1. Western Rural Development Center Presented by Don E. Albrecht Director Western Rural Development Center

2. Regional Rural Development Centers Established in 1972 –As outlined in the Rural Development Act of 1972 Presented to Western Extension Directors Association – April 2, 2009

3. Regional Rural Development Centers Objectives of RRDCs is to improve quality of life for rural Americans by strengthening the capacity of local citizens to be key players in guiding the future of their rural communities. –Better jobs –Better schools –Better health care –More livable environment Presented to Western Extension Directors Association – April 2, 2009

4. WRDC Publications & Programs Build multi-state, multi- disciplinary research and extension teams Population Briefs & Data –Briefs published in 2008 –County data coming soon http://wrdc.usu.edu/htm/rural_resources/population Presented to Western Extension Directors Association – April 2, 2009

5. WRDC Publications & Programs Presented to Western Extension Directors Association – April 2, 2009

6. WRDC Publications & Programs Rural Connections –Nov. 2008 issue focused on renewable energy http://wrdc.usu.edu/htm/newsletters Presented to Western Extension Directors Association – April 2, 2009

7. WRDC Publications & Programs Strategic Planning –State Rural Development Roundtables –Funded by Farm Foundation –Coordinated with Extension Presented to Western Extension Directors Association – April 2, 2009

8. WRDC Publications & Programs Coming to Facebook –Utilizing technology for: Discussions Networking Increased engagement Reach new audience facebook Presented to Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education – March 4, 2009

9. WRDC Publications & Programs Community Development Training –Rural communities have traditionally been dependent on employment in agriculture, natural resource extraction, manufacturing. –Employment in these sectors is declining-jobs replaced by technology or outsourcing. –Communities either experience economic or demographic decline, or have growth that is dependent on other economic sectors. Presented to Western Extension Directors Association – April 2, 2009

10. WRDC Publications & Programs Community Development Training –In a globally-connected world: Reduced relevance on location Increased importance on amenities Presented to Western Extension Directors Association – April 2, 2009

11. WRDC Publications & Programs Community Development Training –Extension agents are often agriculture agents, which is an increasingly minor sector of the economy. Less than 5% of the nonmetropolitan labor force is employed in agriculture. –2007 total farm sales: in Utah $1.4 billion In Fresno County, CA $3.7 billion Tulare County, CA $3.3 billion Kern County, CA $3.2 billion Presented to Western Extension Directors Association – April 2, 2009

12. WRDC Publications & Programs Community Development Training –A number of community development training programs have been developed, including eCommerce, Foundations of Practice, Community Business Matching, etc. –WRDC is seeking to develop coherent training programs for county extension agents, community leaders and individuals in communities to help them navigate in a very different global world. Presented to Western Extension Directors Association – April 2, 2009

13. WRDC - Engaging the Future Don E. Albrecht Director Western Rural Development Center Utah State University 8335 Old Main Hill Logan UT 84322-8335 Tel: 435.797.9732 E-mail: don.albrecht@usu.edu Web: http://wrdc.usu.edu