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The farm crisis of the 1980s was devastating to Iowa's economy. Thousands of family farmers went out of business, land values were down, and crops were not bringing much money. It all played a wrenching role in the downward spiral of the state's economy. Analysts say 270,000 more people left Iowa during the decade than moved there.

Now all that's in the past, and Iowa has staged a comeback. The Iowa economy, reflecting national trends, is strong. More people are moving into the state to take jobs than leaving to find work. And Iowa has embarked on a number of aggressive programs to diversify and lure a wide range of industry -- telecommunications and insurance are major targets -- which will generate growth and attract more people.

The underpinning of the state's economy is agriculture, and there is a vigorous effort to develop value-added products. More about that later.