ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the policy alternatives for addressing both the short-term and long-term implications of the crisis and discusses research that must be completed to inform policy making. It focuses on policies that might be pursued to immediately address the direct and indirect results of the current farm financial crisis, particularly in agriculturally dependent counties. The policy options discussed are ones that should assist rural areas in retaining that viability and the potential for future development. One of the apparent solutions to the farm crisis is that of directly assisting producers in making interest and principal payments on farm debts. Both business operators who are forced to quit business and employees in rural areas need assistance in retraining and relocation to sites where job opportunities exist, and both are experiencing levels of socioemotional problems that show a need for increased counseling and related human services.
