Rural people lose more days of school and work due to illness than do urban people; have higher infant mortality rates, and have more work-related injuries, all of which are aggravated by lack of access to or even the absence of medical services. Lack of doctors is the most glaring problem (in 1973 there were 138 U.S. counties which had no…

Rural communities are often dependent upon their agricultural bases, which have undergone drastic changes. For communities to remain viable as economic units certain measures must be taken. Strategic planning can assist communities in assessing their situations and in developing plans and implementation schedules. Initially used in the business…