracker Market. Journal of Food Product Marketing. Forthcoming
- Debertin, David L. and Stephan J. Goetz, Social Capital Formation in Rural, Urban and Suburban Communities. in Environmental Politics: From Sociability to Sustenance, ed Prasenjit Maiti, pp.166-195. Discovery Publishing House PVT.LTD New Delhi (India) 2010
- Ona, Lucia and Alison Davis, Economic Impact of the Critical Access Hospital Program on Kentucky's Communities, Journal of Rural Health. Forthcoming (available online early edition 2010).
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: Provided Western Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky counties an economic assessment of clusters in their region. Also provided each county with a leakage analysis to help them determine the best economic development strategy. Numerous trainings were held for extension agents and local public officials on economic development strategies and the basic fundamentals of community and economic development. Working with Nevada, Montana and Hawaii to coordinate the Community Business Matching (CBM) model. Created a facilitator's guide to the CBM model. Prepared an annual Rural Development Newsletter that highlights trends in data in rural areas as well as available programs for communities. Started the "Growing Local Economies" initiative. Working with 4 communities in Eastern Kentucky by helping them promote local businesses by first having them understand their current local economy. We have also been working with a region in Eastern Kentucky interested in promoting agri-tourism. We have provided the foundation for community and economic development training that will allow them to create a regional plan for tourism. PARTICIPANTS: Alison Davis, outgoing chair of NE-1029. Partners include University of Kentucky Appalachian Center, Cooperative Extension Service, and Department of Economics. External partners include Southern Rural Development Center, University of Nevada Reno, University of Hawaii, and the University of Tennessee. TARGET AUDIENCES: Many different target audiences: university professionals, extension agents, local public officials, economic development professionals PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The participants in Growing Local Economies can not give elevator speeches to their local public officials and have received buy-in from their community because the community now understands the importance of keeping their money local. One community created a local currency to promote local business ownership, this will help improve the incomes of local businesses. It is too early in the Growing Local Economies program for there to be a change in conditions but we hope to soon see a change in local business ownership and an increase in churn of the dollar locally.
Publications
- Davis, Alison and Thomas R. Harris, "The Use of Double Hurdles Models: An Application to Nevada" in Targeting Regional Economic Development, editors Stephan Goetz, Steven Deller and Thomas Harris, March 2009.
- Goetz, Stephan, Steve Deller, Thomas Harris, and Alison Davis. "What Have We Learned" in Targeting Regional Economic Development, editors Stephan Goetz, Steven Deller and Thomas Harris, March 2009.
- Hudoyo, Agus, "The Production of Social Capital and Its Impact on Income: Using ZIP Code Area as Unit Analysis in Rural Area Kentucky", dissertation, 2009.
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Objective 1: Developed a report analyzing how Active Labor Market Policy (ALMP) can be used as a component of rural development policy. The report reviews a number of evaluation studies of ALMP and shows that ALMP when applied at the local labor market level complements traditional rural economic strategies. A second paper, jointly developed with Alvin Simms, looks at commuting patterns of fish plant workers in rural Newfoundland but the methodology is easily extended to improve our understanding of labor market participation decisions by rural residents. Objective 3: Developed a background report on the relative strengths of agricultural policy and land use policy as ways to limit farmland conversion in different types of rural areas, particularly the urban-rural fringe. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Alvin Simms, Department of Geography, Memorial University, St. John's NL, Canada was a co-author on the commuting paper. TARGET AUDIENCES: The work conducted under Objective 1 had senior provincial officials as its main target audience, but the ideas are being generalized from Newfoundland and can be applied in virtually all rural regions. Similarly, the specific study on farmland conversion was designed to meet the needs of the joint working party of the OECD, but the ideas are being extended to the broader analysis of Objective 3. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The ALMP paper was presented to senior provincial government officials in Newfoundland and is being used as input into a new workforce development strategy. It is also being used as a methodological base for a master's thesis in the Department of Geography at Memorial University that will examine the effectiveness of wage subsidies to rural employers. The fish plant commuting paper was presented at professional meetings and is being used to help develop a new set of regional boundaries based upon local labor markets that will be used by the Newfoundland government to define economic development priorities. The land use paper was developed for the joint working party of the Agriculture Committee and the Environment Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The paper is being used as part of a larger analysis of a project on land use management requested by the member countries
Publications
- Freshwater, David. 2008. Maintaining Farmland: A New Focus for Agricultural Policy in C. Cahill ed. Multifunctionality in Agriculture: Evaluating the Degree of Jointness, Policy Implications. OECD: Paris.
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