Agricultural Economics Commons^™

Size And Scope Of Millard County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Mark Nelson

All Current Publications

Millard County borders Nevada on the west. It is in the center of the western border of Utah. Surrounding Utah counties include Juab, Sanpete, Sevier, and Beaver. The population was estimated at 12,863 in 2017. The county has a total area of 6,828 square miles, making it the third largest county in Utah. The Sevier desert covers much of the county with the Pahvant Mountains forming the eastern county boundary. This fact sheet reviews the irrigation, crop and livestock production, land ownership, growing season, and farm income of Millard County agriculture.

Size And Scope Of Iron County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Larsen, Ryan Feuz, Mark Nelson, Chad Reid

All Current Publications

Iron County is located in the southwestern portion of the state and is bordered by Nevada on the west. Other surrounding Utah counties include Beaver, Garfield, Kane, and Washington. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 51,001. The county seat is Parowan, while the largest city is Cedar City. This fact sheet details the land ownership, growing season, crop and livestock production, and farm income of Iron County agriculture.

Size And Scope Of Piute County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Trent Wilde

All Current Publications

Piute County is located in the south-central part of Utah. The county seat is Junction and the largest city is Circleville. Other surrounding Utah counties include Sevier, Wayne, Garfield, Iron, and Beaver. In 2017, the population was estimated at 1,420, making it the second least populated county in Utah. This fact sheet provides details on the land ownership, growing season, crop and livestock production, and farm income of Piute County agriculture.

Size And Scope Of Rich County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Dallen Smith

All Current Publications

Rich County is located in the northeast corner of Utah. The county contains roughly half of Bear Lake and is bordered by Idaho on the north and Wyoming on the east. Other surrounding Utah counties include Summit, Morgan, Weber, and Cache. In 2017, the population was estimated at 2,391. The largest town is Garden City, primarily supported by the tourism industry surrounding Bear Lake. The county seat is Randolph. This fact sheet provides details on the land ownership, growing season, livestock production, farm income, and age of operator for Rich County.

American Indian Small To Medium-Sized Farms Profitability And Risk Related To Reservation Land Access, Ruby Ward

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Considerations For Crop Rotation From Alfalfa To Corn, Earl Creech, Matt Yost, Grant Cardon, Corey Ransom, Jason Clark

All Current Publications

The importance of rotating out of a declining alfalfa stand is well established. As the alfalfa stand ages, forage yield and quality decline, while weed, insect, and disease pressures increase. Terminating the stand and growing one or more other crops for several (2–3) years allows a grower to press the reset button on a piece of ground. These years of growing another crop will result in more productive alfalfa when a new stand is planted again.

Size And Scope Of Weber County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Larsen, Ryan Feuz, Cody Zesiger

All Current Publications

Weber County is located in the northern part of the state and borders the Great Salt Lake. The growing season averages over 4 months, and this guide provides locations of the first and last freeze and the annual precipitation. The majority of the land is privately owned. This fact sheet explores the size and scope of agriculture in Weber County in 2019.

Expanding Your Customer Base To Low-Income Populations: Snap Basics & Marketing, Regan Emmons, Kelsey Hall, Roslynn Brain Mccann

Applied Sciences, Technology and Education Faculty Publications

Full representation of a community shopping at farmers markets, farm stands or belonging to a community supported agriculture (CSA) program entails reaching low-income community members. Farmers markets, farm stands, and CSA models that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and offer SNAP incentive programs, such as Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB), are emerging to help low-income individuals access local products. They also connect growers with new customers. This workshop will provide research-based information on 1. strengthening your marketing techniques, 2. benefits of accepting SNAP and incentives, like DUFB, and 3. how market managers, farm stands, and CSA growers might …

Size And Scope Of Kane County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Larsen, Ryan Feuz, Kevin Heaton

All Current Publications

Kane County is located on the southern border of Utah. It borders Arizona on the south. Other surrounding Utah counties include Washington, Iron, Garfield, and San Juan. The economy consists of tourism, services, and agriculture. Some points of interest in Kane County are Lake Powell along the eastern border, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 7,567. This fact sheet details the growing season, farm income, and crop and livestock production of Kane County.

Using Bioenergetics And Radar-Derived Bird Abundance To Assess The Impact Of A Blackbird Roost On Seasonal Sunflower Damage, Bonne A. Clark, Page E. Klug, Phillip M. Stepanian, Jeffrey F. Kelly

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Methods aimed at reducing avian damage to agricultural crops are routinely implemented in situations where efficacy can be assessed by quantifying blackbird (Icteridae) abundance relative to environmental variables and extrapolating to ensuing crop damage. Concomitantly, Weather Surveillance Radar (WSR) data may have potential to enhance crop damage mitigation through improved monitoring of nuisance wildlife populations. We used WSR to derive daily abundance estimates of blackbirds at a fall roost in North Dakota, USA from 2012 to 2019. We integrated these estimates with previously developed bioenergetics-economic models to estimate local sunflower (Helianthus annuus) damage. The greatest losses usually occurred …

Data From: Wildfire, National Park Visitation, And Changes In Regional Economic Activity, Man-Keun Kim, Paul M. Jakus

