Rural Rules
Storytelling & Anecdotes
Reframing the Rural Narrative
Story One: THe Berry Family
Part One: Introduction
When people think of “rural,” they often picture isolation or decline, but in truth, these communities are vibrant, innovative, and essential to America’s economic and cultural strength, far more than the stereotypes suggest.
The Berry Family of Southeast Georgia embodies the spirit of rural America through blending faith, family, and innovation to sustain their land, community, and heritage.
+ info
+ info
Story Two: This Old Farmhouse GA, Inc
Part Two: Why Rural?
Rural areas truly rule as they are rich in history, culture, natural beauty, and innovation. Communities like Tybee Island prove that the rural South isn’t fading but thriving, redefining what it means to be “rural”, despite their population size.
The Harris Family of West Georgia exemplifies rural resilience and stewardship, transforming a 1920s barn into a living classroom that preserves local history, honors overlooked labor, and teaches self-sufficiency..
+ info
+ info
Story Three: The Johnson Family
Part Three: Connection to RSI & Conclusion
Ashley Johnson of Leesburg, Georgia, exemplifies how discipline and innovcation can redefine modern farming, restoring ancestral land, and preserving the cultural roots of Southern agriculture.
Finally, learn how the Rural Studies Institute works to change how we view rural America, and how you can make a change!
+ info
+ info
Works Cited
Part Three: Conclusion
Do you want to make a change and help rural communities thrive? Here’s how:
The Rural Studies Institute is an initiative that promotes outreach, storytelling, and research, keeping rural communities alive and thriving. The RSI wants to change the conversation related to rural communities and put them in the spotlight. Often dismissed as “just farmland,” rural regions hold vibrant communities, natural beauty, and growing opportunities. However, even though they are incredible, these areas are declining. As shown in the graphs, rural (nonmetro areas) contain higher percentages of working poor people, and poor people in general, meaning higher poverty rates. Rural areas need your funding and support so that they can thrive and prosper.
We hope that through this campaign, and the stories behind it, we were able to reshape your perception and spark renewed interest in rural areas near you. We hope to convince you to support your nearest rural area, going to a pumpkin patch this fall or exploring a corn maze!
Story One: The Berry Family
The Berry Family of Southeast Georgia is living proof that perseverance, innovation, and community can lead to redefining what rural means. This multi-generation family farm is manned by five generations of the Berry family and contributes to diverse agricultural production. They are environmentally conscious farmers in that they preserve their land and make sure they preserve cultural practices rooted in faith, family, and resilience (Womack, 2023). The women of the Berry Family contribute to the family’s entrepreneurship through their homemade products like “Berry Lemonade” and preserves. The family also serves as officers in the South Georgia Black Cattlemen Association, hosting community events and empowering Black farmers. The Berry Family embodies the strength and resilience of rural America. Their work sustains both the agricultural economy and their local community. Yet, families like theirs are disappearing as rural funding declines. These farms form the backbone of the nation’s agriculture, making investment in rural communities more essential than ever.
Part Two: Why Rural?
Many rural areas, especially those within the Blackbelt Region, are the backbone of the United States' agricultural economy, creating a sense of community within a region filled with natural beauty and cultural traditions that date back centuries. One example that captures this potential is Tybee Island. Despite having a very small population of 3,139, it pulls in around 1.9 million annual tourists. People from all across the country come to Tybee Island to see the beautiful beaches and learn about the history/culture that dates all the way back to the Native American Settlements and Spanish Exploration. By focusing on these strengths, we can begin to redefine the narrative around the rural South together.
*Click onto the next part to see how you can make a change!*
Story Three: The Johnson Family
Ashley Johnson of Leesburg, Georgia, proves that discipline, innovation, and legacy can redefine what modern farming looks like. A former U.S. Air Force budget analyst turned grower, Johnson became Lee County’s first Black female veteran to earn full USDA organic certification. Through her family agribusiness, ShyGuy LLC, Ashley cultivates organic tomatoes, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers, and watermelons on her family’s 3-acre plot, relying solely on natural, regenerative methods that honor both science and heritage.Her work continues a lineage of sustainable farming that traces back to her grandfather, Willie Johnson, who once fed his family from the same Georgia soil. Supported by her parents, Emanuel and Faye, and guided by fellow farmer and mentor Sedrick Rowe, Ashley’s efforts reflect the power of intergenerational collaboration and community-based agriculture. Beyond restoring her family’s land, she is advancing representation in the South’s growing organic movement by bridging historic Black agricultural wisdom with the demands of 21st-century sustainability. The Johnson family embodies the perseverance and stewardship that define rural America. Their story demonstrates how veterans, families, and farmers can work together to reclaim ancestral land, strengthen local economies, and preserve the cultural roots of Southern agriculture for generations to come.
