What is SET?
Stronger Economies Together (SET) enables communities and counties in rural America to work together in developing and implementing an economic development blueprint for their multi-county region that strategically builds on the current and emerging economic strengths of that region.
Creating, attracting and retaining jobs as a single rural county in isolation from other nearby counties is becoming increasingly ineffective. In today’s global marketplace, economic development progress is more likely to be realized when rural and metro counties work together as a region to assess their resources and then design and implement plans that build on their assets and comparative economic strengths.
Launched in 2010 by USDA Rural Development and the nation’s four Regional Rural Development Centers and their land-grant university partners, this exciting initiative is now in place in more than 94 regions in 32 states.
SRDC Partnerships
USDA Rural Development
We wish to express our sincere appreciation and thanks to USDA Rural Development for their important financial support. It is their resources that helped make the SET Process a reality.
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
The Southern Rural Development Center is grateful for the leadership of our national partner and supporter, USDA-NIFA. Their continued support of the work the four Regional Rural Development Centers do makes the innovations, such as SET possible.
Land-Grant University Extension Professionals
The important work of our land-grant university-based Extension educators, who have given of their time and talents in designing and delivering the SET program to dozens of regional teams, is sincerely appreciated as well.