Agricultural Economics Commons^™

Growing South Dakota (Fall 2026), College Of Agriculture, Food And, Environmental Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 2 Support from donors helping set SDSU dairy graduates above the rest
[Page] 4 A decade of impact: Celebrating 10 years of cow-calf, swine education and research facilitates
[Page] 8 98-year-old donor keeps decades-long scholarship going in honor of late husband
[Page] 11 Looking back at Michele Dudash's tenure in academia
[Page] 12Giving students opportunities, experience to build their futures
[Page] 16 A Jackrabbit's journey in growing agricultural leadership
[Page] 18 Building South Dakota's next generation of rural veterinarians
[Page] 19 Conservation: A family affair
[Page] 20 South Dakota Water Resources Institute finds solutions to South Dakota's water challenges …

Utah Agricultural Producer Barriers To Adopting Organic Production Methods, Salma Shrity, Kynda R. Curtis, Michele Schahczenski

All Current Publications

This fact sheet discusses the study results from Utah State University researchers that identified the primary barriers Utah producers perceive in adopting organic production methods. The study findings will help guide the development of educational programs, technical assistance, and outreach efforts by the Utah Transition to Organic Production Program (TOPP), Extension, and partner organizations to address producer needs and support the successful adoption of organic production systems in Utah.

The Impact Of Producer Attitudes And Concerns On Organic Adoption Decisions, Salma Shrity, Kynda R. Curtis

All Current Publications

Researchers analyzed survey data to identify producer and operation characteristics, attitudes, and concerns that may influence decisions to adopt organic production methods. This fact sheet presents findings related to producer perceptions of organic production, market opportunities, and certification requirements, including factors that may encourage or discourage adoption of organic practices. The results provide insights to guide Extension educators, agricultural service providers, and organizations in developing targeted educational programs, technical assistance, and resources to support producers interested in organic agriculture.

The Role Of Producer And Operation Characteristics In Organic Production Adoption Decisions, Salma Shrity, Kynda R. Curtis

All Current Publications

Survey data were used to examine producer and farm or operation characteristics, as well as producer attitudes and concerns related to producing and selling organic products that may affect decisions to use organic production methods. This fact sheet discusses the study results related to the producer and operation characteristics that may or may not impact the adoption of organic production methods. The study findings provide valuable information for designing targeted Extension programming, educational resources, and technical assistance that address the needs of different producer groups. By understanding which producer and operation characteristics are associated with organic adoption, organizations can better …

The Organic Production Interests Of Utah's Agricultural Producers, Kynda R. Curtis, Salma Shrity, Michele Schahczenski

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides an overview of survey respondents’ demographic characteristics and farming operation details, including acreage under production, annual gross sales, primary agricultural products, and marketing channels used. It also describes respondents’ organic production experiences, including years certified, certified acreage, and the primary motivations behind adopting organic production methods. The findings presented provide valuable insights into the characteristics, experiences, and needs of Utah producers related to organic agriculture. Extension educators, agricultural service providers, policymakers, and industry organizations can use this information to develop targeted educational programs, technical resources, and support services that address producer challenges, strengthen organic production capacity, …

The Organic Educational And Resource Needs Of Utah's Agricultural Producers, Kynda R. Curtis, Salma Shrity, Michele Schahczenski

All Current Publications

The findings presented in this fact sheet identify producer priorities for educational content, resources, and support services. This information can guide the development of targeted educational and outreach programs, technical resources, and tools that address producer challenges and support informed decision-making about organic production opportunities in Utah.

Bathurst Burr And Its Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Bathurst burr (Xanthium spinosum) is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA). This factsheet describes the nature of the plant, requirements land owners/occupiers must adhere to, control methods, and how to search, detect, and report it.

Bathurst burr is a summer growing annual shrubby plant originating in South America. In south west Australia, some mature plants survive well into winter, with the result that burrs may be found for most of the year. The weed spreads entirely by burrs, which are usually carried by people or animals, attached to clothes, fur, or other fibre by their hooked spines. They may …

Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 2024, Frank Seo, Luke Pullo

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

This report is the nineteenth in a series that examines agriculture’s economic contribution to the Arkansas economy. The total economic contribution of agriculture (direct, indirect, and induced effects) on value added, employment, and labor income was estimated with the Impact Analysis for Planning System (IMPLAN) for the most recent year available, 2024.

