Source: LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY submitted to
RURAL DEVELOPMENT CENTERS, LA
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
EXTENDED
Funding Source
SPECIAL GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0214212
Grant No.
2008-34511-19060
Project No.
LAW-2008-03169
Proposal No.
2008-03169
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
UU
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2008
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2010
Grant Year
2008
Project Director
Rea, K. W.
Recipient Organization
LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
RUSTON,LA 71272
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The Louisiana Rural Development Center will pursue additional external funding to research the potential impact of conservation educational efforts on the Sparta Aquifer. In addition, the Center will coordinate with Louisiana Tech University Department of Agricultural Sciences faculty in developing and implementing service learning materials for students within Agricultural Sciences at Louisiana Tech University. Using these materials, faculty will engage students in a class project that promotes conservation and sustainable water use practices in an effort to increase public awareness of issues concerning the Sparta Aquifer. Additionally, the Center will conduct research on workforce development impacts in rural communities, especially with regard to health workforce shortages in rural areas. The Center will identify partners for creation of outreach programs that encourage entry into health care professions and health care practice in rural communities. Furthermore, the Center will conduct research and outreach programs that promote community and rural economic development, including enhancement of the quality of life in rural communities. The Center will conduct research on economic development policies, public finance, methods of identifying community comparative advantage and will also explore options for improvement of quality of life in rural communities. Finally, the Center will evaluate the need of agricultural producers in north Louisiana for education and technical assistance with estate planning, the financial statements involved in business planning and techniques for value-added marketing of agricultural commodities. Based on need and interest, the Center will develop materials and outreach programming in the above areas. A series of seminars will be offered to area producers.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
50%
Developmental
50%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1110210301020%
6026030301020%
6086050301020%
8036099301020%
8056099301020%
Knowledge Area
602 - Business Management, Finance, and Taxation; 111 - Conservation and Efficient Use of Water; 803 - Sociological and Technological Change Affecting Individuals, Families, and Communities; 608 - Community Resource Planning and Development; 805 - Community Institutions, Health, and Social Services;

Subject Of Investigation
6050 - Communities, areas, and regions; 0210 - Water resources; 6030 - The farm as an enterprise; 6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3010 - Economics;
Goals / Objectives
The mission of the Louisiana Rural Development Center is to serve as a linkage between the research and expertise at Louisiana Tech University and rural communities with the overall goal of improving the quality of life in Louisiana's rural areas. Proposed objectives for the 2008-2009 Special Research Project include: 1. Preservation and conservation of the Sparta Aquifer. The Sparta Aquifer is the major water source for North Louisiana and southern Arkansas. Aquifier levels have been a concern since the early 1990s. In 2006, withdrawals for municipal and agricultural uses outpaced the maximum possible withdrawal of water without lowering aquifier levels. While the debate is ongoing as to declare the aquifer as in a critical state or not (declaration of the aquifer as critical by the State of Louisiana would give authority to ration, control, or tax water usage), there are no comprehensive conservation education programs in place. The Center will pursue additional external funding to research the potential impact of conservation educational efforts. In addition, the Center will coordinate with Louisiana Tech University Department of Agricultural Sciences faculty in developing and implementing service learning materials for students within Agricultural Sciences at Louisiana Tech University. Using these materials, faculty will engage students in a class project that promotes conservation and sustainable water use practices in an effort to increase public awareness of issues concerning the Sparta Aquifer. 2. Workforce development. The Center will conduct research on workforce development impacts in rural communities, especially with regard to health workforce shortages in rural areas. The Center will identify partners for creation of outreach programs that encourage entry into health care professions and health care practice in rural communities. 3. Community and rural economic development. The Center will conduct research and outreach programs that promote community and rural economic development, including enhancement of the quality of life in rural communities. The Center will plan and promote a community conference that affords communities a chance to promote themselves and develop connections with other communities, as wells a faculty members at Louisiana Tech University who specialize in areas that connect with community development. 4. Estate planning, business planning and value-added marketing for agricultural producers. The Center will conduct research on the need in northern Louisiana for training and technical assistance to agricultural producers and agribusinesses regarding estate planning, business planning and value-added marketing. The Center will develop innovative materials for education, outreach and technical assistance on those subjects and provide such assistance through a series of seminars.
Project Methods
1. Preservation and conservation of the Sparta Aquifer. The Center will research the potential impact of a comprehensive conservation education program concerning the Sparta Aquifier. This approach will include a review of recently-completed engineering reports and information gathered from public officials, agricultural producer organizations, and other stakeholders to gauge the awareness of the general public regarding the aquifer. Public attitude toward conservation of the water resource, usage habits, and willingness to pay to preserve the resource or willingness to accept its loss will be estimated. The Center will work with Louisiana Tech University Department of Agricultural Sciences faculty and staff in developing aquifer conservation education materials and efforts. This approach will involve engaging Agricultural Business, Animal Science, and Agricultural Education undergraduate students in the conservation education efforts through service learning activities that will be implemented in classes. 2. Workforce Development. Center staff have conducted previous research on the Workforce Investment Act and its impact on education and training of workers in Louisiana and its impact on the health care workforce shortage in Louisiana. The Center will continue and expand research in this area, particularly in regard to health care workforce development in the rural areas of Louisiana. Techniques to be employed in evaluating workforce development will include spatial analysis of worker location after receiving WIA services and crosssectional analysis of WIA impacts among Regional Labor Market Areas (RMLAs) in Louisiana. 3. Community and Rural Economic Development. The Center will conduct research on economic development policies, public finance, methods of identifying community comparative advantage and will also explore options for improvement of quality of life in rural communities. Econometric analysis, economic impact analysis and computable general equilibrium modeling methods will be employed. Expected results include a lack of public support for increased taxes that would improve educational infrastructure and construct quality-of-life necessities such as hospitals, roads and parks. 4. Estate planning, business planning and value-added marketing for agricultural producers. The Center will evaluate the need of agricultural producers in north Louisiana for education and technical assistance with estate planning, the financial statements involved in business planning and techniques for value-added marketing of agricultural commodities. A series of seminars will be offered to area producers. A survey of north Louisiana agricultural producers will verify their interest in training of this type. Course materials from AGBU 402 Farm and Agribusiness Management and AGBU 460 Agricultural Finance, plus literature from finance, accounting and business management disciplines will be synthesized into a cohesive, comprehensive set of informational materials for distribution and dissemination to interested producers.

