In 2010, rural America was at the forefront of the economic recovery. As sluggish job growth reined in the U.S. economy, rural firms harnessed stronger global commodity demand and raced ahead of their metro peers. In fact, rural job growth sped up in the second half of the year with jobs...

The recent rebound in agriculture’s profitability combined with projections of burgeoning global demand for food, fiber and fuel suggest the industry has entered a new “golden era.” Still, the glint of banner profits in agriculture could turn out to be fool’s gold. While many in...