The 1984 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll is summarized in this report. Responses from 1,585 randomly selected Iowa farm families showed that respondents opposed relaxing current state laws limiting foreign investors and non-farm corporations' ownership of farmland; had mixed feelings on absentee ownership, changing banking laws to allow banks to…

This document discusses issues and developments related to the effects of new information technology on agriculture, beginning with an overview of the range of information-related issues, the evolving role of information technology, and the "stakeholders" (the groups) involved in advanced information systems for rural America. An…

This summary of the combined Hearing and Workshop on Applications of Computer-Based Information Systems and Services in Agriculture (May 19-20, 1982) offers an overview of the ways in which information technology--computers, telecommunications, microforms, word processing, video and audio devices--may be utilized by American farmers and ranchers.…

Three days of hearings focused on rural America, in general, and on South Dakota (as the most agrarian of all states), in particular, in an attempt to formulate a blueprint for a national agenda on improving the state of rural America. The first day's sessions addressed the outlook for the South Dakota economy. The second day's sessions considered…

Testimonies were heard in reference to the administration's annual rural development policy report and H.R. 5024, the Rural Development Reorganization Act of 1984. The bill provides that the Department of Agriculture shall be known as the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, transfers the administration of certain conservation programs…

Two areas which will have far reaching consequences for the future of United States agriculture are discussed: (1) biotechnology; and (2) critical economic research in world trade and commodity supply management. Topics in the first area include: controversies related to biotechnology; the relative importance of health, safety, and environmental…

This document presents testimony and prepared statements from the Congressional hearings held to summarize information from field hearings which were held in five states to examine the resources and support given by the federal government to local law enforcement officers to fight the problems of illegal drug use and abuse. Testimony and prepared…

This report provides a distribution of research and development (R&D) programs by the function of the Federal budget. It includes only Federal funding of R&D programs, with R&D facilities and all non-R&D activities excluded. The sections of the report are presented in descending order of R&D budget authority for the various…

The major participants in the formation of policy and programs for rural areas include agricultural interest groups, nonfarm groups, certain legislators, and--less directly--the media. Policy is developed in many institutional arenas: the local community and state governments, the Department of Agriculture, the White House, and the Congress and…