Sustainable Economic Development
Working Heritage
These areas are historically tied to the land and sea through agriculture and fishing. Community members had jobs in agriculture, meat processing, shantymen, and the menhaden fishing industry. The community had carpenters who built homes and the community center.
Rural Outmigration
Many rural communities in the United States experienced an outmigration in the second half of the 20th century, with these communities experiencing a similar trend. As local jobs were lost as a result of larger economic forces, younger generations left the area for education and employment. It has left rural communities, including North River, lacking in younger skilled workers, with a majority of the population being senior, fixed income and retired.
Preserving Legacy
Legacy is something that the community speaks of frequently, as community members inherited their land from their forefathers and seek to pass it on. However, landowners have struggled to generate sustainable income from the shared family land.
Sustainable Livelihoods
Lighthouse is working with the Croatan Institute to identify sustainable revenue-generating opportunities by evaluating markets for silvopasture, ecosystem credits and regenerative agriculture, where feasible and economically viable.