Rural America's habitat shrinks every day. According to American Farmland Trust, more than a million acres of U.S. farmland are lost to development every year. That's two acres every minute.

In recent years, rural America's obvious qualities-- its natural beauty, slower-paced lifestyles, comparatively low crime rates, and small communities where neighbors know neighbors--have attracted new residents and new businesses.

As a result, many rural communities face the dilemma of becoming victims of their own allure.