Agribusiness Commons^™

Economic Efficiency Of End-Guns On Center Pivot Irrigation Systems For Utah Alfalfa Production, Sophia Moss

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This study looks at whether using an end-gun on a center pivot irrigation system is financially worthwhile for Utah alfalfa producers. End-guns are used to water extra acreage beyond the end of a pivot, they can also apply water less evenly, which may reduce production on those outer acres. To examine this tradeoff, the study compares farm returns with and without an end-gun using historical Utah alfalfa price and yield data along with estimates of irrigation cost, added acreage, and possible yield loss. The results suggest that end-guns can improve profitability in many cases, mainly because they bring more acres …

The Economics And Viability Of Organic Forage And Grain Production In Utah, Mackenzie Lee

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Utah farmers face significant financial and agronomic challenges when transitioning into organic forage and grain production. The state’s high-desert climate, alkaline soils, and limited irrigation water make organic production more expensive and riskier than in many other regions.

This study evaluates a ten-year rotation built around alfalfa, which acts as a natural nitrogen engine for the system. Because alfalfa fixes large amounts of nitrogen, it reduces fertilizer costs for later crops such as organic corn. However, farmers must first survive the three-year transition period, during which they must follow organic rules but cannot sell their crops at organic prices.

Using …

Farmers Markets As Community Infrastructure: Evidence From A Three-Year Statewide Data Project In Utah, Jaclyn Pace, Roslynn Mccann, Blue Cook, Steven Price, Lorali Smith, Dianna Parkynn, Joshua Cafferty

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah farmers markets play a critical role in food access, small business viability, and community connection, yet limited statewide data document their impact. The Utah Farmers Market Network (UFMN) and Utah State University (USU) Extension conducted a mixed-methods evaluation (2023–2025) and found that farmers markets make valuable contributions to the community.

Evolution Of The Usu Extension Farm And Ranch Succession Program, Jacob A. Hadfield, Joshua Dallin, Ryan Larsen, Matthew Garcia

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

The Utah State University (USU) Extension Farm and Ranch Succession Program has been operating for five years, providing critical support to agricultural producers across Utah. Although its impacts were previously documented (Dallin et al., 2021), the program has since been revised and better adapted to meet the needs of producers. This publication highlights USU Extension’s efforts to address the growing need for farm and ranch succession training and examines the program’s ongoing impacts on agricultural communities throughout the state.

Evaluating The Cost Of Gain And Financial Returns Of Cattle Fed Hydroponically Produced Barley Fodder, Lex Peterson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Hydroponically produced fodder continues to garner attention as a feed source within livestock production. This attention in part is due to a belief that hydroponically produced fodder is more efficient in its use of inputs such as water when compared to conventional feeds. Water efficiency is especially appealing in areas like the Intermountain West region of the U.S where water availability is often constrained. This analysis looks to understand how using hydroponically produced barley fodder to finish steers compares economically to finishing steers on a nutritionally equivalent conventional finishing ration. To do so, a stochastic simulation model is constructed to …

Analyzing Market Dynamics: Effects On Quality Grade Premiums And Discounts For Alfalfa Hay, Colby Wilkins

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This paper looks at how market strength affects the price premiums and discounts associated with alfalfa hay quality grades. Previous research has mainly focused on how attributes of alfalfa hay influence the price received. In this study, we use ordinary least squares linear regression and visual data representations to examine the effects of market strength on price received in conjunction with hay quality. The results demonstrate that during periods of relatively high average prices of alfalfa hay there is no significant impact on the average premiums and discounts associated with hay quality. However, during periods of relatively low average prices, …

Balancing The Scales: Evaluating Variables Of Greatest Impact To Profit Margins When Finishing Cattle, Ryan Bake

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examines the risk associated with finishing cattle in a feedlot, specifically in the context of historically high cattle prices and quality grade grid marketing systems that have not adjusted to these elevated prices. The analysis also looks at performance factors that drive profitability differences in pens of cattle in a commercial feedlot, and how market factors also impact profitability. Regression analysis determines the significance of performance variables such as days on feed, average daily gain, feed conversion rates, and carcass characteristics on pen profitability. The impact of cattle breeding and pre-feedlot management of the cattle are also considered …

