Water, one of the most fundamental resources for economic activity, covers about three-fourths of the earth’s surface--but only 2.5 percent of that amount is considered fresh water. While freshwater supplies in the United States are relatively abundant, increasing demand and drought,...

Rural America will remember 2005 as a year of drought, hurricanes, and surging gas prices. To be sure, some regions of the country faced devastating natural catastrophes. Yet, these catastrophes did not stop the farm sector from posting another banner income year—nor did they stop the nonfarm...

Knowledge has become the new premium fuel for economic growth in the 21st century. Knowledge fuels new ideas and innovations to boost productivity – and to create new products, new firms, new jobs, and new wealth. Some analysts estimate that knowledge-based activity accounts for half of the...

As the recession intensified in 2008, rural economies held firm. Through the first half of the year, strong commodity prices supported robust farm incomes and contributed to relatively stronger gains on Main Street. Moreover, the housing correction was less intense than in urban areas, and the...

Lean supplies, strong export activity, and vibrant demand both at home and abroad have pushed crop prices to record highs, offsetting today’s spiraling production costs. As a result, farm profits and investments have soared, and farmland values have boomed. ; But commodity markets in...

The rural economy broke free from the reins of recession in 2004 with an especially strong performance in the farm sector. Net farm income easily surpassed the record high of 2003. And the weakness that plagued the nonfarm rural economy in recent years appears to have been replaced with stronger...

Rural areas in the Tenth District are experiencing a period of renewed economic growth in the 1990s. After a decade of lackluster performance in the 1980s, rural areas are enjoying stronger employment and income growth. Employment growth in rural areas has averaged almost 2 percent per year from...

Sweeping demographic shifts are challenging the growth of many rural communities in the Tenth District. The retirement of the baby boomers, coupled with the exodus of young adults, threatens to leave rural areas with a rapidly aging population and a shrinking local workforce. The strength of...