economy

Economy Helping Agritourism and Rural Businesses

May 23, 2009

The struggling economy seems to be having a positive impact on agri-tourism and other rural businesses, as vacationers choose to vacation closer to home. In fact, agricultural tourism is emerging as one of the few success stories despite today’s economic challenges. “I think the main reason for the boom is the economy,” Blake Brown, an [...]

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Musical Chairs on Main Street

March 24, 2009

Retail shops on Main Streets all across rural America are playing musical chairs, with some shops closing due to tough times while others see opportunities to start their own businesses. In ‘Small Shops Slump, Soar in Region’s Downtowns’ you can read about the trials and tribulations of shopkeepers in small town Delaware, Ohio: “Although at [...]

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Saving Open Space

March 16, 2009

The most powerful argument of all for saving open space is economics. In most states, tourism is the number two industry. Jim Fowler, American Economist