Digital Commons Network^™

California Off-Road Engines And Components Life Span Assessment, Michael Mccullough, Lynn Hamilton

Agribusiness

The useful life and warranty periods for off-road equipment in California for engines rated at 37 kilowatts (kW) and greater have not been updated since the Tier 1 rule phased in from 1996 to 2000; for engines rated below 37 kW, not since the Tier 2 and Tier 3 rules phased in from 2000 to 2008. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) staff is seeking information regarding useful life and warranty to evaluate whether amendments to those requirements are necessary after two decades of technology advancement.

Cal Poly researchers called 55 service providers across the state of California to collect …

Assessing The Cost And Fuel Consumption Of Off-Road Agricultural Equipment, Michael Mccullough, Lynn Hamilton, Cory Walters

Agribusiness

Since 1995, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission rules have mandated that off-road engine manufacturers gradually phase in lower emitting diesel engines across all tractor and other off-road equipment sold in the United States. Starting in 1996 with Tier 1 emission standards for tractors between 175-750 horsepower (hp), all tractors were scheduled to be rated as Tier 4 Final by 2015. During the transition period, emission credit agreements made between manufacturers and EPA allowed for nonattainment of some tractors such that several tractor models were produced post 2015 that did not meet Tier 4 Final standards. Tier 4 standards are …

Assessing The Economic Impacts Of Agricultural Equipment Emission Reduction Strategies On The Agricultural Economy In The San Joaquin Valley: Phase Two, 2018 Costs, Michael Mccullough, Lynn Hamilton

Agribusiness

This study is the second phase in a series of studies developed in collaboration with experts to understand the regulatory environment faced by farmers in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California. In 2018 the first phase, “A Framework for Assessing the Economic Impacts of Agricultural Equipment Emission Reduction Strategies on the Agricultural Economy in the San Joaquin Valley”, was completed (McCullough et al., 2018). A major component of that project was a series of 22 case studies that focused on assessing the total cost of regulatory requirements for farms in 2012 compared to their individual costs of production. These …

The Economic Impact On The Local Economy Of Irrigated Agriculture In The Paso Robles Area And Potential Impacts Of The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, Lynn Hamilton, Michael Mccullough

Agribusiness

The purpose of this study is to analyze the economic impact of the agricultural and wine industry within the Paso Robles Subbasin and AVA and San Luis Obispo County and to assess the economic impact of potential changes in the agricultural industry as a result of the Paso Robles Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan that will reduce water allocations and/or increase the cost of water in the basin from 2020 – 2040 and beyond.

The Groundwater Sustainability Plan submitted to the state Department of Water Resources notes that if water use and precipitation patterns continue, the basin will be in overdraft …

A Decade Of Change: A Case Study Of Regulatory Compliance Costs In The Produce Industry, Lynn Hamilton, Michael Mccullough

Agribusiness

Regulatory pressure is a source of increasing concern to the California agricultural industry. In the decade since 2006, new rules at both the state and federal levels have imposed significantly higher regulatory burdens on growers, specifically with respect to food safety, water quality, labor wages, air quality; and worker health and safety. Additional regulations are in process as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is developed at the local levels for implementation in 2022, and minimum wage and overtime laws for farmworkers are phased in, also by 2022.

Previous studies regarding the regulatory environment in California have quantified the total cost …

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Of College Students: What Is The Role Of Food Culture?, Christiane Schroeter, Lisa A. House

Agribusiness

Our primary objective is to assess the role of culture by linking college students’ current consumption of fruits and vegetables with their produce consumption levels while with family. Using a Tobit model, we analyzed data from an online survey with college students. Family consumption of fruits was highly predictive of the individual’s consumption of fruits. For each unit increase in the reported consumption of fruits (vegetables) with the family, the respondents’ fruit (vegetable) consumption at school increased by 0.65 (0.30) units compared to the base consumption level of 1.95 (1.82) times of fruit intake per day.

A Healthy Indulgence? Wine Consumers And The Health Benefits Of Wine, Lindsey Higgins, Erica Llanos

Agribusiness

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US. Moderate red wine consumption has been linked to a reduction in the risk of death by heart disease and heart attack by 30–50%. With about 600,000 people dying from heart disease in the US each year, red wine has become increasingly popular among health conscious consumers. Wine is often touted for its potential health benefits, but to what extent is “health” a factor when consumers make their consumption decisions for alcoholic beverages? This study aims to further understand how consumers make their beverage choices and to understand the role …

The Impact Of Guided Vs. Self-Directed Instruction On Student's Information Literacy Skills, Christiane Schroeter, Lindsey Higgins

Agribusiness

Purpose of the Study. Given the shift toward an increasingly knowledge-based economy, educators and employers have expressed the desire to emphasize students’ information literacy. Being information literate extends beyond the classroom setting and provides skills for independent investigations needed in internships and professional positions in marketing. However, in order to most effectively teach information literacy, what teaching styles are most appropriate? Should students be guided by the instructor or develop skills as independent learners? Our study determines the impact of a guided versus self-directed instruction method on students’ information literacy skills.

