Our rural communities are home to some of the most hard working and fiercely self-reliant Americans in the United States. Strong and secure rural communities are essential to creating an economy built to last that rewards hard work and responsibility -- not outsourcing, loopholes, and risky financial deals. While the security of the middle class has been threatened by the irresponsible financial collapse and the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, rural Americans continue to come together to work hard and make ends meet. The values that have helped hard-working, responsible families weather the storm continue to move our economy forward. This book discusses factors affecting former residents' returning to rural communities; rural employment trends in recession and recovery; the 2014 Farm Bill rural development provisions; the secure rural schools and community self-determination act of 2000' and the rural education achievement program.

Though historians have come to acknowledge the mobility of rural populations in early modern Europe, few books demonstrate the intensity and importance of short-distance migrations as definitively as Strangers and Neighbours. Marshalling an incredible range of evidence that includes judicial records, tax records, parish registers, and the census of 1796, Jeremy Hayhoe reconstructs the migration profiles of more than 70,000 individuals from eighteenth-century northern Burgundy. In this book, Hayhoe paints a picture of a surprisingly mobile and dynamic rural population. More than three quarters of villagers would move at least once in their lifetime; most of those who moved would do so more than once, in many cases staying only briefly in each community. Combining statistical analysis with an extensive discussion of witness depositions, he brings the experiences and motivations of these many migrants to life, creating a virtuoso reconceptualization of the rural demography of the ancien regime.

"If you desire an exhilarating read of a family's life during Idi Amin's savage reign, then this book's for you." Doug Abraham, Writer & Columnist. "The Jacques Family's unique Safaris passed through some of the most beautiful - often life threatening - landscapes and situations on earth, and survived. Enjoy " MacDonald Coleman, Author. "Leo invites you into a world that has the same capacity for richness, complexity and openness that the fictional universe offers. A great read." Jim J. Nolan, Editor/Journalist. "This is surely life as it was at the time of Idi Amin." Marshall Dunn, Kampala School Teacher. "AFRICAN PEARLS AND POISONS," Idi Amin's Uganda; Kenya; Zaire's Pygmies, takes you on a series of Safaris, by a family of four, through East and Central Africa, in 1971-72, to attain freedom from Amin and return to North America to unveil their tale - undercover until now. Amin's army and death squad, kills a reported 300,000 humans, who, for the most part, are innocent victims of his, "Economic War." A Swahili saying: -- "When two bull elephants fight, it is the grass who suffers most," fits this situation. In Kenya, the Jacques family, experienced the breathtaking beauty of a country dubbed, "The World's Safari Capital." In Zaire, they safari to the cannibalized and now extinct Twa Pygmies of the Ituri Rainforest, in their temporary camp, past Semliki, on the Mountain of the Moons trail. This book, like Joseph Conrad's "HEART OF DARKNESS" inspires a reader to think differently about East and Central Africa.

Resourcing Rural Ministry offers an in-depth exploration of the key aspects, challenges and opportunities of mission in a rural church. Relevant for ordained and lay leaders alike, the book covers subjects ranging from encouraging evangelism in a multi-church group to making best use of church buildings. Containing a wealth of real-life case studies and suggestions for follow-up, this ecumenical publication draws on the expertise and resources of the Arthur Rank Centre (ARC), which has served the spiritual and practical needs of the rural Christian community for over 40 years. This book contributes to ARC's Germinate programme of training, development and support for rural multi-church groups of all denominations. Resourcing Rural Ministry was first developed by Simon Martin as Training and Resources Officer at the ARC. Additional chapters have been contributed by the Revd Caroline Hewlett, Rona Orme and Becky Payne and the final text has been prepared and edited by Jill Hopkinson. 'This book is packed with helpful resources and background theology that will aid the rural church to be a vibrant and relevant presence in today's society.' Revd Peter Ball, Mission and Training Officer, Eastern Synod of the URC 'Read these contributions and you'll be excited by a wealth of experience, insight and resource.' Rt Revd James Bell, Bishop of Ripon

This book is a collection of true short stories that are marijuana-related, hence the title "Pot Shorts." They are told by those who lived their lives simultaneously as outlaws and pioneers. Their names have been changed to protect the innocent. "POT SHORTS" is like the history of the Merry Pranksters told by Prairie Home Companion. Outlaws living a simple life on the land, new age warriors carving a life from the fertile land of Mendocino, families and communities threatened by helicopters, pirates, betrayal from the inside, and stupid social prejudices. This is what the counter culture was/is all about. And it's about the spirit that hopefully will come to sing to all of us, that life is caring for friends and family, and hanging together, and talking the talk and walking the walk. This is the story of a close-knit community that saw their path and walked it proudly. Studs Terkel would be proud; so would Ken Kesey. -Steve Nicolaides, Producer of "Boyz N the Hood," "School of Rock," "Stand By Me" Meet Lola and Luke, two of the original pot farmers who participated in the evolution of the northern California pot culture over the past 35 years. They lived among a community who shared the same secret lives and at times lived under the same blanket of fear and paranoia. Their shared experiences and difficulties created tight bonds and long lasting friendships. These are the stories as told by the outlaws who lived in the heart of the notorious Emerald Triangle. Often provocative, sometimes thrilling and always told with the love and honesty that this unique community shares.

