U.S. agriculture is diverse. Identifying more homogeneous farming subregions for analysis can aid in understanding the varying geographic impacts of farm policy measures and the degree to which the fortunes of agriculture affect the larger rural economy. Studying in more detail the economic and social characteristics of farm subregions may also provide insights for developing more effective strategies for rural economic development. For example, the heavy reliance of the farm population on wage and salary earnings from offfarm jobs, particularly in manufacturing, may make rural industrial development a more effective means of assisting low-income farm people than traditional farm policy measures that focus on retiring "excess" resources from agriculture. These policies are largely ineffective in reaching people with small amounts of farm resources and/or income.