A first-of-its-kind in the South, 'Bike Tennessee' offers breathtaking views from the state's rural towns

'Bike Tennessee' offers stellar views of the state's rural towns and endless scenery.
(Tennessee Department of Tourist Development photo)

For bike enthusiasts craving more paths, climbs and views, Tennessee opened 52 "newly-curated" road cycling routes, dubbed "Bike Tennessee" for cycling enthusiasts of all ages and levels. The development is the "first of its kind in the South," reports Jacob Beckwith of The Tennessean. It aims to encourage more people to vacation in the volunteer state while "bringing cycling to rural communities. . . . The initiative is so new, it's only offered in one other state, Oregon."

Given the state's topography, Tennessee is a great place to ride a bike. The routes' developer, Shannon Burke, is a cycling tourist expert who chose off-the-beaten-path locations that were still safe. He told Beckwith, "The state has every type of mountain, and you can also ride in all seasons. . . . I would ask myself, ‘If I put this on a bike tour, would they get their money’s worth? The result is a mix of escaping civilization, while still making sure people are comfortable.”

Of course, there's an app for these routes. Tennessee "partnered with Ride with GPS, a navigation platform used daily by thousands of cyclists, for the program," Beckwith explains. "The state's 52 Bike Tennessee routes are accessible to users of the app and are all designed as a loop to simplify parking, while still varying distance and difficulty, officials explained."

Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell points to Bike Tennessee as a way for the state to sustainably support smaller rural communities. He told Beckwith, "In 2022 alone, the state welcomed 141 million visitors, who spent a record $29 billion. A big part of that is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is still the most visited national park in America. This initiative gives tourists just another reason to visit our beautiful state."

L.A. bans rodeos, becoming the latest city to limit or prohibit the shows; rodeo supporters call it an attack on their culture

Supporters of rodeos rally outside Los Angeles City Hall.
(Photo by Irfan Khan, Los Angeles Times)

Despite the role of rodeos in much of California's rural Western culture, certain show practices paired with documented animal injuries led the city of Los Angeles to ban rodeos, report Susanne Rust and Dakota Smith of the L.A. Times. "The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to ban rodeos in the city despite opposition by some in L.A.'s Latino equestrian community, who painted the crackdown as an attack on their culture. . . . Councilmember Bob Blumenfield led the council in passing the ban, describing in graphic detail the broken bones and pain endured by rodeo animals."

The ban carved out exceptions intended to "assuage concerns that the ban would prevent cultural events such as charrería, which is popular in Mexico, as well as the Bill Pickett Rodeo, a national event for Black riders scheduled for February in the City of Industry," Rust and Smith write. "More than 100 people signed up to speak in council chambers before the vote, many wearing cowboy hats and boots."

L.A. is one of many cities that have taken a deeper look at rodeo shows. "Other jurisdictions throughout the state and nation have put limits on or banned rodeos, including San Francisco, San Juan Capistrano and Pasadena, as well as Pittsburgh, Penn.; Baltimore County, Md.; Leesburg, Va.; and Fort Wayne, Ind.," the L.A. Times reports. "In response to concerns that a ban would be akin to an attack on Latino culture, Blumenfield said, 'This is not about culture. This is about animal cruelty. There are Black rodeos. There are Latino rodeos. There are gay rodeos. . . nobody is trying to go after a culture. We're saying that animal cruelty is something that we, in 2023, should not be supporting,' he said."

"Longtime equestrian Geronimo Bugarin said there are nine elements of charrería, including bull riding, mare riding and calf roping, and appeared dismayed at the prospect of not being able to continue those activities," Rust and Smith add. He said: "If we lose one of our key elements of charrería, it's like you don't have a charrería."

A lack of rural veterinarians puts farms and animals at risk; Congress is considering a plan to address the problem

Student loan burdens can keep new veterinarians
from choosing a rural practice. (AVMA photo)

This narrative appeared in Farm Progress: "445-2511. Long ago, I committed that number to memory," recalls Holly Spangler. "Those were the days well before phones in pockets, when I was a kid with fast legs who could be sent from the lower barn back up the hill to the house with a mission: Call the veterinarian. Near 35 years later, the feel of that number washes over me like an old friend. It's never good when you need a vet. But when they get there? Relief. They'll know what to do."