Progress 07/01/08 to 06/30/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: 1. Preservation and conservation of the Sparta Aquifer. The Center pursued and received additional extramural funding from University of Louisiana System to involve students in service learning projects concerning conservation of the aquifer. The Louisiana Rural Development Center coordinated with Louisiana Tech University Department of Agricultural Sciences faculty to develop and implement service learning materials for students as course components in Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Policy and Natural Resource Economics. The class projects promoted conservation and sustainable water use practices in an effort to increase public awareness of issues concerning the Sparta Aquifer. Student groups created marketing plans for promotion of Sparta groundwater conservation in each of the eight parishes in the Sparta region, helped design stickers that promote conservation and distributed the stickers throughout the Louisiana Tech University campus. Results from the project were presented at the Annual ULS Learn and Service Conference, Baton Rouge, LA, August 10, 2009. 2. Workforce development. A webpage was created on the Center's website that contains information about Workforce Development programs available through the Louisiana Department of Labor for both businesses seeking employees and individuals seeking work. Two research papers, The Impact of the Workforce Investment Act on Technical School and Community College Enrollment in Louisiana and The Workforce Investment Act and Worker Shortage in Rural Health: Evidence from Louisiana from the previous year were updated with new data and will be submitted to journals in the coming year. 3. Community and Rural Economic Development. Presented the following papers at associated meetings. Lusby, A. Where Did All My Workers Go Potential Economic Shocks from Immigration Policy in Southwestern Kansas, Federation of Business Disciplines Southwestern Society of Economists Annual Meetings, Oklahoma City, OK, February 26, 2009; Lusby, A. A Spatial Analysis of the Relationship Between Public Highway Capital and Private Investment in Transportation Services and Lusby, A. The Potential of the Growing Hispanic Population for Combating Decline in Rural Kansas, Mid Continent Regional Science Association Annual Meetings May 28-30, 2009; Lusby, A. How Substitutable is Public Highway Capital for Private Investment in Transport Services in the United States at Southern Regional Science Association Annual meetings, San Antonio, TX, April 2-4, 2009. Hosted Energy as Economic Opportunity community forum with LA Tech Enterprise Development Center, February 10th, 2009, at which was disseminated Tidwell, S., Deen, S., Lusby, A. Energy Conservation in Your Community brochure. 4. Estate planning, business planning and value added marketing for agricultural producers. Spreadsheets in MS Excel were created and made available on the Center's website that illustrate Excel functions that can be used for financial planning. The website has been reworked and will be made available October 2009. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals Kenneth W. Rea, VP of Academic Affairs, principal investigator, conducts annual reviews of Rural Development Center activities and director; Gary Kennedy, Professor and Head of Dept. of Agricultural Sciences, Co-PI. Assisted with Sparta Conservation Service Learning, appointed to Sparta Groundwater Commission as ex officio member, attended commission meetings throughout the program year; helped develop service learning course materials for Sparta Conservation classes; Aaron Lusby, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Business, Co-PI. Assumed duties as Director of the Rural Development Center, supervised student workers, presented research findings for Workforce Development and Community and Rural Economic Development goals at academic conferences; Aleta Overby, Assistant Professor of Animal Science. Revamped the Rural Development Center website, assisted with creation of newsletter publications and with research activities; Sara Deen and Stephanie Tidwell, Student Research Associates. Data entry, publication creation, phone contacts. Partners Sparta Groundwater Commission In Summer 2009, PIs agreed to house a Sparta Groundwater Commission student intern within the Department of Agricultural Sciences and the Louisiana Tech Rural Development Center. The Sparta Groundwater Commission provided a grant to fund a $1,500 scholarship for the student and $1,500 in travel funds. Louisiana Tech University Enterprise Center. Hosted Energy as Economic Opportunity community forum with Rural Development Center, February 10th, 2009 TARGET AUDIENCES: 1. Preservation and Conservation of the Sparta Aquifer. Target audiences included community businesses and public officials in the eight parishes of the Sparta Aquifer region. Efforts included service learning components in Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Policy classes. A total of 47 students participated in Sparta Service learning activities during the program year. Student groups created marketing plans for promotion of Sparta groundwater conservation in each of the eight parishes, helped design stickers that promote conservation and distributed the stickers throughout the Louisiana Tech University campus. 4. Estate planning, business planning and value added marketing for agricultural producers. Agricultural producers who need technical assistance with financial planning. Efforts included the development of sample MS Excel spreadsheets for financial planning purposes. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The Center asked for and received a one-year no-cost budget extension in order to complete the project.

