Agricultural Economics Commons^™

The Cattle Industry's Guidelines For The Care And Handling Of Cattle

Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Program

Cattlemen have long recognized the need to properly care for livestock. Sound animal husbandry practices, based on decades of practical experience and research, are known to impact the wellbeing of cattle, individual animal health and herd productivity. Cattle are produced in very diverse environments and geographic locations in the United States. There is not one specific set of production practices that can be recommended for all cattle producers. Personal experience, training and professional judgment can serve as a valuable resource for providing proper animal care.

Economic Importance Of Irrigated Agriculture 2003, Charles Lamphear

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

Just how important is irrigated agriculture to the Nebraska economy? This question was first addressed nearly forty years ago in a study conducted by Drs. Theodore W. Roesler and F. Charles Lamphear, University of Nebraska Department of Economics. This initial study was updated in 1972 and, again, in 1991. The latest update study for 2003 was recently completed by Dr. Charles Lamphear, emeritus professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UN-L). He was assisted by emeritus professors Dr. Roy Frederick, UN-L Department of Agriculture Economics and Dr. Dale Flowerday, UN-L Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, along with several UN-L extension specialists. The results …

Ec05-185 Grazing Winter Wheat In Nebraska, Tom Holman, Drew J. Lyon, David D. Baltensperger, Ivan G. Rush, Ray E. Weed

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Grazing cattle on winter wheat, often prior to grain harvest, is common throughout the southern Great Plains. Grazing generates about $50 million in income for Texas wheat producers and reduces the risk of growing wheat by providing a substantial income source other than grain. Benefits can be realized by grazing prior to the primary environmental risk period for drought, heat stress, and hail, all of which frequently reduce grain yield while having limited impact on forage production. Cattle also are grazed on winter wheat fields in western Nebraska and the surrounding region. Typically in Nebraska, fall forage would be used …

Nebraska Cooperative Extension Association Scrapbook 2000-2005 [Black Book]

Nebraska Cooperative Extension Association Materials

Nebraska Cooperative Extension Association Officers, Awards, Winners, Speakers, Section Officers, Annual Report, Conference. Photos, printed samples, programs, hand-outs, literature, ephemera, honorees.

Covers years 2000-2005.

70 pages.

Marketing Locally Produced Foods: Consumer And Farmer Opinions In Washington County, Nebraska, Mindi L. Schneider, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Local food system potentials were studied in Washington County, Nebraska, United States. As a departure from most studies of locally based systems, farmers were surveyed in addition to consumers for potential participation. Data about the current food system and opinions and preferences for local production, marketing, and purchasing of food were collected using self-administered mail questionnaires. The response rate was 35% for the farmer survey and 37% for the consumer survey. Results indicated that, on the farming side of the food system, conventional corn and soybean production and marketing predominated in Washington County, and farmer interest in producing for local …

Direct Marketing Of Agroforestry Products, Stefanie Aschmann

Agroforestry Notes (USDA-NAC)

Agroforestry can enhance cash flow on many farms through the production of high-value forest products. The greatest challenge, however, is often marketing rather than production. Unlike commodity crops that have a readily available, but relatively uncompromising, market; the market for some agroforestry products is not always apparent. Landowners may need to take an active role in marketing to reap the benefits of their production. Producer goals, resources, and products, as well as local customer needs and habits usually dictate marketing strategies. This Note describes several different direct marketing strategies that might be used to market agroforestry products. Many variations on …

Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Developments 2002-03, Bruce Johnson, Glenn A. Helmers

Nebraska Farm Real Estate Reports

For the year ending February 1, 2003, Nebraska's agricultural land values showed a slight over-all increase of just over 1 percent; but with considerable variation across the State and by type of land. Based on UNL's 2003 Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey, sub-state regional all-land changes ranged from a 6.6 percent decline in the Southwest to gains of 4.6 percent for the 12-month period in the Cental and East. The relative severity of the prolonged drought during 2002 appears to be a contributing factor to these regional value patterns. Similarly, drought impacts resulted in considerable variations in value changes …

Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Developments 2001-02 25th Year Edition, Bruce Johnson, Lance Kuenning

Nebraska Farm Real Estate Reports

In this silver anniversary edition, we provide a 25-year perspective of Nebraska's agricultural real estate market as well as analyzing the market dynamics of recent months.

