Rural Renaissance or Brain Drain
A problem that has plagued rural America for generations has been the fact that the most promising young people often relocate to the city. Is the tide turning? Are more professionals opting for country living? I’m Susan Allen stay tuned on OpenRange for some interesting opinions. The Wall Street Journal ran a piece titled, “Green Acres Is The Place to Be” citing the fact that the recession is creating a “back to the country” movement for young families and singles. Reportedly there are three types of transplants; young people buying land as an investment with hopes to one day reside on it, exurban commuters, like my pilot friend who commute periodically or others that telecommute, and the growing “back to the land”demographic of twenty to forty something’s. They’re the folks desperate to attempt hobby farming and responsible for fueling the growth of the ruralpolitan consumer, creating demands for small easy to operate farm equipment and websites like Mother Nature Network and Living the Country Life. On the flip side, a new well reviewed book titled, Hollowing Out The Middle : the Rural Brain Drain and what It Means For America criticizes teachers for encouraging elite students to leave small towns while the less educated youth stay, resulting in what the authors feel could cause small rural towns to become depressed, even ghettoized. Rural renaissance or brain drain, guess it depends what you’re reading. I’m Susan Allen
