Ways to Define Rural

• Demographic– Rural / Urban: Pre-2000 Census

• Post-2000 Census– Metropolitan/Micropolitan/Neither

• Pre-2000 Census• Post-2000 Census

Rural is Diverse

• Not all rural is agricultural– Extractive industries: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing,

Mining– Recreational, Retirement

• Not all rural is in decline– Extractive industries: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing,

Mining– Recreational, Retirement

• Not all rural is isolated: rural/urban interface

Rural is Diverse (cont.)

• Not all rural congregations are small– Note that some denominations use the term

“small church” to be the same as rural church– For Lutherans, there are many large rural

congregations• In ELCA the term is Small Town and Rural

(STaR) Ministry

Rural is Diverse (cont.)

• Most rural contexts are characterized by economic and social stress

• The important point is that rural is very diverse, and the type of rural depends on the context– Not all rural is agricultural– Not all rural is small– Not all rural is declining

Trends in U.S. Agriculture

• Decrease in Number of Farms– 1850: 1.45 million– 1920: 6.45 million (highest)– 1982: 2.24 million– 2007: 2.20 million

Trends in U.S. Agriculture (cont.)

• Increase in average farm size– 1850: 203 acres– 1910: 139 acres (lowest)– 1982: 440 acres– 2007: 418 acres

Trends in U.S. Agriculture (cont.)

• Decrease in farm population– 1880: 21.97 million– 1910: 32.08 million (highest)– 1980: 6.05 million– 2000: 2.99 million

Trends in U.S. Agriculture (cont.)

• Decrease in percent of population that is farm population– In first census (1790) about 95% of population was

rural, almost all farm population– 1880: 43.8%– 1910: 34.9%– 1980: 2.7%– 2000: 1.1%

Trends in U.S. Agriculture (cont.)

• Concentration of farm sales (2007 data)– Farms with sales of $100,000 to $499,999

10.9% of farms, but 19.4% of sales– Farms with sales of $500,000 or more

5.3% of farms, but 73.5% of sales

Trends in U.S. Agriculture (cont.)

• Increase in Part-time farmers– 1940: 15% of farm operators had 100 or more

days of off-farm employment– 1969: 40%– 1982: 43%– 2007: 49%

Trends in U.S. Agriculture (cont.)

• Change in Farm Tenure– 1910: 55.8% of farms fully owned by operator,

7.9% partly owned, and 35.3% tenants– 1982: 59.2% fully owned, 29.2% partly owned,

11.6% tenants– 2007: 69.0% fully owned, 24.6% partly owned,

6.4% tenants

Trends in U.S. Agriculture (cont.)

• Increase in inputs– Machinery (reaper, cotton gin, tractors, etc.)– Fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides– Irrigation– Hybrid seeds, genetically modified seeds

Trends in U.S. Agriculture (cont.)

• Shift from farming to agribusiness• Skills needed by producers• Corporate agricultural production• Use of low-wage labor, attractive to non-Anglo

populations

Trends in U.S. Agriculture (cont.)

• Increased investment costs

• Decreased labor demands (youth leaving)

• Increased need for capital

• Increased reliance on government programs

Farm Crisis of the 1980s

• History of boom and bust cyclesBoom: 1910s, 1940s, 1970sBust: 1890s, 1920s, 1930s, 1980s

• 1970s situation• 1980s situation• What we learned (or should have)-Blame -Church absence-Ripple effects -Stress in congregation-Expert advice

Factors affecting Rural Communities

• Transportation and siting• Railroads determined future in 19th century• Roads and Interstate highways determined

future in 20th century• What in 21st century?

Factors affecting Rural Communities (cont.)

• Integration-- Horizontal (Wal-Martization)-- Vertical (swine and poultry industries)

• Globalization (weather report)• Multi-national corporations and marketing

(Heffernan data)• Loss of control over decisions and future• Modernization/Development (particularly energy

needs of emerging economies)

Factors affecting Rural Communities (cont.)

• Regulations on land use• Different government farm programs– Set aside– Direct Payments– CRP (Conservation Reserve Program)– PIK (Payment in Kind)– LDP (Loan Deficiency Payment)– Freedom to Farm – fencerow to fencerow– Specially subsidized commodities: milk, sugar cane, tobacco– CSP (Conservation Stewardship Program)

Challenges to Agriculture

• Loss of land – urban sprawl, development• Water, particularly in the High Plains and the

southwestern U.S.• Genetics in crop and animal production, ownership

of technology• Energy – Food vs. energy production; Wind, Biomass• World banking and debt (my question at A&M)• Diseases in animals (for example, mad cow disease);

Drugs in animals (BGH, BST)

Challenges to Agriculture (cont.)

• Waste management (concentrated feedlots, storage of nuclear waste, land fills, sewage)

• Contamination and food safety (salmonella, egg/meat/vegetable recalls)

• Runoff and pollution• Soil erosion• Sustainability

Challenges to Agriculture (cont.)

• Volatility in markets, and stress of producers (Linden)

• Example: • MN average corn yield 166 bushels/acre• MN average soybean yield 39 bushels/acre• 1,000 acres: corn every one cent change is $1,660• 1,000 acres: soybeans one cent change is $ 390

Challenges to Agriculture (cont.)

• NAFTA, CAFTA• Role of agribusiness and government in

agricultural research (Hightower), ownership of technology and income

• Monocultures vs. rotation• Loss of crop diversity, Vulnerability to disease• Immigration – Bracero program

14 Ps of Rural America

• Pigs Pastime• Poultry Parades• Packing Patriotism• Power Poker• Pulp Pornography• Pollution Pharmaceuticals• Prisons Paramilitary