Despite being a market of very limited turnover rates of ownership as well as rental leases, the market for agricultural real estate is still very dynamic. This is very obvious in the past 25 years during which agricultural land values in Nebraska experienced both "boom" and "bust" conditions before developing a more steady-to-gradually-upward trend more recently. Average 2002 levels of values in nominal terms are essentially in the same range as those of the …

Historical Cattle And Beef Prices, Seasonal Patterns, And Futures Basis For Nebraska, 1960-2001, Dillion Feuz, Paul Burgener, Tom Holman

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Prices for different classes of feeder steers and heifers, slaughter steers and heifers, slaughter cows and bulls are reported in Tables 1-23. These prices are analyzed in the text of this publication. Discounts and premiums for various weights, grades and sex are identified. Each price series is analyzed to determine long term price trends and seasonal patterns. Stocker, feeder and live cattle basis are calculated using USDA monthly average reported cash prices and the monthly average futures prices, Tables 14- 15, 23. Carcass cut-out values are reported in Tables 24-26.

Historical Crop Prices, Seasonal Patterns, And Futures Basis For The Nebraska Panhandle 1983-2001, Paul Burgener, Dillion Feuz, Tom Holman

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

There are several economically significant crops grown in the Nebraska Panhandle. There are, collectively, in excess of 3 million acres in corn, wheat, sorghum, proso millet, dry edible beans, sunflowers, alfalfa hay, and other specialty crops in the area. There are some unique geographic, ecological and demographic features that influence crop prices in the area. This publication provides a basic price analysis for the crops in the Nebraska Panhandle to help growers to be able to make informed marketing and production decisions.

Wheat and corn are the two largest crops in terms of acreage in the region, followed by alfalfa …

Historical Cattle And Beef Prices, Seasonal Patterns, And Futures Basis For Nebraska, 1960-2000, Dillion Feuz, Paul Burgener, Tom Holman

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Prices for different classes of feeder steers and heifers, slaughter steers and heifers, slaughter cows and bulls are reported in Tables 1-23. These prices are analyzed in the text of this publication. Discounts and premiums for various weights, grades and sex are identified. Each price series is analyzed to determine long term price trends and seasonal patterns. Stocker, feeder and live cattle basis are calculated using USDA monthly average reported cash prices and the monthly average futures prices, Tables 14- 15, 23. Carcass cut-out values are reported in Tables 24-26.

Historical Crop Prices, Seasonal Patterns, And Futures Basis For The Nebraska Panhandle 1983-2000, Paul Burgener, Dillion Feuz, Tom Holman

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Corn Wheat Proso Millet Sorghum Sunflowers Alfalfa Hay Dry Beans Pinto Great Northern

There are several economically significant crops grown in the Nebraska Panhandle. There are, collectively, in excess of 2 million acres in corn, wheat, sorghum, proso millet, dry edible beans, sunflowers, and alfalfa hay in the area. There are some unique geographic, ecological and demographic features that influence crop prices in the area. This publication provides a basic price analysis for the crops in the Nebraska Panhandle to help growers to be able to make informed marketing and production decisions. Wheat and corn are the two largest crops …

Cooperative & Nebraska “Blue Sky” Statutes, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

Cooperative fever is sweeping Nebraska. Agricultural producers are looking for ways to add value to what they produce, often through forming “new generation” cooperatives or by forming limited liability companies (LLCs). New generation cooperatives differ from traditional cooperatives in that new generation cooperatives typically (1) have closed membership and (2) process goods produced by co-op members. New generation cooperatives are more like citrus and other fruit cooperatives that have existed in other parts of the country. The Nebraska Unicameral is providing financial assistance to assist developing these kinds of value-added efforts through LB1348, the “Agricultural Opportunities and Value-Added Partnerships Act.” …

