Decades of research have identified agriculture as a key ingredient in rural development (Green 1985; Heffernan 1982; Labao et al. 1993). These studies have linked the structure of agriculture to the quality of economic and social conditions within a community.
First, it was found that higher percentages of the population engaged in agriculture as a primary occupation resulted in lower children at risk scores in 2000. This finding lends support to the Goldschmidt Hypothesis, which states that communities composed mainly of family farms are more socially developed than those composed mainly of industrial farms.
Second, increases in the interaction between percent population with college degree and per capita income lowered children at risk scores in 2000. There is strong evidence that communities with higher levels of education are more likely to have a lower incidence of children at risk (Ellwood 2000; Nord 1997). This may be attributable to differences in occupation and income, both of which are tied to educational attainment.
Third, persistently poor counties had higher children at risk scores in 2000. There is strong evidence that poverty increases the incidence of children at risk in both rural and urban areas (Findes and Jensen 1998; Nord 1997). Therefore, areas with historically high levels of poverty would produce an at risk environment for children.
Lastly, higher percentages of workers employed in corporate agriculture resulted in higher children at risk scores in 2000. Again, this finding lends support to the Goldschmidt Hypothesis, which states that communities composed mainly of industrial farms are less socially developed than those composed mainly of family farms.
Interestingly, it appears that concentrations of workers employed in other traditional rural industries did not affect social conditions in rural Missouri.
The results of this analysis indicate that agricultural structure, education and income play a significant role in explaining the incidence of children at risk in rural Missouri.
