THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN THE UNITED STATES HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT POLICY QUESTION IN THE SECOND DECADE OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. ONE FACET OF THE EPIDEMIC IS THAT IT HAS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED RURAL AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES. ACCORDING TO SHIPLEY "BETWEEN 1999 AND 2015, OPIOID DEATH RATES IN RURAL AREAS HAVE QUADRUPLED AMONG THOSE 18-TO-25-YEAR-OLDS AND TRIPLED FOR FEMALES." THIS STUDY EXAMINES WHETHER THIS INTERACTION BETWEEN THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC AND RURAL COMMUNITIES IMPACTS THE FARM SECTOR. SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL ANALYZE WHETHER THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC CHANGES THE SELECTION OF OUTPUTS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. OUR HYPOTHESIS IS THAT AGRICULTURE THAT USES "BACK" LABOR SUCH AS PICKING VEGETABLES MAY BE REDUCED RELATIVE TO COMMODITY AGRICULTURE THAT RELIES ON MACHINERY. HOWEVER, WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THE EFFECT OF OPIOIDS MAY BE MORE CONCENTRATED TOWARD SMALLER FARMERS.