I must admit that I am not thourghly familiar with your organization,or philosophy of rural development,however I have concluded that you favor rual development,through buisness development,more farms and you would like for rual areas to grow population wise. At least one of your bloggers expressed pride in living in her rual community . She seemed to be not just proud of her community in general, but particularly proud of the areas rual status. I am perplexed at your desire to develop rural areas and at the same time you seem to draw satisfaction from rual life .Every urban and suburban area,including the one I curently reside in,was at one time rural ! Rural areas become non rural through the process of development and population growth. People who realy desire rural life,such as myself,are more than willing to bare the inconveinances of rural life. You cant have your cake and eat it to ! Perhaps your organization has a agenda other than enjoying rural life? If so ,please consider the desires of those who truly wish to maintain a lifestyle possible only in rual areas. Time and time again across America people like me seeking to escape unending concrete and steele, find themselves in the same situation they are desperatly trying to escape,thanks to the development crowd. This is America, and Americans should have the freedom to choose the type of area one wants to live in.Yes I support Rural America,But I Do not support the development of rural America. If your organization cares about rural communities you will do likewise. Simple local maintanainance of rural establishments and infrastructure is called for,not expansive development. Thank you and have a good day.

 This is in reply to James C. Guilford... I can empathize with your perspective.  I think a distinction needs to be made here though.  You mention "development" and you have negative associations with that (e.g. Wal-Mart parking lots).    You say you do not support the developmnet of rural America yet you are able to live in rural America as a result of such development.  So I guess it's a matter of how much development.   I think a community must be willing to continually grow in SOME way because the less we grow the more we die.  A community must develop so it's more a question of "how".  Development is not equal to urbanization.    I realize that when you're in a favorable situation you want to protect that and there is nothing wrong with that as long as you aren't protecting so much that you're in the way of growth--or the rural community dies.   This is just like our bodies right down to the cellular level - a cell is either in protection mode or growth mode.  It is impossible for the cell to grow while it's in protection mode, so if it stays in protection for too long, it becomes ill and dies much sooner.

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