Part One: Introduction
When you hear the word “rural,” what comes to mind? For many, it might bring images of isolation or simplicity, but in reality, rural areas are vibrant, innovative, and vital to the United States’ economic and cultural fabric. Despite the common stereotypes and misconceptions that often overshadow them, our goal is to challenge these false narratives and highlight the true importance of rural communities in shaping the United States. Oftentimes, when people discuss rural areas, they talk about the poverty and decline that happens within these places. Although there are such issues, there are also bigger benefits behind the scenes that people do not realize.
*Click onto the next part to explore these plentiful benefits!*
Story Two: This Old Farmhouse GA, Inc
The Harris Family of West Georgia embodies resilience and the enduring spirit of rural America. Through This Old Farmhouse GA, Inc., Tammy Harris and her daughter Kiyah Harris are restoring a 1920s Appalachian-style barn, a rare structure in Franklin, Georgia, and transforming it into a living classroom for agritourism and history education. The Harrises’ work symbolizes a commitment to keeping local history alive for generations of Franklin residents and the broader Black Belt Region. Their 2-acre site honors the legacy of small-scale farmers, tenant workers, and sharecroppers, highlighting the overlooked labor of women and children who sustained rural households through craftsmanship, agriculture, and ingenuity. Kiyah tends raised garden beds of jalapeños, soybeans, and dogfennel, teaching visitors the value of self-sufficiency and connection to the land. Despite pandemic setbacks and the difficulty of sourcing original materials, Tammy remains committed to preserving this piece of Georgia’s agrarian past for future generations. The Harris family represents the strength and stewardship that define the nation’s rural communities. Yet, as restoration funding dwindles, families like theirs remind us why investment in rural preservation is more vital than ever.
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Transcript
Rural Rules
Storytelling & Anecdotes
Reframing the Rural Narrative
Story One: THe Berry Family
Part One: Introduction
When people think of “rural,” they often picture isolation or decline, but in truth, these communities are vibrant, innovative, and essential to America’s economic and cultural strength, far more than the stereotypes suggest.
The Berry Family of Southeast Georgia embodies the spirit of rural America through blending faith, family, and innovation to sustain their land, community, and heritage.
+ info
+ info
Story Two: This Old Farmhouse GA, Inc
Part Two: Why Rural?
Rural areas truly rule as they are rich in history, culture, natural beauty, and innovation. Communities like Tybee Island prove that the rural South isn’t fading but thriving, redefining what it means to be “rural”, despite their population size.
The Harris Family of West Georgia exemplifies rural resilience and stewardship, transforming a 1920s barn into a living classroom that preserves local history, honors overlooked labor, and teaches self-sufficiency..
+ info
+ info
Story Three: The Johnson Family
Part Three: Connection to RSI & Conclusion
Ashley Johnson of Leesburg, Georgia, exemplifies how discipline and innovcation can redefine modern farming, restoring ancestral land, and preserving the cultural roots of Southern agriculture.
Finally, learn how the Rural Studies Institute works to change how we view rural America, and how you can make a change!
+ info
+ info
Works Cited
Part Three: Conclusion
Do you want to make a change and help rural communities thrive? Here’s how: The Rural Studies Institute is an initiative that promotes outreach, storytelling, and research, keeping rural communities alive and thriving. The RSI wants to change the conversation related to rural communities and put them in the spotlight. Often dismissed as “just farmland,” rural regions hold vibrant communities, natural beauty, and growing opportunities. However, even though they are incredible, these areas are declining. As shown in the graphs, rural (nonmetro areas) contain higher percentages of working poor people, and poor people in general, meaning higher poverty rates. Rural areas need your funding and support so that they can thrive and prosper. We hope that through this campaign, and the stories behind it, we were able to reshape your perception and spark renewed interest in rural areas near you. We hope to convince you to support your nearest rural area, going to a pumpkin patch this fall or exploring a corn maze!
