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Ellen talks with SUNY Oneonta sociologist Dr. Greg Fulkerson whose work explores how rural and urban places are not distinct places, but actually a complex adaptive system. He describes how trade has connected rural producers and urban consumers for thousands of years, fueling urban growth while often placing unequal demands on rural communities over tie. He challenges the idea that cities can thrive independently of rural areas and makes the case for stronger, more resilient regional systems that recognize our rural–urban interdependence.

Episode Highlights
07:02 Trade Before Cities

13:15 Agrarian vs Urban

24:01 Globalization and Value

25:33 Defining Urban Rural Systems

28:56 Urban Normativity

36:58 Rural-Urban Academia in Silos

40:36 Future Hope and Risks

More Information:
Dr. Gregory Fulkerson is Professor and Chair at SUNY Oneonta. He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from
North Carolina State University In 2006. He currently teaches courses in sociology, statistics, community
development, and environmental sustainability. His scholarly interests include globalization, rurality,
community, agriculture, and the environment. His current research examines rural housing vacancy,
health, and community disengagement. He has given several conference presentations and authored
several journal articles. Since 2019, he has authored or co-authored books on urban-rural systems,
including, most recently, Inequality at the Urban-Rural Nexus, Community in Urban-Rural Systems,
following key works in City and Country, Urban Dependency, and Urbanormativity.

Books authored/co-authored by Dr. Gregory Fulkerson:

• City and Country
• Community in Urban–Rural Systems
• Critical Rural Theory
• Inequality at the Urban–Rural Nexus
• Urban Dependency
• Urbanormativity

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu.

Ellen talks with Freya Thurmer, Extension Educator and Zeke Berg, owner of Fresh Acres Farm about agritourism. They discuss agritourism's role in building agricultural literacy and respect for healthy farmland, soil, and water, while also providing family farms with supplemental income. Zeke shares how Fresh Acres Farm's contributions to the local community and Freya shares about Extension's resources for current and future agritourism farms.

Episode Highlights:

02:53 What Is Agritourism

04:38 Fresh Acres Origin Story

06:36 Agritourism Then and Now

14:35 Learning on the Farm

17:53 Extension Support Toolkit

24:57 Community Impact

30:59 Fresh Acres Fall Preview

Additional Information:
https://www.freshacresmn.com/
Fresh Acres Farm 2026 Fall Corn Maze
z.umn.edu/agtourismexchange

https://z.umn.edu/Agritourism
https://minnesotagrown.com/products/farm-experiences/

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu.