THE NORTHEAST REGIONAL CENTER FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT - 2018

A national surge in interest in the issues facing rural areas has culminated most recently in the Call to Action in Secretary Perdue's Agriculture and Rural Prosperity report (Perdue et al., 2017). These issues range from industrial restructuring; determinants of economic resilience; drivers and impacts of population aging, migration and immigration; and access to health care, including behavioralhealth. This is a critical time for developing research-based information and for delivering new knowledge into communities. Guided by our Technical Advisory Committee, using input gathered through a survey of emerging rural development needs in the region, and with the approval of our Board of Directors, we propose to implement the activities outlined in this proposal, and to continue building on the programs and successes documented in the Annual Report 2017. Specifically, the major challenge areas we propose to address include: those related to the economy including workforce development; environment including loss of farmland; health, substance abuse, and addiction; and infrastructure including food systems development. These challenge areas align with the priorities of NERA and NEED and USDA/NIFA. In addition to pursuing new projects, we will continue work on existing funded projects with our many partners. With our new Associate Director for Extension, we will aim to connect educators across the region who might otherwise feel isolated. We will continue to solicit input and feedback on our work, both by interacting with the NERA/NEED leadership, federal agency and Congressional staff, and by attending key national meetings and conferences such as NACDEP.