Amartya Sen And World Food Day 2000, Bettina Klaus

Cornhusker Economics

As every year, World Food Day took place on October 16th. Being relatively new to UNL (and the U.S.), and being an assistant professor in the Economics Department (joint with the Agricultural Economics Department) with research interests in social choice and game theory, the probability that I would get involved with World Food Day were slim. However, somehow it caught my eye that the yearly teleconference that accompanies World Food Day featured the 1998 Nobel prize winner for economics, Professor Amartya Sen. The 2000 World Food Day’s teleconference topic was “Poverty and Hunger: The Tragic Link” and in a superb …

Faculty Exchange Program In Second Year At Unl, Lynn Lutgen

Cornhusker Economics

The Agricultural Economics Department joined USDA in a Faculty Exchange Program (FEP) with the Ukraine and Russia in the spring of 1999. Each year four professors from the Ukraine and Russia arrive in Lincoln in August and leave the middle of December. While in Nebraska they take classes, travel, and develop class outlines and news articles that they will use when they return home. This year we have three professors visiting from the Ukraine and one from Russia. The following are their impressions of the U.S. and Nebraska, along with some thoughts on the Faculty Exchange Program.

Potential Cost Of Agricultural Water For Meeting In-Stream Flow Demands, Raymond J. Supalla

Cornhusker Economics

In 1997 the states of Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming signed a Cooperative Agreement (CA) which called for making 130,000 to 150,000 acre feet of additional water available for meeting endangered species needs along the Big Bend Reach of the Platte River. Three projects, one in each state, will contribute 70,000 acre feet towards this goal. The remaining 60,000 to 80,000 acre feet must be acquired thorough other means, the most likely being the purchase or leasing of rights to what is now irrigation water. If the CA is eventually implemented, all purchases and leases of irrigation water will be negotiated …

Projecting Cash Needs And Production Costs, Roger Selley

Cornhusker Economics

Some producers suggest they prepare a cash flow if needed for their lender, but otherwise find the projection too dependent upon unknowns to be useful. Earlier newsletters have suggested using projected cash flow commitments to determine the level of crop insurance coverage. Much of the information required to prepare a cash flow projection can also be used to prepare a projected return over variable costs (gross margin) for individual enterprises. Gross margins can be used to project, for example, which crops will be most profitable.

Value-Added And The Declining Farm Share Of Consumer Expenditures For Food, Jeffrey S. Royer

Cornhusker Economics

The farm share of consumer expenditures for food has fallen substantially over the past five decades. As shown in Figure 1, consumer expenditures for domestically produced farm foods increased from $50.9 billion in 1952 to $618.4 billion in 1999. The farm value of these foods increased from $20.4 billion to $120.5 billion during the same period, representing a decline in the farm share from 40 percent to 20 percent.

Producer Protection Act Of 2000, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

Agricultural production contracts are becoming more widespread in Nebraska. (Contract production should be distinguished from custom farming, which is not at issue here). Under ag production contracts, farmers may contract to produce crops or livestock typically for processors. Contracting is widespread in the broiler industry, and is becoming more common in the swine and beef industry, and for some crops. The Producer Protection Act of 2000 (PPA) is a proposed model state statute prepared by the National Association of Attorney Generals to deal with legal issues associated with agricultural contracting. The PPA was developed in order to avoid some problems …

Carbon Sequestration: What’S It All About?, Douglas H. Jose

Cornhusker Economics

The following article is based on an interview I did with Professor Dan Walters on the Market Journal video broadcast on October 16. The full interview can be viewed by going to the Rural Routes website (ruralroutes.unl.edu) and clicking on “broadcast” under the “October Market Journal” heading.

The Effects Of Biotechnology On Concentration And Structure In The Agricultural Inputs Industry, Konstantinos Giannakas, Murray Fulton

Cornhusker Economics

In the last five years, biotechnology has emerged as a major focus of interest in agriculture. This article focuses on one of the many questions that have arisen around this new technology. In particular, the purpose of the paper is to identify the scope and significance of the links between biotechnology and the structure and conduct of the agricultural inputs industry and to develop a framework for analyzing the distribution of the benefits of innovations due to biotechnology.

