Welcome: About this forum

There has been a convergence of thought on the need for an effective rural policy. Practitioners, researchers, and policy makers alike are coming to understand that there must be a “New Social Contract” for rural America if communities are expected to survive. Notions under discussion include that rural is more than agriculture, that the vitality of the country resides in the complex interdependence of rural, suburban and urban, and that innovation and solutions are derived from local minds.