ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the financial characteristics of farms in the United States, specifically the financial and economic patterns and policies that engendered the farm crisis. It presents an overview of the demographic, socioeconomic, and public service conditions in rural areas. The book discusses the characteristics of producers undergoing various levels of financial stress and describes the means by which producers are reacting and adapting to financial stress. It provides an examination of off-farm employment and other means being used to establish alternative sources of income, and presents an evaluation of the social and psychological reactions of producers to the crisis. The book also examines the implications of the crisis for the structure of agriculture in the United States and the economic, demographic, community service, fiscal, and social implications of the crisis for rural America.