Flexible Grazing: Evaluating Stocker Cattle As A Drought Management Tool For Utah Livestock Producers?, Ross Israelsen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Drought is a persistent concern in the western United States, often leading to reduced forage production, overgrazing, and economic challenges for livestock producers. This study evaluates the economic feasibility of incorporating stocker cattle as a flexible drought management strategy under varying forage conditions across four Utah grazing locations: Park Valley, Nephi, Vernal, and Beaver. The Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) was used to estimate annual forage production and stocking rates from 2001 through 2025. Four stocking-rate scenarios (100%, 75%, 60%, and 50% cow–calf stocking rates) were evaluated using a Net Present Value (NPV) framework to compare the economic performance of traditional …

B.R. Wells Arkansas Rice Research Studies 2025, J. Hardke, X. Sha, N. Bateman

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Arkansas is the leading rice producer in the United States. The state represents 45.2% of total U.S. rice production and 45.7% of the total acres planted to rice in 2025. Rice cultural practices vary across the state and across the U.S. However, these practices are also dynamic and continue to evolve in response to changing political, environmental, and economic times. This survey was initiated in 2002 to monitor and record changes in the way Arkansas rice producers approach their livelihood. The survey was conducted by polling county extension agents in each of the counties in Arkansas that produce rice. Questions …

Summaries Of Arkansas Cotton Research 2025, Fred M. Bourland

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Planted cotton acreage in Arkansas decreased in 2025 to 520,000 acres compared to 650,000 planted acres in 2024. Arkansas producers harvested 515,000 acres, which was a decrease of 125,000 acres from the 640,000 acres harvested in 2024 (https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/Ag_Overview/stateOverview.php?state=Arkansas&year=2025). The 515,000 harvested acres ranked Arkansas third nationally, trailing only Texas and Georgia in harvested acres (https://esmis.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/release-files/795725/cropan26.pdf). The average cotton yield, as reported by the USDA, was 1,239 lb lint/ac, which ranked fourth nationally, behind California, Louisiana, and Arizona. Arkansas farmers produced an estimated 1.329 million bales, which is a decrease from 1.788 million bales produced in 2024. This production still ranks …

Understanding Agricultural Irrigation Practices Along Utah's Wasatch Front Through Farmer-Reported Data, Garland Ledbetter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Water is a growing concern in Utah, especially along the Wasatch Front, where cities, farms, and communities all rely on the same limited water supply. Agriculture uses a large portion of the state’s water, so understanding how farms manage irrigation is important for statewide water planning. Utah currently uses a dataset called Water-Related Land Use (WRLU) to estimate agricultural water use across the state. This dataset provides useful information about irrigated land and crop types. However, it does not capture many of the day-to-day decisions farmers make when managing irrigation.

To better understand irrigation practices, this study surveyed 61 farmers …

2025 Soybean Invertebrate Losses In The United States, Fred R. Musser, Sebe A. Brown, Tim Bryant, Whitney D. Crow, Jeffrey A. Davis, Christina Difonzo, Ashleigh M. Faris, Chase Floyd, Scott H. Graham, Jeremy K. Greene, Kelly A. Hamby, David Kerns, Janet Knodel, David Owens, Dominic D. Reisig, Phillip M. Roberts, Nicholas J. Seiter, Adam J. Sisson, Benjamin C. Thrash, Kelley J. Tilmon, Adam J. Varenhorst

Midsouth Entomologist

Estimated management costs and losses due to insects and other invertebrates in soybeans during the 2025 growing season were collected and compiled from 20 states to provide a record of insect pressure and management practices for the year. These annual estimates provide a historical record of pest pressure and insect management and have been compiled in some states since 2004. Participating states accounted for 68% of soybean acreage in the United States, with near 100% participation in the southern states. As has been true in previous years, the stink bug complex was the costliest insect pest in soybean followed by …

From Insight To Impact: Segmenting Consumers By Their Regenerative Agriculture Priorities, Lourival Carmo Monaco Neto, Gustavo Stevanin De Souza, Owen Jerome Zakrzewski, Allan Wayne Gray

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Regenerative agriculture is gaining traction in agrifood value chains, yet its definitional ambiguity and the heterogeneity of consumer priorities create strategic challenges for commercialization. Firms commonly assume a homogeneous ‘sustainable consumer’ motivated by environmental outcomes, but research on consumer food values suggests that economic attributes often outweigh environmental concerns when trade-offs are required. This study segments U.S. consumers based on how they prioritize seven core attributes of regenerative agriculture: soil health, biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, food prices, crop yield, and farmer profitability. Using forced-ranking data from 1231 nationally representative U.S. consumers surveyed in August 2024, we apply a …

