Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons^™

The Impact Of Transportation Costs On Spatial Competition Of Grain Buyers: An Iowa Case Study, Miguel Carriquiry, Bruce A. Babcock

Bruce Babcock

Hotelling’s classic model of spatial competition is adapted to estimate the impacts on grain price of the closure of one of three grain buyers on the Mississippi River in the vicinity of Scott County, Iowa. The customers of the buyer who is closing (River Gulf Grain Company) in Davenport, Iowa, are assumed to deliver their grain to a buyer in either Buffalo, Iowa, to the south or to a buyer in Clinton, Iowa, to the north. Calibration of Hotelling’s framework to this situation leads to an estimated decline in grain bids of 1.5¢ per bushel for the ...

Estimating The Value Of Guaranteed Rail Service, Gregory R. Pautsch, Bruce A. Babcock, C. Phillip Baumel

Bruce Babcock

The purpose of this research is to develop a framework to estimate the value of guaranteed rail service to grain shippers. The analysis consists of estimating density functions for the days waiting for conventional tariff service. A shipper loss function for waiting for rail service was also estimated. Three qualitative results were established. First, the value of guaranteed rail service increases as the quality of guaranteed service rises. Second, the value of guaranteed rail service increases as conventional tariff service becomes less reliable. Finally, when grain is stored on the ground, the value of guaranteed rail service increases.

Economies Of Size, Tax Reform And Profitability Of Alternative Midwestern Feedlot Systems, Mark R. Weimar, Arne Hallam, Larry D. Trede

Arne Hallam

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 may have substantial impacts on cattle feeding operations in the Midwest. Changes in the tax laws may encourage different investment patterns in feedlots as to size, type of facility, feeding programs, and age of animal fed. Cost and returns are computed for a variety of feeding systems under the new and old tax laws.Substantial economies of size were found under both tax laws, bu they were more extreme under the new tax system.

Quota Flexibility In Multi-Species Fisheries, Rajesh Singh, Quinn Weninger

Economics Working Papers

We evaluate management implications of cross-species flexibility in a multiple-species individual fishing quota regulation. We derive fishermen’s privately optimal harvesting and discarding choices under a joint-in-inputs, costly-targeting technology and the complex mapping between quotas set by the regulator and harvest and discard outcomes. Flexibility can reduce fishery rent due to reduced control of harvest outcomes. Empirical evidence from the Gulf of Mexico commercial reef fish fishery is presented to test model predictions. We find no evidence that flexibility reduced discards caused by random quota overages. Discarding in the data is attributed to a particularly small quota and a much ...

Application Of Ahp Method For Mapping Slope Geomorphic Phenomena, Adrian Grozavu, Cristian V. Patriche, Florin C. Mihai

Florin C MIHAI

The Impact Weather Has On Nyc Citi Bike Share Company Activity, Mark Martinez

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

This paper seeks to figure out the effect weather has on individuals’ behavior. A more focused approach to determining this effect is seeing how different weather conditions ranging from the temperature, the precipitation, the amount of inches of snowfall and the wind speed effect the ridership of Citi Bikes throughout all four seasons. The approach of this research paper is using data from the National Climatic Data Center that focuses in on the weather found in Manhattan, New York and correlates each of the weather conditions to the total number of trips per day that is provided by the Citi ...

The Demographic Drivers Of California’S Environmental Voting, Lukas Yasuda

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

This study examines the demographics of California’s 53 congressional districts and the relationship with the voting patterns on three environmentally focused propositions in the 2008 and 2010 elections. Previous literature on the topic is mixed as some studies suggest that select attributes are found among environmental voting centers, yet other research describes the relationship as more complex than simple characteristics. Previous literature on the topic is mixed, with some studies suggesting that select attributes are found among environmental vote support hubs, whereas alternative research suggests the problem is more complex than simple characteristics. I collected data on income, education ...

Nudging Neighbors: Analyzing Peer Effects Of The Lakesmart Program In The Belgrade Lakes, George A. Voigt

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

Peer effects are an increasingly studied field in economics, and can have large impacts at a local level. In this research we seek to identify whether there is an impact of early adopters on their neighbors to become adopters. The scope for this study is the LakeSmart program that operate in Maine. Specifically we are focusing on the Belgrade lakes, and analyzing data from 2005 to present in addition with a survey of demographic characteristics conducted in 2011. Results suggest that the impact of a neighbor on the likelihood of a household to be LakeSmart certified is statistically significant and ...

Water Restrictions And Water Use: An Analysis Of Water Restriction Effects In Norfolk County, Rebecca L. Robinson, Ashley Conley

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

This paper aims to determine what effect water restrictions in Norfolk County, Massachusetts have on residential water usage. Using data from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, this paper analyzes subsequent municipal water usage within and across towns after water restrictions, both mandatory and voluntary, are implemented. Accounting for town fixed effects, the results indicate that for some towns, water restrictions do in fact have a significant impact on decreasing water usage.

The Effects From Public Transportation On Property Values: A Closer Look At Scituate, Hanover, And Norwell, Massachusetts, Alexandra Taylor Perticone, Christine S. Coveney

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

Prior studies have expressed the value of location in real estate, but more recent studies have explored the influence that public transportation has had on housing prices. Access to public transportation is understood to increase the value of homes. Easier access to public transportation allows for shorter and more convenient commutes into or within cities. However, other studies have found that proximity to public transportation can also have adverse effects on property values. This paper investigates whether the implementation of the Greenbush Commuter line in Massachusetts in October 2007 increased the housing prices in Scituate, Ma--the furthest town from the ...

