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This study of the counties of South Carolina introduces a limited purpose, modifiable technology that is designed to reproduce the rapid discovery strategy of the natural sciences. It uses factor analysis to identify types of communities and the threats they face, and evaluates their success in dealing with these by comparisons based on age-adjusted mortality rates. The factor analysis of mostly census indicators generated an Urbanization factor along with two measures of the interaction with the environment, Growth and Poverty. Growth was expected to predict mortality negatively while Poverty should predict positively. Regression analysis confirms both predictions but only for each race. That is, Growth predicted lower mortality, but only for African-Americans. Poverty predicted higher mortality, but only for whites. These and other puzzling findings are explored, illustrating the "rapid discovery" technology that is the central feature of this paper.

Food banks throughout the South have historically helped meet the nutritional needs of low income families, but are not often involved in community development efforts aimed at creating sustainable agricultural situations. In this paper we seek to critically evaluate a food bank's efforts to enhance small- scale farm operations, increase the quality and quantity of their products, and enhance distribution and use of their product to the emergency food assistance system in Lowcountry South Carolina. The discussion is organized by reviewing the results of the project according to the three primary goals of sustainable agricultural programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]