The century's final year was one of frustration for U.S. agriculture - certainly not the way the industry had hoped to close the millennium. Farmers took pride in their productivity, turning out the fourth bin-busting crop in a row and more red meat and poultry than ever before. But the big...

The rural economy broke free from the reins of recession in 2004 with an especially strong performance in the farm sector. Net farm income easily surpassed the record high of 2003. And the weakness that plagued the nonfarm rural economy in recent years appears to have been replaced with stronger...

Markets for U.S. farm products took a sudden, unexpected turn for the worse in 1998, as supply and demand factors combined to produce a plunge in crop prices. Most parts of the nation had very favorable growing conditions in 1998, resulting in an abundant harvest of the major crops, and pushing...