Invited Introduction To Jerec, Matthew Kahn

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

No abstract provided.

Welcome By The Editor, Nathan W. Chan

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

No abstract provided.

Agriculture And Energy Price Transference: The Impact Of Crude Oil On Us Wheat Markets, Rob Humphrey

Boise State Graduate Student Projects

Markets with petroleum products as primary inputs face unique price pressures. I provide a thorough analysis of U.S. wheat prices to investigate connections between international petroleum markets and commodity prices in the U.S. This research is critical for farmers, policymakers, and scholars interested in the relationship between crude oil inputs and commodity outputs. The research thus offers novel information for a large proportion of US territory under agricultural cultivation. Moreover, this research has implications for agricultural production and policy around the world. The results of the investigation demonstrate support for high short-term volatility in wheat prices based on ...

2015 Iowa Land Value Survey: Overview, Wendong Zhang, Karen Kovarik, Zac Beek

Wendong Zhang

This briefing paper includes background information on the Iowa land value survey, including historic information, an analysis of highest/lowest land values and changes from last year’s survey.

Crude Oil Prices And Us Crop Exports: Exploring The Secondary Links Between The Energy And Ag Markets, Chad Hart, Wendong Zhang

Wendong Zhang

As the biofuel industry has developed, there has been a lot of discussion about the linkages between the energy and agricultural markets. The growth of the ethanol and biodiesel sectors bolstered the connection among the oil, gas, and crop markets. As crop-based biofuels compete in the energy market, crop prices are directly impacted not only by the relative standing of biofuels in the fuel hierarchy, but also by general shifts in energy supplies and demands. However, there is another distinct way energy markets can impact crop markets—many US international trade partners are reliant on the energy sector as a ...

The Commonalities And Differences Between Chinese And Us Agriculture, Wendong Zhang

Wendong Zhang

With one in four rows of soybeans planted in Iowa exported to China, it is almost impossible to overstate the importance of the Chinese economy and its consumers have for US agricultural producers and the farm sector in general. However, there is a lack of understanding of China’s agricultural industry and, in particular, the life and work of a typical Chinese agricultural producer. Having been born and raised in a rural Chinese county, I want to share some of my observations regarding the commonalities and differences between Chinese and US agriculture.

Land Quality Perceptions In Expert Opinion Surveys: Evidence From Iowa, Wendong Zhang, Michael D. Duffy

Wendong Zhang

While many opinion-based surveys ask land values for different land quality classes, little is known how survey respondents perceive the land quality. Using the 2015 Iowa Land Value Survey, this article examines how respondents perceive land quality in their responses to land value questions. Our results show agricultural professionals seem to perceive land quality with respect to specific regions, and high, medium and low land quality should be interpreted locally within a crop reporting district. This case study suggests that it is difficult to generalize uniform yield or soil productivity index ranges for land quality questions in all opinion-based surveys.

Research Needs And Challenges In The Few System: Coupling Economic Models With Agronomic, Hydrologic, And Bioenergy Models For Sustainable Food, Energy, And Water Systems, Catherine L. Kling, Raymond W. Arritt, Gray Calhoun, David A. Keiser, John M. Antle, Jeffery G. Arnold, Miguel Carriquiry, Indrajeet Chaubey, Peter Christensen, Baskar Ganapathysubramanian, Philip Gassman, William Gutowski, Thomas W. Hertel, Gerritt Hoogenboom, Elena Irwin, Madhu Khanna, Pierre Mérel, Daniel J. Phaneuf, Andrew Plantinga, Stephen Polasky, Paul Preckel, Sergey Rabotyagov, Ivan Rudik, Silvia Secchi, Aaron Smith, Andrew Vanloocke, Calvin Wolter, Jinhua Zhao, Wendong Zhang

Wendong Zhang

On October 12–13, a workshop funded by the National Science Foundation was held at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa with a goal of identifying research needs related to coupled economic and biophysical models within the FEW system. Approximately 80 people attended the workshop with about half representing the social sciences (primarily economics) and the rest from the physical and natural sciences. The focus and attendees were chosen so that findings would be particularly relevant to SBE research needs while taking into account the critical connectivity needed between social sciences and other disciplines. We have identified several major gaps ...

Nutritional And Behavioral Repercussions Of Food Insecurity And The Impact Of Nutrition Education, Kelly Burgess

Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Food insecurity occurs when an individual does not have consistent access to fresh, nutritious food in safe, socially acceptable, and affordable ways. This is a significant challenge facing Kentuckians, with one in six adults and one in four children experiencing some degree of food insecurity. The present study examines the effectiveness of customized nutrition education in improving 1) nutrition-related behaviors associated with food insecurity and 2) management of household food supply in food-insecure individuals with and without children. Participants were recruited through HOTEL INC, and one was from a household without children and one with children. A pre-assessment survey evaluated ...

A Study Of The Factors That Influence Consumer Attitudes Toward Beef Products Using The Conjoint Market Analysis Tool, Brian E. Mennecke, Anthony M. Townsend, Dermot J. Hayes, Steven M. Lonergan

Steven M. Lonergan

This study utilizes an analysis technique commonly used in marketing, the conjoint method, to examine the relative utilities of a set of beef steak characteristics considered by a national sample of 1,432 U.S. consumers, as well as additional localized samples representing undergraduate students at a business college and in an animal science department. The analyses indicate that among all respondents, region of origin is by far the most important characteristic; this is followed by animal breed, traceability, the animal feed used, and beef quality. Alternatively, the cost of cut, farm ownership, the non-use of growth promoters, and whether ...