October observations.

Laura Phelps focuses on Social Security No Match letters in this month's AMI Update. An explanation of the new regulation, notification procedures and what to expect from the law are outlined. While there is no change to Security Administration (SSA) procedures for issuing employer No Match letters, there will be changes to the way employers should respond to them. Steps providing employer protection are outlined.

Enjoy Ray Samp's trip to Moscow as he shares a recent adventure in A Huge Land of Huge Opportunity--Russia. He takes us along on farm visits as he learns to communicate in a new language, to a Mushroom School where he is greeted with vodka and caviar and aboard a riverboat, the venue for the 15th Annual Russian Mushroom Conference, as it travels along the Volga River. As a speaker at the Conference, he shares his growing expertise and discovers a lot about the emerging mushroom industry, the country's plentiful natural resources and the many opportunities for young mushroom growers.

Policy Options for a Changing Rural America by Leslie A. Whitener and Tim Parker tackles the complexities of rural economies and populations. Farms are larger and more efficient, farm households depend more on offfarm income and rural communities look for nonfarm sources of economic growth. Today, less than 10 percent of rural people live on a farm, and only 14 percent of the rural workforce is employed in farming. The article discusses options for the future, new economic engines and human resource development possibilities.

The Cost of Doing Business is the topic of Keith Silfee's Financial Issues column. These costs could include new government regulations, remodeling and maintenance of facilities, new technological changes, township regulations, neighbor complaints and food safety requirements. He advises mushroom growers to consider these probable costs today so you will be prepared to cope with them in the future.

Industry News this month covers PA Governor Edward G. Rendell's announcement that $154 million has been awarded for 415 projects across the commonwealth for the second year of his Growing Greener II program. The funds will go toward projects that will improve the quality of life and revitalize communities across the Pennsylvania. Growing Greener initiatives will help maintain and protect the environment and open space, preserve farmland, protect watersheds, reclaim abandoned mines, remediate acid mine drainage and invest in other environmental initiatives.

--Sara Manning. Mushroom News Editor