Method/Design and Sample. Using a survey with objective and …

Children's Food Security And Participation In The National School Lunch Program, Ariun Ishdorj, Lindsey Higgins

Agribusiness

In 2013 nearly 8.6 million U.S. children lived in households in which one or more child was food insecure. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is one of the largest federally funded food and nutrition assistance programs that aims to provide nutritious, well-balanced lunches for school-age children. Given the important role this program plays on food and nutrient intake of school-age children, we examined the relationship between participation in NSLP and children's food security status. After controlling for the endogeneity of the program participation we found that program participation have positive effect on food insecure and marginally food secure children, …

Coaching Student Teams: Guiding Students Through Team-Based Learning Experiences, Lindsey M. Higgins

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

Technological Change In The Wine Market? The Role Of Qr Codes And Wine Apps In Consumer Wine Purchases, Lindsey M. Higgins, Marianne Mcgarry Wolf, Mitchell J. Wolf

Agribusiness

As an experiential good, wine purchases in the absence of tastings are often challenging and information-laden decisions. Technology has shaped the way consumers negotiate this complex purchase process. Using a sample of 631 US wine consumers, this research aims to identify the role of mobile applications and QR codes in the wine purchase decision. Results suggest that wine consumers that consider themselves wine connoisseurs or experts, enjoy talking about wine, and are interested in wine that is produced locally, organically, or sustainably are more likely to employ technology in their wine purchase decision. While disruption appears to have occurred on …

Strategic Risk Management And Agribusiness, Steven Slezak

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

Agribusiness Strategy Formulation: What Is Strategy?, Steven Slezak

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

A Margin Risk Approach To Risk Analysis And Risk Management In Agriculture, Jay Noel, Steven Slezak

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

The Economics Of Health And Vitamin Consumption, Christiane Schroeter, Sven Anders, Andrea Carlson

Agribusiness

We estimate the impact of vitamin supplement intake, lifestyle, health indicators, food culture, and demographics on diet quality outcomes as measured by the Healthy Eating Index–2005 (HEI). Our data consists of U.S. adults who participated in the 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Alternative instrumental variable estimators explicitly address issues of endogeneity and complex sample design. Our empirical analysis demonstrates that diet quality is strongly interrelated with food culture. We suggest that vitamin consumption serves as another marker for healthy eating. This finding emphasizes the need to employ economic modeling when developing public policy to reduce obesity.

When Do Fat Taxes Increase Consumer Welfare?, Jayson L. Lusk, Christiane Schroeter

Agribusiness

Previous analyses of fat taxes have generally worked within an empirical framework in which it is difficult to determine whether consumers benefit from the policy. This note outlines on simple means to determine whether consumers benefit from a fat tax by comparing the ratio of expenditures on the taxed good to the weight effect of the tax against the individual's willingness to pay for a one-pound weight reduction. Our empirical calculations suggest that an individual would have to be willing to pay about $1500 to reduce weight by one pound for a tax on sugary beverages to be welfare enhancing. …

The Impact Of Food Environment On Private Label Versus Branded Produce Choice, Christiane Schroeter, Xiaowei Cai

Agribusiness

Over the past two decades, retailers are providing more Private label foods (PL), which are directly competing with the National brand (NB) products. For years, PLs competed as generic and cheaper versions with their high-priced NB substitute. However, modern PLs have improved in product quality relative to NBs and are available in the premium, organic, and even produce sections with the goal to distinguish themselves from their competitors’ product lines. One of the fastest growing segments in the produce industry consists of triple-washed cello-packed spinach. Using a two-step Heckman model, we determine the impact of household purchase information, demographics, and …

Using Social Media To Enhance Learning Through Collaboration In Higher Education: A Case Study, Marianne Mcgarry Wolf, Mitch Wolf, Tom Frawley, Ann Torres, Shane Wolf

Agribusiness

Bradley and McDonald in a Harvard Business Review Blog discuss the difference between knowledge management and social media. They indicate that knowledge management is when company management tells employees what they need to know. In higher education faculty practice knowledge management by telling the students what they need to know. Social media is a method peers use to show connections the content they think is important. Bradley and McDonald believe that organizations can gain value from social media through mass collaboration. Mass collaboration occurs with “social media technology, a compelling purpose, and a focus on forming communities” (Bradley and McDonald, …

Who Is Eating The Fruits And Vegetables: Couch Potato Or Internet Junkie?, Christiane Schroeter, Marianne Mcgarry Wolf

Agribusiness

About 21% of U.S. college students are overweight. However, aside from the 1995 National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS), the prevalence of health-risk behavior among college students has not been well characterized. The objective of this study is to investigate how college student’s body fruit and vegetable intake is affected by (1) demographics, (2) dietary habits, and (3) lifestyle. We collected data of college students enrolled at California Polytechnic State University. Sedentary habits such as watching TV, playing computer games, and surfing the web negatively impact both fruit and vegetable intake, which emphasizes the need to improve on-campus health …