Food Systems Transformation Would Reshape Global Agriculture, Matthew Gibson, Marina Sundiang, Daniel Mason-D’Croz, Thais Diniz Oliveira, Felicitas Beier, Lauren Benavidez-Brouk, Astrid Bos, Maksym Chepeliev, Jonathan Doelman, Shahnila Dunston, Shinichiro Fujimori, Tomoko Hasegawa, Petr Havlik, Jordan Hristov, Jonas Jägermeyr, Marta Kozicka, Marijke Kuiper, Page Kyle, Thijs De Lange, Benjamin Leon Bodirsky, Hermann Lotze-Campen, Hermen Luchtenbelt, David Meng-Chuen Chen, Abhijeet Mishra, Christoph Müller, Gerald Nelson, Amanda Palazzo, Ignacio Perez Dominguez, Alexander Popp, Ronald Sands, Marco Springman, Elke Stehfest, Timothy B. Sulser, Kiyoshi Takahashi, Gianmaria Tassinari, Ferike Thom, Philip Thornton, Kazuaki Tsuchiya, Willem-Jan Van Zeist, Hans Van Meijl, Dominique Van Der Mensbrugghe, Detlef Van Vuuren, Hannah H.E. Van Zanten, Isabelle Weindl, Keith Wiebe, Xin Zhao, Mario Herrero

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Food systems are a major contributor to exceeding planetary boundaries1,2,3 and poor quality diets are a key mortality risk globally4. Projected population and income growth could exacerbate these challenges5. In response, there are calls for transformation towards healthy and sustainable food systems6,7,8. However, the scale and distribution of the impacts of this transformation on agriculture are underexplored. Here we show that, by 2050, the transformation of food systems towards healthy diets (adoption of the EAT–Lancet reference diet), improved productivity and halving of food waste results in a fundamental restructuring of global agriculture, aspects of which break with historical trends. Scenario …

Recent Advances In Sustainable Production Of Enriched Chicken Eggs: A Mini Review, Karim El-Sabrout, Ayman Abd El-Aziz

Jurnal Ilmu Ternak Universitas Padjadjaran

Enriched or “designer” chicken eggs have emerged as an important category of functional foods aimed at improving human nutrition through dietary manipulation of laying hens. This mini-review summarizes recent advances in egg enrichment strategies, focusing on omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds. Omega-3 enrichment remains the most widely adopted approach, achieved through supplementation with flaxseed, fish oil, or microalgae, resulting in significant increases in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in egg yolk. Multi-nutrient enrichment, including selenium, vitamin E, and carotenoids, has also gained attention due to its potential in enhancing antioxidant capacity and health of hens …

Effect Of Dietary Onion Peel Powder (Allium Cepa L.) As A Feed Additive On Production Performance In Broiler, Della Ariesba Putri Dulia, Edhy Sudjarwo, Osfar Sjofjan

Jurnal Ilmu Ternak Universitas Padjadjaran

This study aims to evaluate the use of onion peel powder (Allium cepa L) as a feed additive on feed intake, weight gain, Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), Production Index, and Income Over Feed Cost (IOFC) in broilers. A total of 144 Lohmann strain broiler (unsexed) were treated from 1 to 35 days of age. There were 6 treatments with 4 replicates, consisting of 24 experimental cages, each filled 6 broilers. The experimental design used completely randomized design (CRD). The treatment groups were as follows: basal feed without antibiotics (P0-), basal feed + 0.1% antibiotics (zinc bacitracin) (P0+), basal feed + …

Effect Of Gowok (Syzygium Polycephalum) Fortification On The Physical Properties And Color Of Goat Milk Yogurt, Siti Rahmawati Zulaikhah, Triana Setyawardani, Juni Sumarmono

Jurnal Ilmu Ternak Universitas Padjadjaran

This study aimed to determine the effect of adding parts of gowok fruit (Syzygium polycephalum) on the physical properties of goat’s milk yogurt. A completely randomized design was applied with treatments consisting of fruit parts (rind, flesh of fruit, and whole seedless fruit) and addition levels (1, 2, and 3%) with three replications. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance followed by Duncan’s multiple range test (DMRT). The results showed that gowok addition had a significant effect (P<0.05) on viscosity, syneresis, and color parameters, but no significant effect (P>0.05) on firmness and work of penetration. Yogurt viscosity ranged from 349.33 to 825 mPa·s and decreased with increasing gowok levels, while …

Financial Analysis Tool (Ct-Ft) For Western North Carolina Christmas Tree Growers, Sam Blumenfeld, Solomon Ghezehei, Justin G.A. Whitehill, Elizabeth G. Nichols

Journal of Extension

Western North Carolina is a major national Christmas tree (CT) production region, yet the CT industry faces numerous challenges that threaten its financial sustainability. Little economic research has been done, and limited decision-making tools exist to assist producers, Extension agents, and associated industry stakeholders. We developed an Excel-based financial analysis tool (CT-FT) to assist small and midsize wholesale CT producers in operational planning and financial assessment. The publicly available financial tools will enable CT growers to better understand their finances and operations, interact with financial stakeholders, assess alternative management scenarios, and track yearly costs to improve operational financial sustainability.