Hay: A Hedonic Study, Chester R. Broadbent

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Hedonic price theory posits that the price of a product is influenced by the values consumers assign to its individual attributes. Hay is a versatile commodity with variation across several attributes helping to cater to diverse needs of consumers. A detailed analysis using hedonic regression techniques within hay pricing can help producers, stakeholders, and educators more fully understand the marginal values consumers place on diverse hay attributes. Previous studies focused on limited scopes within the hay industry or other sectors, allowing room for broader investigation. This study examines qualitative attributes impacting hay pricing, revealing significant influences from factors like location, …

Understanding Profitability Of Small-Scale Agriculture In Utah, Amanda Nelson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Small-scale agriculture production has increased in Utah. Utah has lost much of its farmable land due to increased development. The increased development and influx of people has increased the demand for food supply, resulting in many beginning to producing their own food. This increase in individuals producing their own food has inherently increased the number of micro farms within Utah. This increase in the number of small-scale operations has left many wondering if these operations are both profitable and worth the effort it takes to operate them. As such, this paper will analyze the budget for three activities: (1) raising …

The Effectiveness Of Pasture, Rangeland, And Forage Insurance, Jonathon Frost

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This thesis research tests the historical usefulness and desirability of pasture, rangeland, and forage insurance for ranchers in Utah. PRF insurance is specifically for ranchers who own livestock and rely on their livestock to graze in the fields for food consumption. If there is inadequate precipitation, there will be less grass growth for livestock which causes ranchers to purchase hay, leading to higher feed costs. It is similar to other insurance policies requiring premium and indemnity payments. By analyzing the historical payments, a decisive conclusion can be made that PRF suits both ranchers and USDA policymakers. Other studies that discussed …

Diurnal Changes In Alfalfa Quality And The Effects On Revenue Maximization, Nelson Sip

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Before alfalfa hay is sold to brokers or diaries, it is quality is evaluated to determine the price. These tests go into great detail about the micro and macro nutrients alfalfa contains or they could be a function of the fibers alfalfa contains to determine the digestibility. Studies show ways to increase alfalfa quality such as harvesting later in the day at peak photosynthesis. However, the financial benefits, or lack thereof, based on these changes to quality have no conclusion. Here we show that harvesting alfalfa later in the day increases the quality and has financial benefits. We found that …

Mountain States Oilseeds: Risk Management For Safflower Production In The Intermountain West, Jameson F. Packer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Safflower is an oilseed crop primarily produced in the western Great Plains because of its compatibility with cereal grain equipment. Varieties grown in that region are harvested predominantly for seeds high in safflower oil and oleic acid that are processed and used in cooking oil, human nutrition, and other health and beauty products. Safflower is also grown in Utah, Idaho, and California for birdseed mixes due to the region’s arid climate, which yields a crisp, white seed that is highly favorable in the birdseed market. Mountain States Oilseeds, headquartered in American Falls, Idaho, is one of the United States’ largest …

The Non-Fee Costs Of Grazing On Idaho State Grazing Leases, Dexton Lake

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In 2018, Idaho became interested in assessing and raising the grazing fee for state grazing ground. The state commissioned a study to analyze the non-fee costs of grazing, but for various reasons the study was not completed. In 2021, a proposed adjustment was released by the Idaho Department of Lands to raise the fee. In a desire to obtain the non-fee costs of grazing for Idaho state leases and to get stakeholder input, the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation and a research team from Utah State University surveyed Idaho producers to obtain costs per AUM for eleven cost categories. These cost …

Drone Technology In Agriculture Appraisal, Cj Johnson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The purpose of this project is to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of implementing a UAV/drone technology within agricultural appraisals. This project is categorized into four categories; introduction, literature review, methodology, and conclusions. The methodology portion of the project is a capital budget analysis measuring the effectiveness of UAVs within the appraisal department. The capital budget will be further developed by conducting a Present Value (NPV) analysis. The NPV analysis consists of a five-year NPV analysis measuring changes in productivity and total revenue caused by UAV technology.

