THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY WERE TO--(1) IDENTIFY PRESENT AND EMERGING OFF-FARM AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS, (2) DETERMINE EMPLOYMENT TRENDS, (3) RELATE TYPES OF OCCUPATIONS TO STATE REGIONS, (4) DETERMINE CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE OCCUPATIONS, AND (5) DETERMINE CHARACTERISTICS OF AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES. A SURVEY OF 3,315 FIRMS IN RURAL AREAS OF THE STATE BY 220 VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURAL TEACHERS REVEALS THAT 60 PERCENT OF THE 33,314 EMPLOYEES WERE AGRICULTURALLY ORIENTED. ALMOST ONE-HALF OF THE FARMS WERE FARM SUPPLY AND EQUIPMENT BUSINESSES. OTHER PREVALENT TYPES WERE FARM MACHINERY, LIVESTOCK, AND POULTRY FIRMS. THE MAJORITY OF THE FIRMS HAD BEEN IN BUSINESS OVER 15 YEARS, EMPLOYED 5 OR FEWER EMPLOYEES, AND WOULD BE WILLING TO HIRE SELECTED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR SUPERVISED WORK EXPERIENCE. EMPLOYERS INDICATED THE NEED FOR 4,624 ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. EMPLOYERS PREFERRED THAT THEIR EMPLOYEES HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, A FARM BACKGROUND, AND A MINIMUM AGE OF 18 TO 26. THIS STUDY IS PHASE I OF A FOUR PHASE STATEWIDE STUDY IN WHICH INTENSIVE COUNTY AND METROPOLITAN AREA SURVEYS AS WELL AS DEPTH STUDIES OF OCCUPATIONAL NEEDS WILL BE CONDUCTED. (JM)