THREE TYPES OF FIRMS IN A 14-COUNTY AREA WERE SURVEYED TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF WORKERS WITH AGRICULTURAL COMPETENCIES REQUIRED IN THE OFF-FARM AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS AND TO COMPARE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN FARM AND OFF-FARM AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS. OF 77,868 WORKERS IN 384 FIRMS IN AREAS OF LESS THAN 25,000 POPULATION, 18 PERCENT WERE IN JOB TITLES REQUIRING AGRICULTURAL COMPETENCY. AN INCREASE OF 35 PERCENT IN THE NUMBER OF AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYEES WOULD BE REQUIRED WITHIN 5 YEARS, AND 97 PERCENT WOULD NEED POST-HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION. EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES WERE GREATEST IN AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY, LIVESTOCK MARKETING, SEED AND FERTILIZER, FEEDMILL AND ELEVATOR, AND AGRICULTURAL SALES AND SERVICE POSITIONS. OF 2,960 WORKERS IN AGRICULTURAL FIRMS IN AREAS OF OVER 25,000 POPULATION, 75 PERCENT WERE IN JOB TITLES REQUIRING AGRICULTURAL COMPETENCY. AN INCREASE OF 24 PERCENT IN THE NUMBER OF AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYEES WOULD BE REQUIRED WITHIN THE NEXT 5 YEARS WITH THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES IN HORTICULTURE, FEEDMILL AND ELEVATOR, AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY AND CONSTRUCTION, AND LIVESTOCK MARKETING JOBS. THERE WERE 22,599 COMMERCIAL FARM OPERATORS AND 5,909 HIRED FARM WORKERS IN THE 14-COUNTY AREA. IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS, 1,087 FARM OPERATORS WOULD BE NEEDED TO REPLACE OPERATORS OF FARMS WITH MORE THAN $10,000 GROSS SALES. FOR EACH FARM OPERATOR REPLACEMENT NEEDED, APPROXIMATELY 3.5 WORKERS WITH AGRICULTURAL SKILLS WOULD BE NEEDED IN NONFARM BUSINESS. (JM)