Digestibles

Beyond the Free Trade Agreement
The Future of North American Integration…Beyond NAFTA by editors Peter Hakim and Robert E. Litan contains discussions presented by experts about the future of North America in relation to changes brought about by the North American Free Trade Agreement. The collection of opinions is derived from experts in Mexico, Canada and the United States.

Contact: Brookings Institution Press, 1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036; phone 800/275-1447 or visit www.brook.edu/dybdocroot/press/ books/futureofnorthamericanintegration.htm
Cost: Paper $16.95; Cloth $39.95

Art Attracts Community Prosperity
Arts & Economic Prosperity: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts Organizations and Their Audiences, a survey report released by the Americans for Arts national organization, reveals that America’s nonprofit arts industry generates $134 billion in economic activity every year, including $24.4 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues. The $134 billion total includes $53.2 billion in spending by arts organizations and $80.8 billion in event-related spending by arts audiences.

Contact: Americans for the Arts, 100 Vermont Ave., NW Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; phone 800/321-4510
Cost: Free online at www.americansforthearts.org/economicimpact/

Rural Smart Growth
Author Barbara Wells and The Northeast-Midwest Institute’s new report Smart Growth at the Frontier: Strategies and Resources for Rural Communities illustrates promising rural growth strategies that revitalize small towns, link natural resource protection with resort and residential development and maintain farm and forest land through regional coordination.

Contact: Northeast-Midwest Institute, 218 “D” Street South, Washington, DC 20003; 202/544-5200 or visit www.nemw.org
Cost: Free online www.nemw.org/ruralsmartgrowth.pdf

Sustainable Agriculture
People Sustaining the Land: A Vision of Good Science and Art, by photographers/interviewers Cynthia Vagnetti and Jerry DeWitt, is an anthology of photos and the stories of innovative farming communities across America. Each example has colorful photos and an autobiographical narrative from the community representatives interviewed, discussing techniques for sustainability, such as training youth through farming mentors and conservation stewardships.

Contact: BPSTL, 2605 NW 5th St., Ankeny, IA 50021-1036.
Cost: $24.95

Rural in the Midwest
The American Midwest, Managing Change in Rural Transition, describes major socioeconomic trends in rural areas with leading authorities exploring innovative approaches to address these issues. Edited by Norman Walzer, professor of economics and director of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University, the book examines the major demographic and employment trends in the rural Midwestern states, particularly issues that state and local policymakers must address in the near future.

Contact: M.E. Sharpe, Inc. Publishers, www.mesharpe.com
Cost: $Paper, $26.95; Cloth, $68.95

Rural Welfare Dimensions
The Upjohn Institute for Employment Research and editors, Bruce A. Weber, Greg J. Duncan and Leslie A. Whitener have released a report through the USDA Economic Research Service entitled, Issues in Food Assistance-Reforming Welfare: What Does It Mean for Rural Areas? The report presents the findings from a 2000 conference focused on the impact of welfare reform in rural America singling out how unemployment affects the Food Stamp Program, self- sufficiency among former food assistance receivers and whether food assistance programs improve the well-being of low-income families.

Contact: USDA, Economic Research Service, 1800 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; phone 800/999-6779
Cost: Free online www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ fanrr26/

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