The "relief" that only a knowledgeable rural veterinarian can give is being threatened for rural areas nationwide. "Rural kids simply aren't applying to vet school," Spangler writes. "Most farm kids dream of being a vet, at least until the reality of biochemistry and eight years of school sets in. . . . At the same time, fewer young people from rural areas want to be large-animal vets. The University of Illinois may be graduating twice as many vet students compared to 30 years ago, but the majority go into small-animal practice instead of large-animal or rural mixed practice."

Besides tough hours and dangerous work, research has found that finances, particularly the burden of student loans, prevent young veterinarians from practicing in rural areas, reports the American Veterinarian Medical Association. "There are veterinarians who want to work in rural areas of America but are unable to do so — for financial reasons. The great news is that legislation pending in Congress would make it more feasible for them," through the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act bill.

If passed, the bill includes "legislation that would extend the reach of the popular Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program to help more food animal and public health veterinarians relocate to rural areas facing veterinary shortages," AVMA reports. 

Currently, the program "helps veterinarians set up practice in locations designated as veterinary shortage areas by the Department of Agriculture. It does this by promising to pay off up to $75,000 of each veterinarian's student loans if they practice in the shortage area for three years," AVMA reports. But despite its benefits, there are still not enough rural vets. "The bipartisan Rural Veterinary Workforce Act would go a long way to rectify the situation. By treating VMLRP awards the same as equivalent awards made to physicians and other human health care providers, it would free up significant funds for new recipients."

To read Spangler's complete essay, "Long live the rural veterinarian," click here. To find out more about the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act, including other options, click here. 

Farm safety quick hits: Create a rescue plan; manure pit accidents; women in ag; ATV safety; mental health first aid

Farming comes with a distinct set of dangers and demands. Sound planning, accident prevention and know-how can improve measures to keep farm workers safe, reports Lisa Foust Prater of Successful Farming. Prater also looks at the medical needs of women in agriculture and mental health for everyone who works the land.

Have a rescue plan before entering a silo, grain bin, manure pit or other confined space. The Department of Agriculture recommends identifying confined spaces on your farm and taking steps to prevent accidental entry. "Workers who do enter must receive specific training and have a permit to enter."

Dirty and deadly, take extra care around manure pits.
(Photo via Successful Farming)

Manure pits are dangerous. "Working in a manure pit is one of the dirtiest jobs on the farm, and it's also one of the deadliest. The majority of people who are overcome by the gases in a storage pit or lagoon do not live to tell the tale. . . . The most common task leading up to these injuries or fatalities in 2022 was performing maintenance tasks in or around manure storage structures, including pump repairs. This is true with all cases documented since 1975."

Whether you're delivering cookies to the back forty or hauling feed, ATVs are speedy, farm-friendly vehicles. Curt Porterfield, health and safety training coordinator at Virginia Tech, offers these tips to keep ATV riding safe: Recognize that ATVs can be deadly, the common hazards associated with their use, and your skill levels. Evaluate your equipment, terrain, environment, and load. Control and maintain your ATV properly. . . .and control your ride by driving safely.

Almost a third of all American farmers are women.
(Photo via Successful Farming)

The number of women in agriculture has increased, but information studies have yet to keep pace with the change. "Despite the fact that 31% of all American farmers are women, health and safety education for the agricultural population is most often aimed at men. . . . Women on the farm fill more roles than ever before – or are at least being publicly recognized for filling these roles – including primary operator, mother, wife, ag implement salesperson, and large animal veterinarian, to name a few. Specific areas of risk include heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, broken bones and chronic pain."

Farming offers many benefits, but mental health often takes a back seat to getting the work done, which can ultimately cause a breakdown. "Becoming trained in mental health first aid allows you to stand in the gap of a crisis until professional help arrives. . . . If the emergency is someone having an anxiety attack, dealing with an opioid addiction, or contemplating suicide, having someone available who knows what to do can mean the difference between life and death."

