Agriculture and animals will have starring roles in the week that lies ahead.

Monday
The brand-new trading year kicks off in quiet fashion, especially when it comes to earnings reports. There aren't any major companies stepping up on the quarterly stage, but the same can't be said for the rest of the week.

Tuesday
Mosaic (NYSE: MOS) and Neogen (Nasdaq: NEOG) check in on Tuesday. Analysts see both companies posting higher earnings than they did a year ago.

There's been a flurry of buyout activity in Mosaic's potash specialty. Neogen's a maker of food-safety testing kits and veterinarian products, and it's managed to consistently post year-over-year earnings growth during the recession. If analysts are on target, both companies will prove that they're still growing their bottom lines.

Wednesday
Consumer-facing companies are on parade come Wednesday as Ruby Tuesday (NYSE: RT) and Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO) provide glimpses into casual dining and deep-discount retail, respectively. Are folks eating out again? Are shoppers still gravitating to low-priced bargains? Neither company may be the ideal bellwether for their industries, but they'll offer the first taste for investors in either niche in 2011.

Thursday
Xyratex (Nasdaq: XRTX) and Monsanto (NYSE: MON) report their quarterly financials on Thursday.

Xyratex's data-storage sector has seen even heavier consolidation than Mosaic's agricultural space. We'll see how it's holding up as one of the few swinging singles in this space. Wall Street expects Monsanto to reverse the small quarterly deficit it rang up a year ago.

Friday
The first week of the year closes out with AZZ (NYSE: AZZ) reporting. Analysts see AZZ earning $0.76 a share, just ahead of the $0.70 it delivered during the same quarter a year earlier.

Until next week, I remain,

Rick Munarriz

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