The Hollowing Out of Rural America

This episode makes the case for both the benefits of rural communities, and the devastating challenges. Digging deep into the more complex issues surrounding population loss and economic decline, this pilot contains conversations on food deserts, decline of small farms, the loss of land for African American landowners, encroachment, radical politicization of rural residents, trends for young people returning to small communities, COVID's impact, the creation of cottage industries, and the meaning of community. Subsequent episodes are one-on-one conversations with each person featured in the pilot.