Browse all Datasets

Data from the associated paper. Abstract from paper below:

The visibility, safety, and health effects of seasonal wildfires may affect recreational visits to national parks (NPs), even if fires occur outside of park boundaries. This study statistically quantifies the effect of nearby wildfire on tourist flows to each of Utah's five NPs (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion). Using monthly data from May 1993 to December 2015, we empirically link wildfire activities (measured as monthly area burned within 80 km, 160 km, and 320 km radii) to monthly visits to each national park. Results show that …

Wasatch Front Preventative Capital Study, Arthur Caplan, Ramjee Acharya

Browse all Datasets

We address the issue of optimal investment in “preventative capital” to mitigate episodic, mobile-source air pollution events in Utah’s Wasatch Front region. We calibrate Berry et al.'s (2015) endogenous-risk model using a unique dataset related to the region’s "red air day" episodes occurring over the past decade. Our analysis demonstrates that, under a wide range of circumstances, the optimal steady-state level of preventative capital stock – raised through the issuance of a municipal “clean air bond” that can be used to fund more aggressive mitigation efforts – meets the standard for PM2.5 concentrations with positive social net benefits. We estimate …

Do Consumers Who Prefer Gluten-Free Also Prefer Organic?, Tatiana Drugova, Kynda R. Curtis

All Current Publications

This fact sheet summarizes results of an online survey that examined consumer preferences for labels on bread and cookies, focusing on the preferences for organic and gluten-free labels and how they relate to the consumer wheat/gluten intolerance/avoidance.

Farm Shops: A Direct-To-Consumer Extended Season Opportunity, Kynda R. Curtis, Emily Rice, Susan L. Slocum, Karin E. Allen

All Current Publications

This fact sheet discusses the impact of the expanding food tourism and local food movements on the demand for locally-produced goods, how farms shops can cater to that demand, the advantages and disadvantages of farms shops for both growers and consumers, and best practice suggestions for operating farm shops.

Targeting Farmers' Markets In Utah: Understanding Fresh Produce Pricing, Kynda R. Curtis, Karli Salisbury, Ruby Ward, Carrie Durward

All Current Publications

This fact sheet focuses primarily on farmers’ market price comparisons to assist fresh produce growers in determining which produce varieties have the highest premiums, the range of prices they can expect, and any considerations for production method, seasonality and market location. This information will be useful for growers as they develop production plans and a marketing strategy, including varieties and farmers’ market locations that may be most profitable.

Does Consumer Knowledge Of Organic Production Standards Influence Demand For Organic And Non-Gmo Labeled Foods?, Tatiana Drugova, Kynda R. Curtis

All Current Publications

This fact sheet summarizes a study conducted on consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for organic and non-GMO labels alone and in combination for bread and cookies, and how consumer knowledge that organic is non-GMO and overall organic knowledge of organic standards impacts WTP.

Untangling The Economic And Social Impediments To Producer Adoption Of Organic Wheat, Donya L. Ralph-Quarnstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Consumer demand for organic products has shown double-digit growth in recent years encouraging the development of a wider range of goods (Greene, 2017). Americans with an annual household income under $30,000 actively purchase organic foods at nearly the same rate as households with over $75,000 in annual incomes, 42% versus 49% (Greene et al., 2017). Previous research observed the adoption of organic farming practices on a combination of different grains, fruits and vegetables, meat, and dairy products from across the globe. However, this is the first study to examine the adoption of organic wheat in the Western U.S. By addressing …

Cost–Benefit Analysis Of Coyote Removal As A Management Option In Texas Cattle Ranching, R. Kyle Brewster, Scott E. Henke, Benjamin L. Turner, John M. Tomeček, Alfonso Ortega-S.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The monetary value of livestock losses attributed to coyote (Canis latrans) predation in North America has increased during the past 20 years. In Texas, USA alone in 2011, these loses were estimated at $6.9 million. To mitigate coyote-related livestock losses, several lethal and nonlethal control methods have been developed. However, there remains a need for better information to guide management decisions regarding cost-effective predator control strategies for livestock production systems. We acquired data, which was used in the model, from published literature from 1960 to present day, subject matter experts, and anecdotal information on coyote ecology. We developed …

Local Food Entrepreneurship Support, Needs And Gap Analysis, Karin E. Allen, Ruby Ward

All Current Publications

This study looks at the current needs as well as resources available to identify gaps in services and provide recommendations about how programs could be improved or added in support of the Utah food production system. An in-depth background on FICs is presented, followed by a brief description of Utah’s food climate. The methodology used and the analysis, followed by .final recommendation is included.

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 …

Benefits Of An Animal Traceability System For A Foot-And-Mouth Disease Outbreak: A Supply-Driven Social Accounting Matrix Approach, Man-Keun Kim, C. Michael Ukkestad, Hernan A. Tejeda, Deevon Bailey

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

This study reports the findings for an analysis using the computer program NAADSM (North American Animal Disease Spread Model) and a supply-driven social accounting matrix to examine the impact of a hypothetical foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in a relatively isolated part of the United States, Utah, under various levels of livestock traceability. The analysis demonstrates that a significant regional economic impact in Utah would result from an FMD outbreak but that improved levels of traceability would be very important in helping to reduce the negative economic consequences of the outbreak.

