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	Devolution of Farm Programs Could Broaden States' Role in Ag Policy The great diversity across States in farming circumstances and policy preferences suggests that tailoring farm programs to local circumstances may be more efficient. Devolution, or the transfer of control over Federal funds to States, is one way of adapting national policies to suit local preferences more closely. Susan Offutt Betsey Kuhn Mitchell Morehart
	Farmland Retirement's Impact on Rural Growth USDA farmland retirement programs aim to preserve natural resources. But while their benefits to the environment and crop farmers are widely acknowledged, some fear that high levels of farmland retirement threaten the survival of nearby farming communities. A new ERS analysis suggests such fears are unfounded. Patrick Sullivan Daniel Hellerstein David McGranahan Stephen Vogel
	U.S. Peanut Sector Adapts to Major Policy Changes With the elimination of quotas under the 2002 Farm Act, U.S. peanut producers now respond to market forces rather than quota rights. Peanut production has risen in the Southeast, where producers have been more efficient, and has fallen in other regions.With the exit of less efficient producers,average yields have risen. Erik Dohlman Edwin Young Linwood Hoffman William McBride
	Low-Skill Jobs: A Shrinking Share of the Rural Economy Although low-skill jobs are disproportionately found in rural areas, the rate of decline in the share of low-skill jobs was swifter there in the 1990s than in urban areas. Upgrading skills within the current mix of industries—rather than growth of new industries—was a key factor in the declining share of rural low-skill jobs. Robert Gibbs Lorin Kusmin John Cromartie