Less expensive states attract big-city remote workers with cash grants and amenities such as university libraries

 Diners at Vera Mae’s Bistro in Muncie, Ind. (Photo by Gary Coronado, L.A. Times)

The cost of living has risen everywhere, but in states like California, some people are looking to get away from expensive living by taking "moving grants and non-cash inducements" from states that are seeking to gain well-employed, mobile workers and their families, reports Don Lee for the Los Angeles Times. He cites Indiana, where "Dozens of counties and cities are practically stepping over one another in what has become the new competition across the land: attracting the pandemic-enlarged horde of people with remote jobs who no longer feel the need to live in more expensive urban centers such as Los Angeles or New York."

Many Midwestern places have lost population to more urbanized locations, but in the wake of the pandemic, they are selling their cozier size and local offerings as strengths. "Many see opportunities to attract people looking for a quieter, cheaper and friendlier place to live," Lee reports, citing Stanford University studies that "show about 10% of all workers are fully remote, five times pre-Covid-19 levels. "Typical relocation packages include grants of around $5,000, although several areas in West Virginia, including Morgantown and Lewisburg, say they'll pay each qualified worker who moves $12,000 in cash. . . . To qualify, most places require that you move from out of state and have a remote job and a minimum income, usually around $50,000 a year. . . . Non-cash inducements run the gamut. Gym memberships, entertainment passes and access to co-working office space are common."

Poplar Bluff, Mo, pop. 16,000, "is offering passes to stay at vacation cabins to enjoy the nearby waters and mountains of the Ozarks. They're among 17 incentives valued at $11,000," Lee reports. City Manager Matt Winters told Lee, "I think we have a lot to offer. Our cost of living is low. . . . Rural America is attractive to some people. It takes me five minutes to get to work every morning, and that's if I'm not in a hurry."

In Indiana, "More than 400 people have moved to Indiana, and an additional 350 are on their way, said Christie Hurst," spokeswoman for "MakeMyMove, which is based in Indianapolis and helps cities across the U.S. recruit remote workers," Lee reports. Neaby Muncie's "package includes $5,000 in cash and passes to use Ball State University's library and fitness center. . . . Rudy Ramos, 41, of Fremont, Calif., will be moving to Muncie, taking with him a remote consulting business that helps build laboratories and medical facilities. . . . Ramos is single and has lived his entire life in California, but said he just couldn't keep up with the rising cost of living. He signed a lease for a three-bedroom house in Muncie for $950 a month. In Fremont, he had been paying three times that much for a two-bedroom place." Ramos told Lee, "Honestly, it's just way too expensive here. All I'm working for is my housing. I don't have an opportunity to reinvest in my business. . . . I love learning new knowledge. I'm going to take full advantage of that library."

Appalachian commission's report on its region has some good news and some soberingly stubborn challenges

Poverty is down in parts of Appalachia, says a new report from the Appalachian Regional Commission; median income has also increased, as has the number of residents with college degrees; however, the report also reveals areas of continued poverty and an aging population.

ARC map from Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2017-21 

Child and adult poverty have stubbornly remained in the same 77 Appalachian counties for decades. The commission says child poverty in its 13-state region was 19.8 percent in 2017-21, "almost three percentage points above the national rate of 17 percent. And the problem is even more acute in some parts of Appalachia. In 76 counties, at least 30 percent of children under age 18 lived below the poverty level." The share of Appalachian residents 18 to 64 in poverty was 14 percent, more than two percentage points above the U.S. average of 11.8 percent."

While broadband access is "considered essential infrastructure,"Appalachians have less access than the rest of the country. "In 2017-2021, 89.5 percent of households in the Appalachian region had one or more computer devices (desktop or laptop, smartphone, tablet, or another device)—nearly four points below the national average," the Commission reports. "The share is even lower in some parts of the region: It was below 80 percent in 36 of Appalachia's 423 counties. All but three of these counties were outside metropolitan areas, and more than half were in the most rural areas."

