A SURVEY OF 1,067 BUSINESSES OR AGENCIES HANDLING FARM PRODUCTS OR PROVIDING AGRICULTURAL SERVICE IN SEVEN METROPOLITAN AREAS IDENTIFIED PRESENT AND EMERGING AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER THAN FARMING AND RANCHING FOR WHICH INSTRUCTION IN VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE. DATA PROVIDED EMPLOYEE INFORMATION FOR SELECTED OCCUPATIONAL FAMILIES--(1) FARM MACHINERY, SALES AND SERVICE, (2) FARM SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT, (3) LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY, (4) CROPS, FORESTRY, AND SOIL CONSERVATION, (5) ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURE, (6) WILDLIFE AND RECREATION, (7) FARM SERVICES, AND (8) AGRICULTURAL SERVICES. FOR EACH OCCUPATIONAL FAMILY, DESCRIPTIONS AND JOB TITLES AT THE DIFFERENT LEVELS, AND EMPLOYEE BACKGROUND AND EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS ARE INCLUDED. AGRICULTURE IN THE SURVEY AREAS IS A GROWING SEGMENT OF THE ECONOMY. OF THE 30,300 EMPLOYEES IN THE BUSINESSES SURVEYED, 9,087 NEEDED KNOWLEDGE OR SKILL IN AGRICULTURAL SUBJECTS. THE GREATEST NUMBER OF WORKERS WAS IN (1) OCCUPATIONS DEALING WITH CROPS AND SOIL CONSERVATION, AGRICULTURAL SERVICES, LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY, AND FARM SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT, AND IN THE (2) MANAGEMENT, SEMISKILLED, UNSKILLED, AND SALES LEVELS. GENERALLY, WORKERS WERE EXPECTED TO HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION AND SOME POST-HIGH SCHOOL TRAINING. ONE OF FOUR PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES WAS EXPECTED TO HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE. TO ACHIEVE ITS FULL POTENTIAL IN LOUISIANA EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE MUST (1) CHANGE ITS BASIC PURPOSE TO TRAIN FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE TOTAL INDUSTRY, (2) EXTEND THE TRAINING TO MORE PEOPLE AND GEAR IT TO THE LABOR MARKET, (3) BASE THE TRAINING UPON THE AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE, MAKE IT A PART OF THE TOTAL SCHOOL PROGRAM, AND INCLUDE WORK EXPERIENCES AND A REVIEW OF THE WORK WORLD, AND (4) EXTEND THE TRAINING TO COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS AND AREA VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND A LIST OF JOB TITLES ARE INCLUDED. (BS)