Impacts
1. Preservation and Conservation of the Sparta Aquifer. In Summer 2009, PIs agreed to house a Sparta Groundwater Commission student intern within the Department of Agricultural Sciences and the Louisiana Tech Rural Development Center. The Sparta Groundwater Commission provided a grant to fund a $1,500 scholarship for the student and $1,500 in travel funds. This student made several presentations on behalf of the Sparta Groundwater Commission and engaged communities and businesses in conservation awareness. In Fall 2009, the Natural Resource class will work with the Sparta Commission to contact local communities and distribute stickers in the other parishes in the Sparta Region. A total of 47 students participated in Sparta Service learning activities during the program year. Initial findings indicate that student attitudes on water conservation did not change after participation in the activities. 2. Workforce Development. In the paper The Impact of the Workforce Investment Act on Technical School and Community College Enrollment in Louisiana, addition of ten more years of data and use of a dummy variable changed earlier conclusions of WIA on enrollment; previously, WIA showed no significant impact, now it appears that WIA did have a positive impact on enrollment in Louisiana. In the paper The Workforce Investment Act and Worker Shortage in Rural Health: Evidence from Louisiana, new data did not change the study results: WIA did not have a positive impact on the number of LPNs or RNs employed in Louisiana. In the paper A Spatial Analysis of the Relationship between Public Highway Capital and Private Investment in Transport Services in the United States, the inclusion of spatial techniques changed the conclusions from an earlier paper; the previous paper found a competitive relationship between public and private capital, while the spatial analysis resulted in a complementary relationship between public and private capital.

Publications

  • Springer, J. D., Lusby, A., Leatherman, J. C., Featherstone, A. M. (2009). An Evaluation of Alternative Tax and Expenditure Limitation Policies on Kansas Local Governments. Public Budgeting and Finance 29(2), 48-70. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117963338/home
  • Lusby, A.K. 2009 A Spatial Analysis of the Relationship between Public Highway Capital and Private Investment in Transport Services in the United States pg. 23-34 in Proc. In 40th Annual Meetings, MCRSA, Milwaukee, WI http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/mcrsa/pdf_files/2009_conference_proceedings.p df
  • Lusby, A.K. 2009 The Potential of the Growing Hispanic Population for Combating Decline in Rural Kansas pg. 35-49 in Proc. In 40th Annual Meetings, MCRSA, Milwaukee, WI http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/mcrsa/pdf_files/2009_conference_proceedings.p df