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How a Rural Economy Remade Itself

A recent article by the Annie E. Casey Foundation http://www.aecf.org/ tells the story how one rural region in the South has economically transformed itself and can serve as a guide for other communities.

The article details the Appalachian region of North Carolina — devastated by declines in the production of textiles and furniture and the farming of tobacco. In response to the loss of these traditional employers, entrepreneurs in the region adopted a new model for economic growth — one that relies on tapping the creative resources of area residents as opposed to attempting to attract new industries. As a result, a host of arts and crafts businesses have flourished, along with small-scale farming and agritourism industries.

Learn more about these successes by reading the full article at http://www.aecf.org/~/media/PublicationFiles/handmade4%2011%20FINAL.pdf.

(Many thanks to http://www.southern.org for bringing this to our attention.)

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