Western Rural Development Center

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Western RuralDevelopment Center
Engaging the Future
8335 Old Main Hill . Utah State University .
Logan, UT 84322 . 435/797-9732 .
wrdc_at_ext.usu.edu
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WRDC Priorities

• Civic Capacity
• Land Use/Public Policy
• Capacity of Land Grant Universities
• and Partners
• Enterprise Development

How does the WRDC address wide-ranging
priorities and effectively engage the future?
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The West in Perspective

• The Western Region is one of the most
  demographically dynamic and fastest growing in
  the country.

• The larger retiree population, and the increasing
  importance of non employment income, has created
  migrants
• who move to the West
• for reasons other than work.

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Emerging Issue Growth
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Out-migration

• At the same time, many rural counties are
  experiencing dramatic out-migration of the
  working-age population as traditional industries
  such as farming, ranching, and oil extraction
  decline.

• These factors contributed to a rise in rural
  poverty from 1990-2000.

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Poverty in the West
Family Poverty 1999
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Economies of the Future

• It is clear that economies of the past will not
  sustain future generations.
• In the future, rural prosperity will occur
  primarily through
• New business start-ups
• Business expansion
• Local community and economic development

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An Ag-Based Option

• One option for traditionally agriculture-dependent
  rural communities is enhancement of economies
  based on small to mid-sized sustainable farms and
  ranches.
• Research argues for increased support of
  sustainable agriculture producers
• through solid technical training
• in the areas of
• Competitive retail/Internet sales
• Packaging, processing, and
• marketing of products

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Research Shows a Need

• In June 2004, Western SARE published a
  Professional Development Survey Report

• 47 of extension educators felt they had very
  limited knowledge of sustainable ag alternative
  direct marketing approaches
• 57 felt that information about these same
  approaches would be helpful to them in their work
• 51-71 of participants in eight western states
  reported very limited knowledge of establishing
  farmer-to-farmer networks

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WRDC Addresses Need

• The WRDC submitted a WSARE grant proposal titled
  Entrepreneurial Sustainable Ag Alternatives for
  Processing, Packaging, Labeling Marketing in
  Retail/Internet Environments. If funded, the
  WRDC will provide professional development
  training to increase the capacity of
• Extension faculty
• USDA agency personnel
• Federal, state, or private agricultural
  professionals
• Producers interested in entering retail and
  Internet markets

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WRDC Helps Rural Communties
The WRDC helps rural western communities engage
the future. For more information, visit the
WRDC website.
http//extension.usu.edu/wrdc