Marketing: A Changing Concept In Changing Times, Allen Prosch

Cornhusker Economics

Pork Powerhouses 2000, the annual report from Successful Farming magazine changed this year when they recast the report as the 50 largest commercial pork producers in North America. Recognizing the movement of pork production in the international sector, while not innovative in itself, indicates the changes in agriculture taking place in the world. The minimum number of sows to make the list increased sixty-six percent (66%) from 1999's 7,200 sows to 12,000 sows this year. Eight Canadian firms made the list this year with a total of 202,200 sows.

Renting Grain Storage Facilities, Larry Bitney, Wade Nutzman

Cornhusker Economics

Renting a grain bin from a neighbor may be the answer to a producer’s grain storage needs. Retired farmers, those who have excess storage capacity, and those who have scaled back their operations may want to generate some income from renting out their bins. In most cases the parties involved want to know, “What is a fair rental rate?”

Improved Beef Demand Benefits Nebraska Cattle Producers, Richard T. Clark

Cornhusker Economics

From 1979 until 1997 inflation-adjusted, retail beef prices in the U.S. declined by over 30%. During this same time period, per capita consumption declined about 10 pounds. These two facts, declining prices and declining consumption, lead to the conclusion that demand for beef in the U.S. declined over this time period.

Employee Motivation, Lance L. Cummins-Brown

Cornhusker Economics

Currently in the state of Nebraska, there is a shortage of agricultural workers. As Nebraska’s population continues to move east, and the size of grain and livestock operations continue to increase, finding and retaining employees will become a necessity for more agricultural producers. Research is being conducted at the University of Nebraska to improve the leadership skills of producers. Even though there are many skills successful leaders need to have, one of the most important is being able to motivate your employees. A recent study looked at the relationship between an employee’s source of motivation and the type of behaviors …

Is Grass The Cheapest Feed?, Richard T. Clark

Cornhusker Economics

A recent IRM meeting with cattle producers in Gering highlighted the fact that different producers have different approaches to answering this question. It was quite obvious that the answer is “it depends.” It depends on the availability and cost of alternative sources of nutrition for the animal, labor costs and producer goals.

Agriculture, Trade And The Wto, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

The Uruguay Round (UR) of trade negotiations, conducted under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), ran from 1986 to 1994. The final UR agreement brought agriculture under the full discipline of the GATT for the first time. It also established the World Trade Organization (WTO) which incorporates all of the earlier agreements included in the GATT as well as the Agreement on Agriculture and several other components. These agreements were officially signed in Marrakesh, Morocco in 1995 and entered into force that same year after they were ratified by national governments, including that of the …

Some Abcs On Commodity Loans And Ldps, Roger Selley

Cornhusker Economics

The objective of the loan rate has been to provide eligible producers the equivalent of a minimum price. When the market price remains below the loan rate a nonrecourse loan accomplishes this objective by allowing the producer (borrower) to forfeit the grain provided as security and cancel a loan that was made at the loan rate. The grain must be in storage under loan for 9 months before forfeiture is an option. The net result with forfeiture is the producer realizes the loan rate (accrued interest is forgiven) less storage costs. The marketing/promotion assessment is also deducted from the loan …

State’S Net Farm Income Levels Tell Quite A Story, Bruce B. Johnson, Jared Burkholder

Cornhusker Economics

Nebraska’s 1999 net farm income levels document what people in the industry already knew – 1999 was not a good year for the agricultural economy. According to the recently released 1999 USDA net farm income statistics, Nebraska’s 1999 aggregate net farm income was estimated at $1.66 billion. This total falls 10 percent below the 1998 figure and nearly 18 percent below the annual average of the 1990’s (Table 1).

Are There Opportunities To Enter Production Agriculture Today?, David J. Goeller

Cornhusker Economics

Most persons would not be surprised that the average age of Nebraska farmers is increasing. In 1982 there were approximately 1.5 farmers under age 35 for every farmer over age 65. In 1997 the relationship of younger farmers to older farmers had reversed. The latest Nebraska census of agriculture indicates there are about 2.5 farmers over age 65 for every farmer under 35. Approximately 41% of the land and farm machinery in Nebraska ($14 billion) is owned by those 55 years of age or older. That age group owns approximately 46% of Nebraska’s cow herds as well as about 27% …