Despite promising trends in some metropolitan areas, most cities saw a decline in construction jobs over the past year, according to the latest data analyzed by The Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA).

One of the largest public construction projects in American history is underway in New York City, where workers are expanding the city's subway system for the new Second Avenue Subway.

In order for the world to deal with the sharp rise in population expected by 2050, agriculture and food production will need to increase significantly, according to a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Farmers that may have once used their land for certain crops may suddenly find new uses, particularly as the agricultural market experiences significant changes. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture are currently conducting a study to determine the benefits if cotton farmers in the southwest Cotton Belt were to change to a switchgrass.

Ground has finally been broken on the Tarrant County Civil Courts Building in Fort Worth, Texas, more than six years after voters approved the project on a bond issue.

The Golden State Warriors recently announced plans to move from their current arena in Oakland across the bay to San Francisco, with plans for construction of a new $500 million arena underway, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. The team has reportedly reached a deal with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to move to a spot near the Bay Bridge and fix up a crumbling pier on the site. However, issues with a contract signed on their old arena in Oakland could potentially throw a snag into the plans.

In Forth Worth, Texas, a $74-million construction job on a civil court building is about to begin. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, plans for the project were six years in the making, and while the process hit a few snags on the way, officials are confident that the new facility will be a marked improvement over the current one.

Q. CELLS - an international business with a focus on designing, building and managing solar energy facilities - has recently completed the construction of a 69 megawatt solar power facility in North America. The project marks a large step toward reducing reliance on fossil fuels and improving air quality.

A report by the Sacramento Bee has uncovered numerous inconsistencies in the construction of the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge, which could indicate the structure is unsafe in the event of an earthquake.

As the Louisiana Senate debates the state's construction budget for next year, legislators continue to add more projects to the debate, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Erie, Pa. will soon have a new park-and-ride lot at the local bay front. According to GoErie.com, the $4-million construction job represents the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority's efforts to improve denizens' experience when attending events in the area by eliminating the need to worry about parking and transit.

Attorney Robert Eglet has announced construction is scheduled to begin in June on a new four-story building in downtown Las Vegas that will host a number of law firms.

Recent trends show a growing interest among young people in taking up farming, but the steep costs associated with starting a farm are preventing many from getting their dreams off the ground. Fortunately, United States Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the government would introduce new loans that could help budding farmers get started. Since starting a farm typically requires purchasing land and agricultural equipment, the cost can be out of reach for many recent graduates.

As a vital part of the community for the past several decades, the Boys & Girls Club of Machesney Park, Ill., is about to receive a major $1.3 million renovation project. Construction on the new facility began earlier this week after nearly four years of campaigning from community advocates.

RMT Energy, a renewable energy engineering, procurement and construction contractor, was recently tapped to aid in building a large wind turbine facility in Madison, Wis. Not only is the company responsible for the turbines themselves, but it must also construct the roads, crane paths and foundations necessary to ensure everything runs smoothly.

The 2012 planting season has experienced some unexpected growth, as the terrific weather meant crops could be planted earlier than usual. While that's true in Nebraska, the lack of rain in recent weeks is causing some farmers to show concern for the early life of the crops already in the ground.

The U.S. housing market improved in April, according to the latest date released by the Commerce Department.

ServInt - a company that provides cloud data management services for a number of businesses across the globe - has announced the completion of its newest data center in Amsterdam. The company will now have an easier time providing low-latency hosting and cloud services to customers in the surrounding geographic region.

Farmers in Alabama are reportedly cutting back on crops this year due to a new law that could lead to a shortage of labor, according to The Associated Press.

After a weak March for home construction, many analysts said the strong numbers in January and February may have been primarily due to the warm weather. However, with the release of data for April, it appears March may have been the anomaly.

Although many farmers have opted to go organic in recent years, healthy eating has not yet been fully adopted by all Americans. One of the key criticisms of organic farming is that the food costs too much compared to processed meals. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) disproved that notion, revealing that eating healthy is actually more affordable than buying junk food.

Last year was a terrible year for weather in the United States, and many farmers felt the full wrath of Mother Nature. New data from the Risk Management Agency recently revealed 2011 hit a record high for crop insurance payouts, according to Western Farm Press.

The unusual weather this year has caused untold crop damage across the country, and farmers in Minnesota were thought to be among the hardest hit. The state's large apple crop came up earlier than expected, due to unseasonably warm weather in late March and early April.

New jobs for construction workers are a bit of a mixed bag all across the country, but Iowa is one state that looks ready for a strong upswing in construction jobs this summer. Local news station KCRG reports a bevy of new projects are lined up across the state, and construction crews look to have plenty of work.

Construction crews in the Fort Worth, Texas, area will likely be busy over the next few months, as a massive project has kicked off to redevelop a downtown area.

After years of back and forth between the team and state legislators, the Minnesota Vikings have achieved approval for a new stadium to be built in the city of Minneapolis.

A majority of this year's corn crop is already planted in Iowa, and farmers have reported that the crop has begun to emerge slightly ahead of schedule.

Despite a drop-off in jobs over the past few months, the construction industry is still in a much healthier state than it has been in previous years, according to new data released by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA).

The International Code Council Foundation (ICFF) has declared May as Building Safety Month, and each week is focusing on a different aspect of construction. This week is Energy and Green Building Week, and the organization is throwing a spotlight on the rapidly growing area of environmentally friendly construction.

The U.S. Commerce Department recently released its report on construction spending for the month of March, and it appears that projects just barely picked up after two straight months of declines.

On the whole, the weather this year has been very kind to farmers across the country. A very mild winter meant that planting was able to take place much sooner than normal, and farmers were able to take advantage and get their fields plowed and planted early. Unfortunately, the excellent weather was not uniform in every part of the country, and some areas suffered.

The construction of a new football stadium at Tulane University in New Orleans could be facing a major hurdle thanks to new local legislation that would likely delay the groundbreaking of the facility, reports the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Farmers in Minnesota have brought out the tractors a bit early this year, as the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports a large portion of this year's crops have already been planted.