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Rural Area Development—sounds too much like a government
bureau. No, Rural Area Develojmient is country Americas best hope
for future prosperity because it puts local resources to work for
the local community
The author of this interjnetive article on what our rural areas
can do to help themselves is an economist in South Dakota. He
heads up that state’s extension activities in rural development
In brief, according to Dr. Thompson, Rural Area Development
requires a combined force of rural and city people working together
to provide a future for themselves.
If you live in a small town or on a farm, in fact if you live in
a city, this article is for YOU! It may help you to solve the
economic problems of your community.
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T he production of rural opportunities in Amer
ica, like the production of good crops, depends
on good management
The most successful farm operators are those
who are constantly studying and using new
farm management techniques and methods of
increasing their profits. Likewise, our fastest
growing and most prosperous rural communi
ties, offering the greatest employment oppor
tunities, are those where people are constantly
studying and taking action on the basis of new
techniques which have been tested, tried and
have succeeded.
The leaders in these fast growing communi
ties study the changing conditions in their econ
omy which not only limit but can open up new
opportunities. They are aware of the shifts in
supply and demand for the kind of products
currently being produced.
The markets, both domestic and foreign, are
ever changing. The impact of these changes is
recognized early. Above all, the most successful
rural communities, like the most successful
farmers, are those having people who have pre
pared themselves to make good judgments
about future conditions.
Estimates of what can be expected in the
future can be improved when local people study
and analyze their human and physical resources.
These resources should be evaluated in rela
tion to the changes that are taking place. This
enables local people to adjust to change, to take
advantage of changes and even to cause changes
which can benefit the whole community'. It is
important to study the causes for past trends
and consider to what extent these causes can
be expected to continue into the future. Also,
to what extent can they be altered if they are
undesirable.
The demands of people need to be studied in
terms of how the local community can help
satisfy such demands. For example, the de
velopment of new recreational opportunities is
a real potential in many areas when one con
siders the projections made by the Outdoor
Recreation Resources Review Commission on
Outdoor Recreation for America. This research
organization projects almost a doubling of
population by the year 2000 along with about