The most unique trend released with the 2010 census information is that people are fleeing Midwestern cities and areas, and seeking more urban and, frankly “climate-friendly” areas of the country.  As a small town Kansas girl, this began to resonate with me, as I too, a few years ago up and left my rural hometown and came to Nashville, Tennessee.  I don’t believe any of us can sit here and say we don’t complain about the weather from time to time, but I can say I deal with similar summers and milder winters versus my Midwestern upbringing.

It also made me think of a trend, a much longer trend compared to a ten-year census; the trend of business in America.  Over the last few decades, we have seen the manufacturing leave the United States, and head overseas for cheaper production and less overhead.  But, we’ve also see the loss in our agriculture business and drastic hardships for American farmers.  From a business standpoint, we have lost the one-two punch that built American business into a global empire.  Now, we hear reports of food shortages over the summer of 2011, and our gas prices are through the roof to fill up our imported vehicles (and let’s be honest, even if it’s made here, many of the parts are manufactured overseas).  This is a contributing factor as to why people are forced to flee the Midwest; the manufacturing and agriculture business is no longer sustaining its populations.

Makes me wonder, leaving geography out of the picture (except to highlight @OkieDokie on Yahoo’s comments of “I’m gonna move to the Midwest!  Everyone else is leaving so the land will be cheap), how do we regain those “Midwestern Roots” that I was personally raised with, and re-focus our strength, energy and technology into supporting our people and sustaining our economy?

Maybe with manufacturing and agriculture….