| If you consider the farms of old - the type your father or grandfather grew up on, |
| they were small and labour-intensive, requiring lots of workers. |
| In addition, they often had a diversity of products, |
| be that animal or vegetable - say, cows and sheep, |
| or oranges and lemons, with some peaches, |
| and a few chickens on the side, for the production of eggs. |
| The many workers involved raised their families, who needed products and support services, |
| such as medical clinics and schools, |
| so the small country towns had mercantile activity, |
| store fronts, and community participation, with all ages present and a distinct town culture. |
| And how it has changed! |
| Travel to any small country town in virtually any developed country, |
| and you will often see that these places are now somewhat forlorn and deserted, |
| lacking life and vigour. |
| Many of the residents have long since moved towards the big cities, |
| so the country areas have become depopulated, and their downtowns empty. |
| This phenomenon is so predictable and widespread that it even has a name, |
| rural flight, or rural exodus, |
| and it has produced some fairly predictable problems. |
| As for the causes of rural exodus, the most obvious is the industrialisation of agriculture. |
| This comes in two aspects, |
| one of them being monocultural farming practices. |
| What this means is that it is now more efficient to have one product, and focus on its needs almost exclusively. |
| So, for example, animal husbandry will usually involve a single type of animal, say pigs, |
| but with huge factory farming techniques, |
| or, in other words, the second aspect: economies of scale. |
| This means instead of 200 pigs, there'll be 2000, |
| tightly fitted into small pens or cages, |
| with high density waste disposal and automatic feeding systems. |
| Yet despite this huge size, it can all be controlled by just a dozen farm workers pushing the right button. |
| You might not like it, but in a competitive market, |
| the cheaper the overheads, the better, and one can't argue with market economics. |
| It's simply the way of the modern world, |
| and it has changed the face of rural districts, mostly for the worst. |
| We can talk at length about the problem of rural exodus, but what about solutions? |
| Well, there is certainly some cause for hope, |
| since many are now feeling the negatives of increasing urbanisation, |
| negatives which the countryside generally does not have. |
| Thus, tourism, for example, is certainly one avenue of revenue and revitalisation. |
| The most important consideration here is that the local residents themselves participate in developing such initiatives, |
| and deciding what happens, since outsiders, be they state government or city-based planners, |
| do not fully understand the local settings, |
| the possibilities which may be on offer, or the town culture, |
| since even small rural areas can be highly distinctive from neighbouring ones. |
| For example, the Daylesford area has developed a tourist industry based on the natural springs there, |
| putting forward the angle that this water is relaxing and revitalising for the health. |
| There has been the development of spas, saunas, and small-scale accommodation within its picturesque hillsides. |
| And another solution is to utilise the predominant local product. |
| This takes advantage of the fact that many city-people are developing a dislike for factory-produce and packaged foodstuffs. |
| They are becoming interested in products that can be sold directly to them, at a cheaper price, |
| while preserving all the freshness from the tree or animal. |
| It is important here that the country area is not only characterised by a specific product, |
| but markets this idea well. |
| For example, many areas of country Victoria have developed widespread grape-growing and winemaking facilities, |
| and encourage wine tasting tourism - |
| now a thriving industry, with an international patronage. |
| Similarly, Harcourt is famous for apples, |
| Shepparton for mature cheeses, |
| and Mildura for its citrus products. |
| Such strategies, done well, give hope that rural areas can revitalise somewhat, |
| and once again be lively and interesting places to live in. |