Results were found by using @Risk simulation to simulate data gathered during the project. …

Current Expected Credit Losses Methodology, Rhett Crandall

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The purpose of this paper is to implement the Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL) methodology for an Association of the Farm Credit System (FCS). CECL was released in 2016 by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and is expected to be implemented by all banks and lending institutions starting Jan. 1, 2023. CECL changes the way lenders account for Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses (ALLL) by allocating a small amount of allowance for loan loss for each loan at origination. The association for which this project was designed provided historical loan data for 21,755 loans which tracked probability of …

Economic Analysis Of Backgrounding Calves, Jayden Gunnell

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The purpose of this thesis is to allow beef producers a better insight into the costs and benefits associated with carrying over fall calves to yearling weight and selling them the following spring. Producers are usually seen as risk-averse when it comes to selling their livestock. (Feuz, Fausti 1995) Cattle producers face several decisions during the year when it comes to calf input costs and the premium to be received for fall calves, with the final decision coming at the last minute, when making the decision to keep or sell calves. Said calves might be sold in the fall or …

Retaining Ownership Of Calves- Obendorf Farms, Gabrielle Bishop

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Retaining Ownership is when a producer chooses to obtain ownership of their calves until they have reached a finished weight and are ready to be sent to slaughter. Cow-calf producers generally sell their calves at weaning time or within a few months of weaning. Every operation as their own way of doing things and sometimes change is hard to come by. Obendorf Farms wanted to evaluate, at what point in time would it be best to sell their 2020 calf crop? Four different scenarios were analyzed. The first scenario involved no change from previous years which, is selling their calves …

The Potential Of Ivf, Jae Anderson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As in-vitro fertilization (IVF) has become more available and more affordable, it has become one of the top breeding technologies in the beef and dairy industry. Intermountain Embryonics of Twin Falls, Idaho has made it an available technology for producers in Idaho and parts of surrounding states. Intermountain Embryonics has struggled to show potential clients the financial potential IVF has to offer. This study shows the revenues, expenses, and risks involved in IVF. This study looks at the comparison of breeding natural service with a bull, artificial insemination, and in-vitro fertilization. The comparison shows that natural service comes with the …

Encouraging Snap Shopper Participation At Utah Farmers Markets, A Best Practices Guide, Kelsey Hall, Alicia Meiners

All Current Publications

This guide’s steps were compiled during background research for advertising acceptance of SNAP benefits using Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards and the Double Up Food Bucks (Double Up) program offered at farmers markets throughout Utah. Information in this guide will expand marketing campaigns across Utah to promote farmers markets already accepting SNAP benefits, especially to minority and low-income populations. The information, however, may be generalized to other health/food programs and to populations with low incomes in other states.

The Impact Of Robotic Milking Systems: The Case Of The Rocky Mountain Region, Garret Nelson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The increasing adoption of automatic milking systems (AMS) in the U.S. has caused interest in determining if they are truly beneficial to the farmers who install them. The focus in this study is to identify the monetary value of AMS for dairies in the Rocky Mountain region and the estimated value of the non-monetary benefits. Using a mixed methods approach to create a survey; information was gathered from farmers in the Rocky Mountain region who are using AMS. The results reveal that monetary benefits from production and labor savings are lacking in themselves to provide positive net present values (NPVs) …

Size And Scope Of Carbon County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Steven Price

All Current Publications

Carbon County is located south of Duchesne and Wasatch counties in east-central Utah. Along with Emery County to the south, it is often referred to as Utah’s Castle Country. The county became industrialized very early after statehood with the arrival of the railroads and discovery of many coal beds for which the county is named. It is also a large producer of natural gas within the state. Its primary economic base today comes from regional services, retail, tourism, recreation and resource extraction. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 20,295. Price is the largest city and county seat. This …

The Three Creeks Allotment Consolidation: Changing Western Federal Grazing Paradigms, Taylor Payne