ARC map from Census Bureau 2017-21 American Community Survey

Historically, the region has struggled with educational competencies, but the number of people with college degrees has increased. The commission reports, "Although the percentage of Appalachian adults ages 25 and over with at least a bachelor's degree is considerably lower than the national average, that share has been increasing at close to the same pace as in the nation as a whole. Both in Appalachia and nationwide, it was about three percentage points higher in 2017-21 than it was in 2012-16, suggesting a continued trend toward greater educational attainment in the region. In 107 of the region's 423 counties (scattered throughout the region), the share increases matched or exceeded the national average of 3.4 points."

Appalachia's median age is older than the rest of the country, and like most of the nation, the older age groups are increasing "at the expense of younger age groups," the commission reports: "The share of residents ages 65 and over . . . exceeded the national average by more than two percentage points in 2021. Moreover, the percentage of persons in this age group matched or exceeded the U.S. share in 376 of the 423 Appalachian counties—and was at least 19.1 percent in 291 of them. In both the United States and Appalachia. . . . The share of Appalachia's population under age 18 is 1.4 percentage points lower in mid-2021 than it was in mid-2010, and the share ages 25 to 64 is 1.9 points lower."

Country life may not mean a happier life, study suggests; mental health is no different, but access to treatment is

Photo via the University of Houston

With its fresh outdoors, flora, fauna and open spaces, country life suggests a healthier life. But that is not always the case. "A study from the University of Houston found that those living in the country were not more satisfied with their lives than people who lived in urban areas," reports Cara Murez of HealthDay. "Rural U.S. residents didn't feel like their lives were more meaningful, and they also tended to be more anxious, depressed and neurotic. . . . Almost 85% of all rural counties have a mental health professional shortage, even though rural residents appear to need more psychological services, according to the study. Among the reasons for the shortage of mental health professionals is the surge in rural hospital closures since 2010."

The study report noted that mental illness is not more common in rural areas, but the difference is lack of access to treatment. Researcher Olivia Atherton, a professor at UH, told Murez, "It will be critical to improve access to psychological services in remote areas, and to identify how characteristics and values of rural communities can be leveraged to promote positive psychological health."

Researcher Olivia Atherton
(University of Houston photo)

Murez explains, "Atherton and her colleagues analyzed data from two large longitudinal studies of Americans, the Midlife in the United States and the Health and Retirement Study. . . .They looked at whether there were different levels and changes in extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness and neuroticism. They also examined whether there were differences or changes in psychological well-being and life satisfaction across adulthood."

"The study fills important gaps in the literature by showing that where people live can impact personality and well-being in adulthood," writes UH's Laurie Fickman. Atherton told her, "Given the far-reaching consequences of rural health disparities for individuals, families and communities, there is a pressing need to identify the psychological, social and structural mechanisms responsible for disparities and the ways in which to intervene upon those mechanisms to improve the health of rural Americans."

Missouri, Arkansas fuel 25% bump in new rural virus cases

New coronavirus infections, in ranges by county, July 4-10
Daily Yonder map; click the image to enlarge it or click here for the interactive version

Driven by outbreaks of the Delta variant, new rural coronavirus infections over the week of July 4-10 rose more than 25 percent over the week before, while the number of rural red-zone counties jumped more than 50%, Tim Murphy and Tim Marema report for The Daily Yonder. The government defines red zones as those with more than 100 new infections per 100,000 residents in a week

Missouri and Arkansas are at the epicenter of the uptick. "Missouri’s statewide rate of new infections grew by about two-thirds last week. The new-infection rate in rural counties was 10% higher than in metropolitan counties. The same was true in Arkansas, where new cases grew by nearly 50% last week," Murphy and Marema report. "Two thirds of Arkansas’ 26 rural counties were in the red zone last week."

Covid-related deaths, a lagging indicator of the pandemic, "fell for the sixth consecutive week, dropping by about 13% to 282, the lowest number in more than a year," Murphy and Marema report. "Deaths from Covid-19 lag several weeks behind upticks in infections, so the drop in deaths last week reflects the decline in Covid infections that occurred in late spring and early summer. New Covid-19 infections fell for eight out of nine weeks in May and June."

Click here for more charts, regional analysis, and an interactive county-level map from the Yonder.