Nebraska And The Midwest Agtech Ecosystem: Benchmarking Innovation Investment And Translation Gaps, Ankit Chandra, Ishani Lal, Brennan Costello

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

Agricultural innovation is central to the sustainable transformation of food systems, yet the capital that finances it is unevenly distributed relative to where food is produced. This paper develops a diagnostic framework for measuring this mismatch and applies it across the U.S. Midwest from 2021 to 2025, with particular emphasis on Nebraska's structural position within this landscape. Drawing on venture capital deal-flow data, 17 stakeholder interviews, and a novel strength-weakness-opportunity-gap (SWOG) ecosystem mapping methodology, we document $736 million in tracked Midwest AgTech funding across eight states (Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota). We introduce three …

The Unexpected Role Of Conditionality In Shaping Relational Values: Insights From An Incentive-Based Conservation Program In Bolivia, Brooke Mcwherter, Will Munger, Zhao Ma, Claudia Radel, Laura Zanotti, Jonathan Bauchet, Ricardo Godoy

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

As global change accelerates, Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs have become increasingly important tools for addressing the interconnected challenges of land degradation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and climate change. PES programs provide incentives to individuals or communities, conditional on people adopting sustainable natural resource management practices to support or increase ecosystem service provisioning. Although conditionality is considered a “PES-defining feature,” little is known about how conditionality is perceived by community members and how such perceptions influence their participation in and experience with PES programs. To address this gap, we conducted an extensive qualitative study of Watershared, an incentive-based conservation …

City Farm Slo: A Case Study Of Nonprofit Regenerative Agriculture, Carver Tunnell

Master's Theses

The focus of this thesis is to create a case study on City Farm SLO, a nonprofit based in San Luis Obispo, California, that has engaged in education and regenerative agriculture on City owned land since 2013. This case study is intended for use in undergraduate agribusiness and natural resource management courses, to encourage thoughtful discussion surrounding nonprofit and regenerative agricultural systems. The case presents the nonprofit at a time of relative success, having recently secured a lease renewal, extending stewardship 40 years into the future. However, the reliance on grants and donations threatens the security of the operation going …

Can Generative Ai Make Farming Decisions? Current Status And Future Pathways: A Case Study In Row Crop Production With Chatgpt, Nipuna Chamara, Yufeng Ge, Joe Luck, Yu Pan, Saleh Taghvaeian, Cory Walters, Christopher Proctor, Daran Rudnick, Daren Redfearn

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The agricultural decision-making process is experience-based, knowledge-dependent, time-sensitive, complex, and driven by historical data. Planting, fertilization, irrigation, and chemigation are key categories in farm decision-making, and currently there is no one-shot decision-support tool that covers all these activities. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are more advanced than traditional machine learning and deep learning models. These models have been trained on vast amounts of data from the internet, allowing them to accept unstructured data in various forms and generate human-like text, solutions to problems, and scenario predictions. Given this capability, we became interested in exploring the potential of generative AI in …

Long Panel Studies Of Small-Scale Rural Societies In The Global South: What Is Their Value, Why Are They Rare, And Suggestions To Make Them Happen, Jonathan Bauchet, Ricardo Godoy, William R. Leonard, Victoria Reyes-Garcia, Asher Y. Rosinger, Susan Tanner, Eduardo A. Undurraga

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Many topics in the behavioral sciences and epidemiology require researchers to directly observe entities (e.g., individuals, households) over a long time to identify lasting effects. Long-term panel data collection is more common in high-income countries than in small-scale rural societies (SSRS) of low-income countries. SSRS are mobile, nature-dependent, linguistic minorities, and highly autarkic. Analyzing such data using a life-course perspective can help uncover patterns that align or upend what we know from high-income countries. This study a) reviews long (>∼10 year) panels in SSRS (n = 9), b) extends the analysis to cover somewhat comparable societies of smallholders (n …

Capturing System Complexity In Maritime Decarbonization: A Multilayer Modeling Perspective, Maksym Chepeliev, Rene Banares-Alcantara, Lorenza Campagnolo, Ronald Apriliyanto Halim, Jim Hall, Gianandrea Mannarini, Hesam Naghash, Carlo Palazzi, Ramiro Parrado, Paola Rocchi, Alessandro Taberna, Soheil Shayegh