With the entrance of women to different areas of academic, education, industry and even military forces, their status has changed in the society. That is why along with their maternal and motherhood roles, they have faced with social roles as well. These changes have persuaded scholars to start investigation over women's problem with scientific outlook by avoiding bias observation. They have examined difficulties of women's life through theoretical framework and prevent their move towards emancipation based on temporary belief. This book is the collection of eleven articles which have investigated Asian women's status from different perspectives in literature, sociology and Geography.

Our rural communities are home to some of the most hard working and fiercely self-reliant Americans in the United States. Strong and secure rural communities are essential to creating an economy built to last that rewards hard work and responsibility -- not outsourcing, loopholes, and risky financial deals. While the security of the middle class has been threatened by the irresponsible financial collapse and the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, rural Americans continue to come together to work hard and make ends meet. The values that have helped hard-working, responsible families weather the storm continue to move our economy forward. This book discusses the broadband availability beyond the rural/urban divide; the state of small and rural libraries in the United States; a focused look at rural schools receiving school improvement grants; emerging energy industries and rural growth; the current and future role and impact of Medicaid in rural health; and frequently asked questions of the essential air service (EAS).

A discerning study of a slice of modern Indian Christianity and Christian-Hindu encounter This book revisits South Indian Christian communities that were studied in 1959 and written about in Village Christians and Hindu Culture (1968). In 1959 the future of these village congregations was uncertain. Would they grow through conversions or slowly dissolve into the larger Hindu society around them? John Carman and Chilkuri Vasantha Rao's carefully gathered research fifty years later reveals both the decline of many older congregations and the surprising emergence of new Pentecostal and Baptist churches that emphasize the healing power of Christ. Significantly, the new congregations largely cut across caste lines, including both high castes and outcastes (Dalits). Carman and Vasantha Rao pay particular attention to the social, political, and religious environment of these Indian village Christians, including their adaptation of indigenous Hindu practices into their Christian faith and observances.

When it was first published in 1987, this picture of the lives of country folk from the eighteenth century to the early twentieth completed a trilogy on the history and culture of the author's native Kintyre. The material, from both oral and written sources, tells of everyday lives - working the land, raising livestock, building and furnishing homes, finding fuel and preparing food and celebrating special days. There are also accounts of sheep-stealing, shinty battles, and violent encounters between excise-men and the distillers - and smugglers - of illicit whisky. Illustrated with maps of the peninsula and photographs and reproductions taken or collected by the author.

In Daughters and Granddaughters of Farmworkers, Barbara Wells examines the work and family lives of Mexican American women in a community near the U.S.-Mexican border in California's Imperial County. Decades earlier, their Mexican parents and grandparents had made the momentous decision to migrate to the United States as farmworkers. This book explores how that decision has worked out for these second- and third-generation Mexican Americans. Wells provides stories of the struggles, triumphs, and everyday experiences of these women. She analyzes their narratives on a broad canvas that includes the social structures that create the barriers, constraints, and opportunities that have shaped their lives. The women have constructed far more settled lives than the immigrant generation that followed the crops, but many struggle to provide adequately for their families. These women aspire to achieve the middle-class lives of the American Dream. But upward mobility is an elusive goal. The realities of life in a rural, agricultural border community strictly limit social mobility for these descendants of immigrant farm laborers. Reliance on family networks is a vital strategy for meeting the economic challenges they encounter. Wells illustrates clearly the ways in which the "long shadow" of farm work continues to permeate the lives and prospects of these women and their families.

This social history of the 'ordinary' people of the south-western peninsula of Argyll, in Western Scotland, has become a classic since its original publication in 1984. It is reprinted here with a new Introduction by the author, a native of Kintyre who knows its geography intimately. The greater part of the book is based on original research from a wide range of sources, from nineteenth century registers of the poor to material passed on through the oral tradition. It traces the evolution of the extraordinarily mixed stock of Kintyre from the Gaelic settlement in the fifth century AD through the subsequent settlements of the Lowlanders and Irish, and explores the nature of these diverse cultural legacies. The darker aspects of social history - epidemic diseases, sanitary and housing conditions and destitution - are also explored, and the sinister activities of grave-robbers in nineteenth century Kintyre are substantiated for the first time. There is also information on Irish immigrant families, the anglicisation of native surnames and surviving Gaelic elements in the local dialect.

