Agriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) the developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics of agriculture. Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope. Topics discussed in this issue include farm safety net programs; specialty crop provision in the 2014 Farm Bill; background and issues in agricultural research; the effects of recent energy price reductions on U.S. agriculture; and the effect of transportation costs on fresh fruit and vegetable prices.

Agriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) the developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics of agriculture. Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope. Topics discussed in this issue include the United States' farm income; agriculture in the World Trade Organization; agricultural disaster assistance; weather effects on expected corn and soybean yields; and air quality issues and animal agriculture.

Agriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics. (Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope).

Agriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) the developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics of agriculture. Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope. Topics discussed in this issue include the background, status, and issues related to selected environmental regulations or initiatives possibly affecting agriculture; agricultural export programs; bee health; the legal and administrative responses to deregulating genetically engineered alfalfa and sugar beets; and the economic benefits to agriculture and rural communities by fixing our immigration system.

Agriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) the developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics of agriculture. Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope. Topics discussed in this issue include agricultural conversation programs; conservation compliance and U.S. farm policy; implications for the growth and financial health of U.S. agriculture; policy reform in the tobacco industry; hemp as an agricultural commodity; and table egg production and hen welfare.

Agriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) the developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics of agriculture. Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope.