"Farm Town Futures,"-Part 1: The Depopulation Dilemma
Tuesday, May 25, 2004LINDA O`BRYON: Well, 200 years ago, small towns were the backbone of America`s Midwest, providing economic opportunity to their residents. But now those small towns are growing smaller, with hundreds of farming villages threatening to turn into ghost towns in the nation`s agricultural heartland. Tonight, as we begin a series of reports called "Farm Town Futures," reporter Jeff Yastine looks at the depopulation of the Midwest`s farm communities, and what some people are doing about it.
JEFF YASTINE, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: The bells are ringing in Stratton, Nebraska. Situated in the southwest corner of Nebraska`s Great Plains, this farming community was founded in the late 1800s by settlers following the railroad west across the prairie. Since then, some things have not changed. The railroad is still a major thoroughfare for the transport of coal and other commodities, and farming continues to be the dominant industry around Stratton. But when the 2000 Census came out a few years ago, townsfolk here received a wake-up call that things indeed were changing, and not for the better. The Census showed that the surrounding area had lost roughly one-quarter of its population in just 10 years` time. Stratton itself lost 16 percent of its population, a big loss for a community now numbering just 400 people. Town Mayor Richard Bernt is a banker and one-time farmer. He says those population losses reflect the broader changes going on in Midwest agriculture.
RICHARD BERNT, MAYOR, STRATTON, NE.: When I was younger, when I first started farming in the early `70s, you know, a lot of four-row, six-row tillage equipment and combines, things of that nature. Now we`re talking 12-, 24-row. It just takes less and less -- people can farm more ground with less and less labor. And that`s a big player, there`s no question about that.
YASTINE: The depopulation of the Midwest`s farming communities is a drama that has been playing out for decades. Towns that once had 1000 or more residents early in the 20th century, now have populations of several hundred or less. Churches close, schools close, some villages have disappeared altogether.
CHUCK HASSEBROOK, EXEC. DIR., CENTER FOR RURAL AFFAIRS: To a large extent, these communities were formed to be the link between farmers and -- the farm community and the national economy. And as the farm and ranch share of profit in the food system shrinks, and the number of farmers and ranchers shrink, the opportunities in these communities shrink.
YASTINE: A bleak picture? Well, perhaps. But is it the end of the story for the remaining town? Many here say, no. In Stratton that means looking for a business opportunity, one that could turn the town`s small size and isolation, far from the nearest interstate highway, from a negative into a positive. Success came with this upscale modular housing company, Timber Creek Homes. The firm started operations in Stratton in 2001, building prefabricated custom houses in sections which can be shipped by truck and reassembled at an owner`s property site.
CHARLES PELKEY, OWNER, TIMBER CREEK HOMES: In rural communities you usually find people who have done -- well, number one, they have a good work ethic as a rule, and number two, they`re usually good in working with their hands, which is what our industry requires, and number three, the educational system is such that they get through school, they usually read, write and are highly trainable.
YASTINE: Timber Creek now employs nearly 50 people from Stratton and the surrounding area, and is looking to hire even more. With Stratton`s fortunes now beginning to change, townsfolk have modest goals: attract more families, start gaining population again and keep Stratton on the map.
BERNT: You`re always going to have new opportunities. We had Timber Creek move in and that was a wonderful opportunity for us and we took advantage of that. But if we can maintain what we have and take the opportunities as they come along, that really should be our desire.
YASTINE: Jeff Yastine, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, Stratton, Nebraska.
