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...

Sluggish growth in global food markets has diminished the competitive advantage U.S. agriculture derives from its huge resource base and superior infrastructure. Unless robust growth in foreign markets resumes, U.S. policymakers will face a difficult choice - let the market remove farm resources...

A recent surge in U.S. agricultural exports has triggered a wave of optimism about the industry's prospects in the world food market. At the root of the industry's recent export gains are rapidly growing populations and incomes across Asia and Latin America. Adding fuel to U.S. agriculture's...