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Hedonic Analysis Of Farm Tractor Auction Prices, Madison Pearson, Chad Fiechter, Andy Campbell

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Used farm machinery values play a critical role in farm management and in assessing the financial health of the agricultural sector. However, the heterogeneity of machines, particularly regarding embedded technology and usage, complicates efforts to isolate the factors that influence prices. This study leverages a detailed dataset from Tractor Zoom to estimate the effects of machine characteristics and market conditions on auction prices of used 300 to 450 horsepower tractors. We find a nonlinear relationship between machine usage and price: tractors with fewer than 500 hours of use lose approximately 118⁢𝑝⁢𝑒⁢𝑟⁢𝑎⁢𝑑⁢𝑑⁢𝑖⁢𝑡⁢𝑖⁢𝑜⁢𝑛⁢𝑎⁢𝑙⁢ℎ⁡𝑜⁢𝑢⁢𝑟,𝑤⁢ℎ⁡𝑖⁢𝑙⁢𝑒⁢𝑡⁢𝑟⁢𝑎⁢𝑐⁢𝑡⁢𝑜⁢𝑟⁢𝑠⁢𝑤⁢𝑖⁢𝑡⁢ℎ⁡𝑚⁢𝑜⁢𝑟⁢𝑒⁢𝑡⁢ℎ⁡𝑎⁢𝑛⁢10,000⁢ℎ⁡𝑜⁢𝑢⁢𝑟⁢𝑠⁢𝑠⁢ℎ⁡𝑜⁢𝑤⁢𝑜⁢𝑛⁢𝑙⁢𝑦⁢𝑎⁢𝑤⁢𝑒⁢𝑎⁢𝑘⁢𝑙⁢𝑦⁢𝑠⁢𝑖⁢𝑔⁡𝑛⁢𝑖⁢𝑓⁡𝑖⁢𝑐⁢𝑎⁢𝑛⁢𝑡⁢𝑑⁢𝑒⁢𝑐⁢𝑙⁢𝑖⁢𝑛⁢𝑒⁢𝑜⁢𝑓⁡𝑎⁢𝑏⁢𝑜⁢𝑢⁢𝑡2 per hour. We also document pronounced seasonal patterns, with …

Buying Intention Of True Price Labelled Food Products For Different Motive-Based Consumer Segments, Machiel J. Reinders, Houkje Adema, Liam Dwyer, Ellen J. Van Loo

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Doubly Stochastic Model Of Government Interventions To Preserve Ecosystems Services In The Context Of Large-Scale Industrial Agriculture, Karma Brame, Wendy Calderon, Kaylee Clark, Josh Hiller, Natalia Negrete

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

Deforestation, driven by industrial agriculture and cattle farming, has significantly impacted communities and ecosystems across the globe. In this paper, we develop a discrete-time Markov model to evaluate the effectiveness of market-based interventions, such as payments for ecosystem services (PES) and taxes, in addressing forest loss within the context of large-scale agriculture. Specifically, we focus on how commodity price variability influences deforestation decisions. To model these price fluctuations, we represent agricultural prices as geometric Brownian motion (GBM). By linking commodity price dynamics to land use transitions, our model aims to provide insight into how financial mechanisms can slow or stop …

The Effect Of Climate Change On California’S Agricultural Economy, Anmol Singh

Honors Capstones

This study examines the relationship between climate variability and agricultural production in California, focusing on major specialty crops including almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and grapes. Using annual data from 1993 to 2023, the analysis evaluates how temperature and precipitation influence agricultural output while controlling for differences across crop types. The study employs ordinary least squares regression models using the natural logarithm of crop production as the dependent variable. In addition to a baseline linear specification, an extended nonlinear model including squared temperature and precipitation terms is estimated to test for potential nonlinear climate effects.

The results indicate that temperature has a …

A Jobs-To-Be-Done Framework For Mapping Digital Innovation Opportunities In Climate-Smart Agrifood Systems, Lourival Carmo Monaco Neto, Allan Gray

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

The agrifood sector faces well-documented barriers to climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adoption, reflecting systematic difficulty identifying where digital tools address specific stakeholder needs rather than a technology shortage. This paper presents a prescriptive framework for mapping digital innovation opportunities in complex, multi-stakeholder agrifood systems. Grounded in Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) theory and structured as a two-dimensional matrix of meta-jobs and value chain segments, the framework was developed through a design science research (DSR) paradigm evaluated on utility, coherence, and actionability. Construction involved a purposive synthesis of three literature streams and iterative refinement through 136 stakeholder engagements within a six-month university-affiliated startup studio cycle. …