NERCRD Logo      NETWORK 12
  
A Quarterly Newsletter for Northeast Rural Development
                                          Vol.
28, No. 4 
                                         December 2012 
  
In This Issue
Community of Practice Launches
Growth of Self-Employment Sector
Importance of Less Developed Regions
Impact of Shale Gas Drilling
Phasing out Farm Program Payments
Quick Links
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Community, Local and Regional Food Systems Community of Practice Launches

National Team of Extension Educators, community-based practitioners, and individuals came together in Pittsburgh to launch CLRFS CoP's National Leadership Team. For details, click Here.  

Read the article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on the October Launch. You are also invited to Join This Group   

New NERA Muliti-State Planning Grant (#NE1301) Selected for Funding
Congratulations to Kathleen Liang from the University of Vermont! Her proposal "Examining the Role of Regional Food Networks (RFN's) and Their Relationships to Long-Term Resilience in the US Food System through the Linkages of People, Place, and Prosperity" has been awarded funding under the NERA Planning Grant Program. For more information, contact Kathleen Liang  
Samantha Sheckler Joins NERCRD
We welcome Samantha Sheckler to the Northeast Center. She will be providing staff support to Katey Burke on a part-time basis and is co-funded on a number of different grants, including the National Agricultural and Rural Development (NARDeP) Center and Global Food Security Grants.
Working Solo: Trends in the Growing Self-Employment Sector
As a way of diversifying local economies, many communities have adopted economic development strategies that support businesses of local residents. In a paper coauthored with Atlanta Fed economist Anil Rupasingha, Dr. Goetz discusses the growing impact of self-employment and its variation in urban, suburban, and rural contexts.To listen to the podcast click Here
OECD Study Makes Case for Supporting All Regions in a Country
A new OECD report provides analysis showing how less developed regions can be potentially important sources of growth. Read why the government should be concerned Here 

Kauffman Fdn Report Examines Inc 500 Firm Locations 

A high number of fast-growing firms are concentrated in unexpected regions and industrial sectors. To read the full report click Here

Center For Rural PA Report Explores Shale Gas Drilling Impact on Water Quality 

What is the water quality in private water wells in rural Pennsylvania before and after the drilling of nearby Marcellus Shale gas well? Read the research Results     

 

In an unrelated development, this Report issued by the US Geographical Survey suggests where natural gas deposits are present in other parts of the Northeast. View Map 

ERS Study Estimates Effect of Phasing out Farm Program Payments
Roughly 450 farms in the Northeast would be affected if there is an abrupt end to the direct payment programs, resulting in loss of income and and potential declines in land values and rental rates. The USDA has released this November 2012 Report
Hudson Institute Reports on Broadband for Rural America
The Hudson Institute outlines economic impacts and economic opportunities related to broadband use. The report prepared for the Economic Summit on the Future of Rural Telecommunications can be found Here 
SET iv Set to Launch in 2013
The USDA's Stronger Economies Together program, round 4, will be launched in 2013. All States are eligible to apply, and programs in at least six to seven states are expected to be funded. For details, please contact the Northeast Center. 

Wreath
 
Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2013 from the Northeast Center!
The Northeast Regional Center provides support to the experiment stations and extension services of sixteen land grant institutions in twelve northeastern states and the District of Columbia.  The Center receives core funds from USDA-NIFA and the Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors.  Any opinions expressed in Center publications are strictly those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the funder.NERCRD Logo