Story One: The Berry Family
The Berry Family of Southeast Georgia is living proof that perseverance, innovation, and community can lead to redefining what rural means. This multi-generation family farm is manned by five generations of the Berry family and contributes to diverse agricultural production. They are environmentally conscious farmers in that they preserve their land and make sure they preserve cultural practices rooted in faith, family, and resilience (Womack, 2023). The women of the Berry Family contribute to the family’s entrepreneurship through their homemade products like “Berry Lemonade” and preserves. The family also serves as officers in the South Georgia Black Cattlemen Association, hosting community events and empowering Black farmers. The Berry Family embodies the strength and resilience of rural America. Their work sustains both the agricultural economy and their local community. Yet, families like theirs are disappearing as rural funding declines. These farms form the backbone of the nation’s agriculture, making investment in rural communities more essential than ever.
Part Two: Why Rural?
Many rural areas, especially those within the Blackbelt Region, are the backbone of the United States' agricultural economy, creating a sense of community within a region filled with natural beauty and cultural traditions that date back centuries. One example that captures this potential is Tybee Island. Despite having a very small population of 3,139, it pulls in around 1.9 million annual tourists. People from all across the country come to Tybee Island to see the beautiful beaches and learn about the history/culture that dates all the way back to the Native American Settlements and Spanish Exploration. By focusing on these strengths, we can begin to redefine the narrative around the rural South together.
*Click onto the next part to see how you can make a change!*
Story Three: The Johnson Family
Ashley Johnson of Leesburg, Georgia, proves that discipline, innovation, and legacy can redefine what modern farming looks like. A former U.S. Air Force budget analyst turned grower, Johnson became Lee County’s first Black female veteran to earn full USDA organic certification. Through her family agribusiness, ShyGuy LLC, Ashley cultivates organic tomatoes, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers, and watermelons on her family’s 3-acre plot, relying solely on natural, regenerative methods that honor both science and heritage.Her work continues a lineage of sustainable farming that traces back to her grandfather, Willie Johnson, who once fed his family from the same Georgia soil. Supported by her parents, Emanuel and Faye, and guided by fellow farmer and mentor Sedrick Rowe, Ashley’s efforts reflect the power of intergenerational collaboration and community-based agriculture. Beyond restoring her family’s land, she is advancing representation in the South’s growing organic movement by bridging historic Black agricultural wisdom with the demands of 21st-century sustainability. The Johnson family embodies the perseverance and stewardship that define rural America. Their story demonstrates how veterans, families, and farmers can work together to reclaim ancestral land, strengthen local economies, and preserve the cultural roots of Southern agriculture for generations to come.
Part One: Introduction
When you hear the word “rural,” what comes to mind? For many, it might bring images of isolation or simplicity, but in reality, rural areas are vibrant, innovative, and vital to the United States’ economic and cultural fabric. Despite the common stereotypes and misconceptions that often overshadow them, our goal is to challenge these false narratives and highlight the true importance of rural communities in shaping the United States. Oftentimes, when people discuss rural areas, they talk about the poverty and decline that happens within these places. Although there are such issues, there are also bigger benefits behind the scenes that people do not realize.
*Click onto the next part to explore these plentiful benefits!*
Story Two: This Old Farmhouse GA, Inc
The Harris Family of West Georgia embodies resilience and the enduring spirit of rural America. Through This Old Farmhouse GA, Inc., Tammy Harris and her daughter Kiyah Harris are restoring a 1920s Appalachian-style barn, a rare structure in Franklin, Georgia, and transforming it into a living classroom for agritourism and history education. The Harrises’ work symbolizes a commitment to keeping local history alive for generations of Franklin residents and the broader Black Belt Region. Their 2-acre site honors the legacy of small-scale farmers, tenant workers, and sharecroppers, highlighting the overlooked labor of women and children who sustained rural households through craftsmanship, agriculture, and ingenuity. Kiyah tends raised garden beds of jalapeños, soybeans, and dogfennel, teaching visitors the value of self-sufficiency and connection to the land. Despite pandemic setbacks and the difficulty of sourcing original materials, Tammy remains committed to preserving this piece of Georgia’s agrarian past for future generations. The Harris family represents the strength and stewardship that define the nation’s rural communities. Yet, as restoration funding dwindles, families like theirs remind us why investment in rural preservation is more vital than ever.
A great title
Use this space to briefly describe your chart and its evolution. To highlight super-relevant data. 90% of the information we assimilate comes through sight.