Progressive Farmer Spotlights Best Rural Towns

 Everybody loves a list -- and the editors of Progressive Farmer magazine have obliged, naming the ten top rural places in the U.S. They've looked for -- and found -- economic vitality, good schools, safety, and beauty. But the arbiters looked most intently for smart approaches to development and community spirit. Their #1, Kent County, Maryland, has preserved its old houses and farmland on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake. Coffee County, Alabama, was recognized for its solidarity after a tornado hit Enterprise High School, killing eight students.Here are the top ten (drumroll...)Kent County, MarylandEllis County, KansasLivingston County, MOObion County, TNColumbia County, PAWexford County, MichiganFayette County, TexasCoffee County, AlabamaGilchrist County, FloridaLa Plata County, FL