Agriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) the developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics of agriculture. Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope. Topics discussed in this issue include agricultural conversation programs; conservation compliance and U.S. farm policy; implications for the growth and financial health of U.S. agriculture; policy reform in the tobacco industry; hemp as an agricultural commodity; and table egg production and hen welfare.