Box 9656
410 Bost Extension Bldg.
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Phone: (662) 325-3207
Fax: (662) 325-8915
http://srdc.msstate.edu
April
2006, Vol. 2 No. 4
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- Final Measuring Rural Diversity Policy Series Brief Released
The newest -- and final -- brief in this series (Volume 3, Issue No. 2), "Measuring Economic Distress: A Comparison of Designations and Measures," written by Amy Glasmeier at Pennsylvania State University, Larry Wood at Ohio University, and Kurt Fuellhart at Shippensburg University, explores the use of different measures of economic health and distress primarily in relationship to rural areas. This brief is available on the SRDC website at http://srdc.msstate.edu/measuring/series/glasmeier.pdf.
- Twelfth Food Assistance Needs of the South's Vulnerable Populations
Now Available
The newest brief in this series, "Food Availability & Food Deserts in the Nonmetropolitan South," was written by Troy Blanchard at Mississippi State University and Thomas Lyson at Cornell University. Over the past thirty years, the structure of food retailing in the United States has changed dramatically. Local grocery stores that once served a small community or neighborhood are increasingly being replaced by regional or national chain grocers. In addition, big box general merchandisers have also entered the retail grocery sector with the advent of hybrid superstores that combine groceries with a wide array of product lines. A key consequence of this restructuring is the growing uneven distribution of food retailers across rural America.. This brief is available on the SRDC website at http://srdc.msstate.edu/focusareas/health/fa/fa_12_blanchard.pdf.
- 2006 Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Innovation Grants Program
Request for Proposals Announced
The SRDC is pleased to announce its continued support for food and nutrition-related research focusing on the South. As in past years, the program is designed to support innovative social sciences-related research that advances our knowledge and understanding of food assistance and nutrition issues impacting vulnerable populations in the South. The deadline date is June 23, 2006. The RFP is available at http://srdc.msstate.edu/06rpf.pdf.
- Center for the Study of Social Policy Releases Policy Matters
Report
Key to a state's prosperity are the strength of its work force, the health of communities, and the efficiency of government investment, all of which can be enhanced by adopting policies that improve opportunities for children and families. As state leaders pursue these goals, they need strong research evidence to help them assess which policies can produce results most effectively and give states a high rate of return on their policy investments. The Policy Matters: Twenty State Policies to Create Bright Futures for America's Children, Families and Communities report serves as such a guide by assembling research on effective policies in the areas most important to a family's opportunity and stability: employment, income and asset growth, health, education, and healthy family relationships.
Several reports are available in different formats on the Center's website at http://www.policymatters.us/.
- Forest Resources: The Heartbeat of the South
The Southern Forest Research Partnership, Inc. recently released the publication, "Forest Resources: The Heartbeat of the South." This twenty-five page publication examines the values of Southern forests and the threats that may permanently alter the region. Available online at http://sfrponline.net/forestresources.pdf.
- New Book Available from the American Association of Community
Colleges, Cool Community Colleges: Creative Approaches to Economic
Development
In December 2004, Regional Technology Strategies and the Trans-Atlantic Technology and Training Alliance organized an international conference that targeted exemplary and potentially valuable contributions of community colleges to the development of creative people, local businesses, and their communities. The conference, "Community Colleges in Creative Economies," highlighted practices based on the arts, design, and/or culture that have strengthened communities and opened up new opportunities for people and places with the greatest needs. The American Association of Community Colleges recently captured the essence of the presentations and discussions at that event in the form of a book titled, Cool Community Colleges: Creative Approaches to Economic Development. The book, written by Stuart Rosenfeld, is available from AACC's Community College Press at http://www.aacc.nche.edu.
- Oklahoma State University’s Mike Woods Testifies Before Congress
on Rural Entrepreneurship
Rural America got its say before Congress March 30, thanks in part to testimony from Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Rural Development Specialist Mike Woods. Woods, professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University and a nationally recognized leader in rural economic development extension programs, spoke before the House Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development and Research, chaired by Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma. Read this press release online at http://www2.dasnr.okstate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=222&Itemid=35.
- 2006 Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Innovation Grants Program
RFP Available at http://srdc.msstate.edu/06rpf.pdf
Deadline Date: Postmarked by June 23, 2006
- SRDC's Grant Connections: Rural Development Funding Opportunities
Volume 8, Number 4, April 2006
http://srdc.msstate.edu/funding/apr06.htm -- Available April 28
The SRDC staff compiles Grant Connections primarily for the faculty of land-grant colleges and universities in the South to provide funding information in support of activities in agricultural economics, education, human sciences, rural sociology, youth development, and other related disciplines.