Who Are The Wine Techies?, Marianne Mcgarry Wolf, Mitch Wolf, Leanne Brady, Hanna Peszynski

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Wine Purchasing Behaviors In Ireland And California When The Celtic Tiger Roared, Marianne Mcgarry Wolf, David Dudley, Megan Ginny Rood, Sarah Geraghty, Ann M. Torres

Agribusiness

In 2006 the Irish wine market was growing rapidly along with its Celtic Tiger economy (Euromonitor, 2008). Total wine sales in Ireland more than quadrupled in the seventeen-year span from 1990 to 2007 (Geraghty and Torres, 2009). While wine consumption in Ireland was growing at a rapid rate, US consumption was growing, but at a slower rate. (Euromonitor, 2010). According to Moran, Ireland’s increased consumption of wine was due primarily to improved accessibility, affordability, and branding of wine. Geraghty and Torres conducted research in Galway Ireland in 2006 among 307 wine consumers and identified three clusters of wine consumers in …

Using Social Media For Collaborations About Industry News In Higher Education, Marianne Mcgarry Wolf, Mitch Wolf, Leanne Brady, Hanna Peszynski, Lindsey Higgins, Shane Wolf

Agribusiness

Social media use has surged in the past decade. Facebook has 900 million global users (Wall Street Journal, 2012). Recognizing that many of these 900 million users are potential customers (a search on Facebook in May 2012 revealed that there are 11.5 million US Facebook users that “like” wine, beer, or spirits), the wine industry has embraced social media (Vinography, 2012). Wineries are using social media as a tool to reach consumers and as a tool to reveal their brand quality and personality (The Tribune, 2011). In a survey of 118 of Texas’ 181 bonded wineries, nearly 80% of them …

Does Family On A Label Increase Purchase Interest For A Wine, Or Just Cause A Halo Effect?, Marianne Mcgarry Wolf, Lindsey Higgins, Mary Rice

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

Risk Management From A Strategic Perspective, Jay Noel, Steven Slezak

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Attitudes Toward Food And Biotechnology In The U.S., Japan, And Italy, Marianne Mcgarry Wolf, Paola Bertolini, Izumi Shikama, Alain Berger

Agribusiness

This research compares the attitudes of consumers in the United States, Italy and Japan toward food characteristics. The U.S. and Japanese consumers had relatively positive attitudes toward genetically modified food, while the Italian consumer had relatively negative attitudes. The Italian consumer was least likely to be familiar with genetically modified food. They rated organic higher than the U.S. consumer and they appeared to understand the meaning of the term organic better than the U.S. consumers. The U.S. and Japanese consumers were more concerned with freshness and value while the Italian consumers were concerned about the environment and local food.

A Case Study Examination Of Social Norms Marketing Campaign To Improve Responsible Drinking, Marianne Mcgarry Wolf, Allison Dana, Mitchell J. Wolf, Eivis Qenani Petrela

Agribusiness

This research discusses the use of social norms marketing to improve responsible drinking among college students. It was observed in each year of research that students studied overestimated their peers’ drinking practices. During the social norms marketing campaign decreases were observed in both students’ self-reported number of drinks consumed and perceived number of drinks consumed by peers at bars or parties, indicating that the social norms marketing efforts were somewhat successful. In addition, students reported drinking less alcohol over a shorter period of time. However, some negative behaviors related to drinking did not improve.

An Introduction To The Dynamic Strategic Planning Process, Steven Slezak

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

A Dynamic And Flexible Undergraduate Curriculum: Preparing Agribusiness Students For A Continually Changing Agricultural Sector, Sean P. Hurley, Xiaowei Cai

Agribusiness

Individuals entering the Agribusiness industry need to have the flexibility to adapt to a rapidly changing global environment, and so does an Agribusiness curriculum. This essay provides an overview of a major curriculum overhaul that has transformed the Department of Agribusiness at the California Polytech­nic State University. A rigid concentration structure has been reformed to a more flexible and dynamic no-concentration structure to develop successful future leaders in an ever-evolving industry. This essay explains the need for a more flexible undergraduate agribusiness curriculum and identifies its potential benefits and drawbacks.

Using @Risk To Forecast Feasibility Of A Strategic Expansion: A Case, Steven Slezak

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

The Economic Returns To U.S. Public Agricultural Research, Julian M. Alston, Matthew A. Anderson, Jennifer S. James, Phillip G. Pardey

Agribusiness

We use newly constructed state-specific data to explore the implications of common modeling choices for measures of research returns. Our results indicate that state-to-state spillover effects are important, that the research and development lag is longer than many studies have allowed, and that misspecification can give rise to significant biases. Across states, the average of the own-state benefit-cost ratios is 21:1, or 32:1 when the spillover benefits to other states are included. These ratios correspond to real internal rates of return of 9 or 10 per annum, much smaller than those typically reported in the literature, partly because we have …