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The federal government owns approximately 47% of all land in the western United States. In the state of Utah, about 64% of the land base is managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The government has historically issued permits to owners of private lands to allow the owners to graze their livestock on public lands. The permits (allotments) are generally of 10-year duration and allow for an annual season of use. In some cases, continued and repeated historical annual grazing practices may not be ideal for permit holders and their communities nor …

Increasing Commerce Competitiveness: Case Study On Solving Issues In The Fruit Supply Chain In The Dominican Republic, Which Limit Exports, And Self-Reliance, Maria G. Mera Rivas

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Agriculture was the main economic pillar of the Dominican Republic from its origins. Government decisions during the 80s and 90s resulted in high imports of food products, migration of rural workers to the urban areas, loss of arable land, and disinterest from a younger generation to continue food production. This case study explains the findings from research conducted in the Dominican Republic and Georgia, USA between 2014 and 2017. The researcher interviewed major players in the fruit sector in both areas, used data from the cacao sector to analyze exports behavior, and applied Porter’s Diamond of National Advantage to the …

Econometric Modeling Of The Public Grazing Fee's Impact On The U.S. Sheep Industry, Ryan C. Feuz

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The U.S. sheep and wool industry is one of the oldest agricultural industries within the country. Since the mid 1940’s the industry has witnessed dramatic annual declines in sheep inventories. Many factors have contributed to the decline of the sheep industry including declining consumption of lamb and mutton, the growth in man-made fiber use, scarcity of labor, and predator losses. The U.S. congress has attempted to slow this decline throughout the years with various policy including the use of wool marketing loan programs. Such programs are intended to help bring stability as well as to mitigate price risk within the …

Price Slides Within Cattle Markets Over Time And Space, Justin Edward Dickamore

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The production of cattle in the United State is a very large business. Production begins at the cow-calf level, where a calf is born and raised to a specific weight. This weight is the weaning weight and averages between 300-600 pounds. The calf is then typically shipped to a feedlot, where it is fed a high corn ration which increases the weight of animal quickly and cost effectively to reach a sufficient slaughter weight. Cattle production takes place primarily in 5 different geographical locations which include the North Central, Southeast, Northern Plains, Southern Plains, and West regions. Due to the …

Contributing Factors To The Success Of Small-Scale Diversified Farms In The Mountain West, Mary Shepherd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study uses ordered logistic regression models with data collected from eighty-six online surveys completed by small-scale producers in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, and Wyoming to assess factors which most contribute to the overall success and profitability of small-scale diversified farms. Results indicate success and profitability may be partially explained by the number of acres owned/leased, use of wholesale outlets, farming as a primary occupation, years of experience, and use of outside business related services. Results may be useful as they indicate producer and operation characteristics that are lead to more profitable and successful operations and thus indicate areas in …

Economic Feasibility Of Solar Photovoltaic Irrigation System Use In Great Basin Forage Production, Kynda R. Curtis

All Current Publications

This publication evaluates the potential economic feasibility of using solar PV systems for irrigated forage production in the Great Basin.

Estimated Response Of Sugar Beet Production To Possible Changes In Relative Profitability, Utah, 1969, Darwin C. Allred

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to determine the relative profitability of sugar beet production relative to other enterprises competing with sugar beets for limited resources and to estimate a production response of sugar beet growers in the beet producing areas of Utah.

Sugar beet producing areas in Utah were delineated. Representative farm units for beef-crop, dairy-crop, and all-crop farms were synthesized. Enterprise budgets were formulated and analysed to ascertain the relative profitableness of sugar beets compared to competing enterprises in each production area.

Linear programming was used to develop the supply response portion of this study. An aggregated supply curve was …

Bear River Project First Phase Idaho And Utah (Appendix E), United States Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation

Elusive Documents

The following report presents estimates of the value of irrigation and of the ability of water users to pay for irrigation water supplied from the development of the Bear River project. A general description of the existing agricultural economy and projections as to future economic conditions with development of the project are also presented in this study. The economic analysis of the Bear River project has been accomplished in accordance with Reclamation Instructions and directives concerning the preparation of feasibility reports. Irrigation payment capacity by the water users, expressed in dollars and cents, was accomplished through the farm budget method …