1If you consider the farms of old - the type your father or grandfather grew up on,
2they were small and labour-intensive, requiring lots of workers.
3In addition, they often had a diversity of products,
4be that animal or vegetable - say, cows and sheep,
5or oranges and lemons, with some peaches,
6and a few chickens on the side, for the production of eggs.
7The many workers involved raised their families, who needed products and support services,
8such as medical clinics and schools,
9so the small country towns had mercantile activity,
10store fronts, and community participation, with all ages present and a distinct town culture.
11And how it has changed!
12Travel to any small country town in virtually any developed country,
13and you will often see that these places are now somewhat forlorn and deserted,
14lacking life and vigour.
15Many of the residents have long since moved towards the big cities,
16so the country areas have become depopulated, and their downtowns empty.
17This phenomenon is so predictable and widespread that it even has a name,
18rural flight, or rural exodus,
19and it has produced some fairly predictable problems.
20As for the causes of rural exodus, the most obvious is the industrialisation of agriculture.
21This comes in two aspects,
22one of them being monocultural farming practices.
23What this means is that it is now more efficient to have one product, and focus on its needs almost exclusively.
24So, for example, animal husbandry will usually involve a single type of animal, say pigs,
25but with huge factory farming techniques,
26or, in other words, the second aspect: economies of scale.
27This means instead of 200 pigs, there'll be 2000,
28tightly fitted into small pens or cages,
29with high density waste disposal and automatic feeding systems.
30Yet despite this huge size, it can all be controlled by just a dozen farm workers pushing the right button.
31You might not like it, but in a competitive market,
32the cheaper the overheads, the better, and one can't argue with market economics.
33It's simply the way of the modern world,
34and it has changed the face of rural districts, mostly for the worst.
35We can talk at length about the problem of rural exodus, but what about solutions?
36Well, there is certainly some cause for hope,
37since many are now feeling the negatives of increasing urbanisation,
38negatives which the countryside generally does not have.
39Thus, tourism, for example, is certainly one avenue of revenue and revitalisation.
40The most important consideration here is that the local residents themselves participate in developing such initiatives,
41and deciding what happens, since outsiders, be they state government or city-based planners,
42do not fully understand the local settings,
43the possibilities which may be on offer, or the town culture,
44since even small rural areas can be highly distinctive from neighbouring ones.
45For example, the Daylesford area has developed a tourist industry based on the natural springs there,
46putting forward the angle that this water is relaxing and revitalising for the health.
47There has been the development of spas, saunas, and small-scale accommodation within its picturesque hillsides.
48And another solution is to utilise the predominant local product.
49This takes advantage of the fact that many city-people are developing a dislike for factory-produce and packaged foodstuffs.
50They are becoming interested in products that can be sold directly to them, at a cheaper price,
51while preserving all the freshness from the tree or animal.
52It is important here that the country area is not only characterised by a specific product,
53but markets this idea well.
54For example, many areas of country Victoria have developed widespread grape-growing and winemaking facilities,
55and encourage wine tasting tourism -
56now a thriving industry, with an international patronage.
57Similarly, Harcourt is famous for apples,
58Shepparton for mature cheeses,
59and Mildura for its citrus products.
60Such strategies, done well, give hope that rural areas can revitalise somewhat,
61and once again be lively and interesting places to live in.