The Rural Livability Project

News and Updates

New Publication: Linking Agriculture and the Nonfarm Rural Economies

August 15, 2025
Landscape of a rural town pockmarked with trees beneath a dramatic sky with a pastel orange sunset along the horizon.

In new research featured in Choices Magazine, Mckenzie Boyce and Steven Deller find “viable farms depend on healthy, diversified rural economies.” Read more about how Town and Country are linked in more ways than one.

Read our latest news and updates
In the news: “The Wobbly Infrastructure Behind Aging in Rural Communities” in Shelterforce
Shelterforce interviewed ​Erin Gaede about rural housing challenges for older adults. The article highlights findings from the Rural Livability Project, showing how housing costs, deteriorating…
In the News: Rural Livability Research Featured in News Works Lab
News Works Lab interviewed Erin Gaede about her research on private equity firms buying up rural manufactured homes. Read the feature here!
New Publication: “Some Rural Residents are Trading Nutrition for Shelter” in the Daily Yonder
Erin Gaede, Yang Cheng, and Tessa Conroy wrote an article for the Daily Yonder based on their research about the impact of housing financial stress…