a travelogue for life … sometimes on a motorcycle!
by D. Brent Miller
As metropolitan and mega cities continue to grow, farm land succombs to new developments as population migrates to the urban area. Farms on the fringe disappear, and occasionally, pockets of farm operations continue amidst the booming developments.
View the audio slide show, Farming next to development.–DBrent
by D. Brent Miller
Southeastern Indiana–Rural Indiana (and other states) are spotted with old barns. Some are in great shape and others are unused and in disrepair. One resource to help restore the heritage of rural areas and historic barns is the National Historic Trust’s Barn Again program.
By D. Brent Miller
Durham, New Hampshire–As the newly elected U.S. Congress debates a raise in the federal minimum wage to $7.25 per hour, a recent study indicates rural workers will benefit more than their urban counterparts.
According to the study by William O’Hare, PhD, senior fellow at the Carsey Institute, “there are nearly two million low-wage workers in rural America who would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage and more than half of them have children under age 18 in the household.” Nationwide, about 10 million workers will be impacted. O’Hare said the study examines those workers who earn less than $7.25, many who may be at the official minimum wage of $5.15, but also those who earn an amount between the two figures. Although the federal minimum wage is $5.15, many states have enacted legislation requiring a higher than the federal minimum wage in their respective states.
The study finds that 43% of the rural workers are members of low-income households, and 51% of those workers are either a head of household or spouse.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to increase the minimum wage to $7.25 on January 11. The U.S. Senate is expected to discuss the bill soon.–DBrent
by D. Brent Miller
Grain elevators, monuments of the prairies, dot the landscapes of the Midwest. They are a gathering place of agricultural commerce and community networking–a destination for grain trucks and a point of departure towards the world marketplace.
Photo by D. Brent Miller, from the book, Hope in the Face of Challenge, Innovations in Rural Health Care, by Thomas Rowley with photography by D. Brent Miller. Published by and available from the National Rural Health Assocation, 2004.
ELKHART, INDIANA—The building rises above the countryside giving the traveler a quick impression. THAT is magnificent; what is it?
The building sitting on this northern Indiana prairie is a huge, nearly 52,000-square-foot, Amish-built, timber-framed building that will be the corner stone of the American Countryside, a rural theme park. The Midwest Farmer’s Market interior stalls, six months from its grand opening, are nearly fully leased, from mom and pop vendors to one of the nation’s largest appliance makers, Whirlpool. There will also be porch vendors and outside stalls available.
There is only one other place like this one, the one that provided the inspiration, according to Director Deborah Alwine. It’s in St. Jacob’s, Ontario, Canada. The Elkhart project has a much larger plan, one to celebrate the rural life. When the entire project is complete, visitors can not only buy food and crafts at the farmer’s market, but enjoy the rural life theme park, the American Countryside.
The ground breaking was held in June 2006, and the grand opening is planned for May 24, 2007, the Thursday before the three-day Memorial Day weekend.–DBrent
View more photos and hear about this farmer’s market in a multi-media presentation.
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