- 2006 Southern Institute for Rural Development (SIRD)
April 24-26, 2006
West Monroe, Louisiana
http://srdc.msstate.edu/sird06/
- 2006 National Priester Health Conference
April 25-27, 2006
Louisville, Kentucky
http://www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/priester/
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research for Public Goods and Private
Goods: The Roles of University-Industry Relationships
May 1, 2006
Washington DC
http://farmfoundation.org/
- Southern Rural Development Initiative's 10th Anniversary Celebration
May 1-2, 2006
Atlanta, Georgia
http://www.srdi.org/regindex.htm
- 5th Natural Resource Extension Professionals Conference -- Finding
the "Ability" in Sustainability
May 14–17, 2006
Park City, Utah
http://www.anrep2006.org/
- 2006 Spring National SBIR/STTR Conference
May 15-18, 2006
Louisville, Kentucky
http://www.sbirworld.com/KY/
- Western Community Vitality Initiative Workshop and Resource Fair
Foundations of Practice: Community Development Training for Extension Professionals
May 24-25, 2006
Salt Lake City, Utah
http://extension.usu.edu/wrdc/WCVIweb1.cfm
- Critical Processes and Properties Regulating Carbon Cycling in
Southern Forests
May 31-June 2, 2006
Asheville, North Carolina
http://sfrponline.net/events.htm
- Southern Innovation Summit
June 4-6, 2006
New Orleans, Louisiana
http://www.southern.org/conf.asp
- GIS Population Science Training Program
Population Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University
June 4-16, 2006
State College, Pennsylvania
http://www.csiss.org/GISPopSci/workshops/
- Connecting Rural Communities: Cooperative Extension as a Catalyst
June 6-7, 2006
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
http://www.nercrd.psu.edu/ConnectingCommunities/ConnectingCommunities.html
- 2006 National Value-Added Agriculture Conference
June 12-13, 2006
Nashville, Tennessee
http://cpa.utk.edu/default.htm
- Creative Economy Workshop
Sponsored by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, in conjunction with the 2006 annual meetings of the Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association (NAREA)
June 13-14, 2006
Mystic, Connecticut
For more information, contact Todd Gabe, University of Maine, at todd.gabe@umit.maine.edu.
- 2006 CDS Annual International Conference
"Communities That Click: Individuals, Families, and Organizations Working Together"
June 25-28, 2006
St. Louis, Missouri
http://comm-dev.org/
- GIS Population Science Training Program
Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science, University of California, Santa Barbara
July 10-22, 2006
Santa Barbara, California
http://www.csiss.org/GISPopSci/workshops/
- Intensive Economic Development Training Course
Session I: July 24 - 28, 2006
Session II: September 11 - 15, 2006
Auburn, Alabama
http://www.aces.edu/crd/iedtc.php
- NCR-SARE 2006 National Conference -- A Midwest Homecoming:
Sharing a New Tradition of Sustainability
August 15-17, 2006
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
http://www.sare2006.org
- 2006 National Extension Tourism Conference -- NETworking
in Tourism: People, Places and Partnerships
September 10-13, 2006
Burlington, Vermont
http://www.esf.edu/NET2006/
- Closing the Wealth Gap: Building Assets Among Low-Income Households,
A Policy Research Forum
Held in conjunction with the CFED 2006 Assets Learning Conference
September 19-21, 2006
Phoenix, Arizona
- Creating Business Success
October 8-11, 2006
Tallahassee, Florida
http://srdc.msstate.edu/calendar/famu/famuconf.html
- Dr. Jim Trapp has been named Associate Director position for our Oklahoma
Cooperative Extension Service effective May 1, 2006.
- Dr. Clarence E. Watson has been appointed Associate Director of the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University.
- Director
North Carolina Agromedicine Institute
View announcement: http://www.ncagromedicine.org/
- National Program Leader (Agricultural Risk Management)
CSREES, USDA
View announcement: https://jobs1.quickhire.com/scripts/usda.exe/runjobinfo?aOrg=7&aJob=434&U
Job announcements and other items of interest may be sent to Emily Shaw, emilye@srdc.msstate.edu, for possible inclusion in future issues.
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Some photos on this
page
courtesy of USDA NRCS.
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