Rural America has been in a state of decline for most of the 20th century.  Due to dwindling profit margins and capital intensive farming methods, production agriculture has gone through a protracted period of declining farm numbers and loss of farm families to urban areas.

Rural towns created to provide goods and services to farm families have lost their economic reason to exist.  While some rural towns have transitioned to non-farm economic activities, most have not.  As farm numbers decline and town populations dwindle, most farm and town communities are decaying with many ceasing to exist.

Over recent decades, public policy has focused on programs to revitalize rural America.  Although these programs may have stemmed the decline, they have not reversed the long-term trend.  The value-added agriculture movement is being called upon by many of our state and national leaders to revitalize rural America.  The premise is that value-added agriculture business creation can bring economic activity to rural communities.  So public sector programs are being designed to stimulate value-added business development.