"The Traveling Herding Teacher" contains the teachings of Bob Vest, a herding dog trainer in high demand, who traveled endless miles and conducted hundreds of clinics and private lessons annually. Before Bob's passing in 2009, he traveled to Scotland to have his teachings put together as a collaboration with Kathleen Freeman Kelly. The result is a collection of herding concepts, philosophy, and instruction that represents his years of development and experience as a stockman, herding judge, and herding instructor. "The Traveling Herding Teacher" should provide an invaluable reference for anyone interested in herding, whether for use on the farm or ranch or in competitions, with many animals or a few, and with any breed of herding dog.
""When you are working your dog, you have to believe that the dog can do it, that you can do it, and that you and your dog can do it together. If you will be persistent, keep your sights on your goals and believe in yourself and your dog, you will be able to accomplish many things."" -Bob Vest
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"This ground-breaking collection proves that there is still a great deal to learn about the lives of black southerners. The essays offer a counterpoint to the standard story that all African Americans in the rural South found themselves mired in poverty and dependency."--Melissa Walker, author of "Southern Farmers and Their Stories" "A remarkable achievement. The authors in this collection have retrieved African American farm owners from the margins of history, making clear that life on the land for African Americans not only transcended sharecropping but also shaped the contours of the struggle for freedom and justice."--Hasan Kwame Jeffries, author of "Bloody Lowndes" This collection chronicles the tumultuous history of landowning African American farmers from the end of the Civil War to today. Each essay provides a case study of people in one place at a particular time and the factors that affected their ability to acquire, secure, and protect their land. The contributors walk readers through a century and a half of African American agricultural history, from the strivings of black farm owners in the immediate post-emancipation period to the efforts of contemporary black farm owners to receive justice through the courts for decades of discrimination by the U.S Department of Agriculture. They reveal that despite enormous obstacles, by 1920 a quarter of African American farm families owned their land, and demonstrate that farm ownership was not simply a departure point for black migrants seeking a better life but a core component of the African American experience. Debra A. Reid, professor of history at Eastern Illinois University, is author of "Reaping a Greater Harvest: African Americans, the Extension Service and Rural Reform in Jim Crow Texas." Evan P. Bennett is assistant professor of history at Florida Atlantic University.

In the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, the Congress required that the Commission report on rural Medicare beneficiaries' access to care, rural providers' quality of care, special rural Medicare payments, and the adequacy of Medicare payments to rural providers. In addition to the findings presented on each of the four topics, this book presents a set of principles designed to guide expectations and policies with respect to rural access, quality, and payments for all sectors. This book also discusses multi-enterprising farm households and the importance of their alternative business ventures in the rural economy. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the greatest number of rural development programs and has the highest average of program funds going directly to rural counties (approximately 50%). An overview of the USDA rural development programs is provided in this book.

The Okavango Delta, a globally renowned wetland, is characterised by a mosaic of meandering watercourses, floodplains and islands, and is home to a variety of wildlife and vegetation species. It is a major source of livelihoods for the local communities and also an important attraction for tourism, the second most important economic activity in Botswana after diamonds, contributing 5% to the gross domestic product (GDP). As a globally renowned Ramsar Site and major tourist attraction, the Okavango Delta is a resource of national, regional and international importance. This book examines the results of empirical micro-level studies undertaken in the Okavango Delta and contributes to the formulation of relevant policies for sustainable development in the Okavango Delta.

This book analyzes the social and economic situation of the Shahsevans - mountain nomads in the harsh ecological environment of northwestern Iran. Based on in-depth field work while living with the nomads for a year, the book's author succeeds in offering a vivid insight into the Shahsevans' strategy to cope with both political impacts and the changing environmental conditions of their traditional way of life. At the same time, the book reveals the intensity of climatic change and the nomads' adaptation measures to these ecological threats. It is a well-documented and comprehensive analysis of the interactions between nature and societies under stress. As such, it will serve as a model for urgently needed comparative studies in the mountain belts of Western and Central Asia. (Series: ZEF Development Studies - Vol. 22)

It is now a decade since Ethiopia started implementing a policy of poverty reduction and eradication. The government's poverty reduction and eradication program stresses the strategic importance of agriculture. The sector, however, is in the hands of millions of peasant producers who depend on traditional methods of cultivation of crops with limited use of green revolution technologies, such as chemical fertilizers.The current package-based agricultural extension service, like its predecessors, uses 'model' farmers to disseminate improved technologies. This group of farmers, because of their entrepreneurial qualities, is expected to positively influence other farmers to adopt improved farming technologies. This research focuses on the entrepreneurial experiences of 'model' farmers in the context of the current agricultural extension package program and their contribution to Ethiopia's poverty reduction efforts by taking the Bure Zuria woreda of the Amhara regional state as case study.

Khat is a plant native to Ethiopia that has been consumed over several centuries as a mental and physical stimulant. This report outlines khat's role as a source of livelihood. Khat, dubbed a social ill by many, is at the same time part and parcel of the livelihoods of many others. With consumption of the stimulant spreading to many parts of Africa, Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, khat production has become a controversial global issue. In most European and North American countries khat is illegal. The debates so far focus on the consumption of khat and its allegedly harmful health, economic and social effects. The argument here is that expanded khat production, driven by growing demand for the stimulant, is made possible through multidimensional links between producers, sellers and others. Today, khat production is part of the wider agro-silvi-pasture complex that characterises Ethiopian rural landscapes. At the farm level, khat shares space with food and tree crops and contributes cash to the household economy. The fact that its production is a smallholder venture and is expanding through a variety of farming systems indicates its importance to cultivators and their use of land. This paper is not exhaustive, but makes an exploratory attempt to highlight khat-related livelihood issues and seeks to contribute to the ongoing debates on the stimulant and to prompt further research.