An Economic Analysis Of Factors Affecting Pre-Weaned Dairy Calf Growth And Profit Optimization In Dairy Calf Operations, Vincent T. Hess

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was an extension of a study submitted in April 2014 by Sheldon D. Holt entitled “Ambient Temperature, Calf Intakes, and Weight Gains on Preweaned Dairy Calves”.

A major component in a profitable dairy operation is the raising of female calves as replacement heifers; but since no direct income is generated by calf raising alone, it is often overlooked as a potential profit area on a dairy farm. Calf management practices that ultimately impact milk productivity and reproductive performance during a heifer’s lifetime begin at birth. This study examines the effect of calf starter intake on calf growth, measuring …

An Analysis Of The Feasibility Of Anaerobic Digestion On Small-Scale Dairies In Utah, Steven Chans Lund

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With an ever increasing concern for the environment, different methods of managing organic waste on dairy farms have been explored and analyzed. Anaerobic digestion has long been a popular method of managing organic waste. Its popularity stems from the potential to decrease greenhouse gases, improve air quality and provide a source of additional revenue for the farm. Problems with implementing anaerobic digestion arise from high failure rates, high start-up costs and continuous maintenance and equipment replacement.

Subsidies for the initial investment and improved technology have increased the possibility of large-scale dairy farms to adopt anaerobic digestion. Due to economies of …

Factors Of Profitable Field Crop Selection, Jacob Thomas Briscoe

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Methods of crop selection are varied, depending on a variety of factors, including resources, climate, soil type, and potential marketability of the crop. This study utilizes a theoretical farm of one thousand farmable acres to estimate the costs and returns as well as the resources associated with cultivating, planting, irrigating, harvesting and selling the crop products. The theoretical farm is situated in southwest Idaho in any of the counties of Ada, Canyon, Elmore, Owyhee and Payette. The crops grown are typical of the area; the crops examined are field corn (Zea mays), alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and …

Entrepreneurs' Perceived Factors Of Success And Barriers-To-Entry For Small Business And Farm Operations In Rural Paraguay, Braden J. Jensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Both agriculture and nonagriculture activities are important for Paraguay's economy and its rural development plan. Ensuring opportunity for successful enterprise creation and expansion will facilitate new business entrance, while also growing rural economies. Past research has identified many factors that contribute highly to business and farm operation success, though little information exists about the perceptions of would-be entrepreneurs.

This study analyzes perceptions and characteristics of young, would-be entrepreneurs and agriculture producers in rural Paraguay to better understand their views of business/farm success and hurdle factors. Results suggest that increased experience, education and business exposure will decrease perceptions of many barrier …

Utah Urban Small-Scale Mixed Vegetable Production Costs And Returns - 5 Acres, 2015, Kynda Curtis, Shawn Olsen, Katie Wagner

All Current Publications

Sample costs and returns to produce mixed vegetables under drip irrigation and sold through direct markets in the Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah County of Utah are presented in this fact sheet. It is intended to be a guide used to make production decisions,determine potential returns and prepare business and marketing plans.

Utah Urban Small-Scale Mixed Vegetable Production Costs And Returns - 2 Acres, 2015, Shawn Olsen, Kynda Curtis, Katie Wagner

All Current Publications

Sample costs and returns to produce mixed vegetables under drip irrigation and sold through direct markets in the Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah County of Utah are presented in this fact sheet. It is intended to be a guide used to make production decisions,determine potential returns and prepare business and marketing plans.

Water Decision-Making Under Uncertainty, Augustina Yaa Oye Odame

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation is made up of three separate studies under the unifying theme of “Water Decision-Making under Uncertainty.” The first study analyzed a farmer’s decision to invest in a more efficient irrigation system given uncertainty about future water supplies and his post-investment efficiency. It found the price at which farmers would no longer produce to be a bigger consideration in irrigation investment than previously thought. It also found support for a careful identification and consideration of all significant sources of uncertainty in order to create better policy incentives for irrigation technology investments.

The second study extended the first to allow …

Economic Assessment Of Organic, Eco-Friendly, And Conventional Peach Production Methods In Northern Utah, Trevor D. Knudsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fruit producers in Northern Utah face several challenges to their production, urbanization, decreased availability of agricultural land, and competition from domestic producers and imports. As consumers are willing to pay premiums for foods differentiated by production method, such as eco-friendly and organic, conversion to these methods may increase the profitability of fruit growing operations.

This study found that consumers in Northern Utah are willing to pay a premium for peaches grown using organic and eco-friendly production practices over conventionally grown peaches. The study also found that of the three methods of peach production examined (conventional, eco-friendly, and organic), organic had …

Determining The Effectiveness Of Optimal Time-Varying Hedge Ratios For Cattle Feeders Under Multiproduct And Single Commodity Settings, Hernan A. Tejeda, Dillon M. Feuz

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to determine and contrast the risk mitigating effectiveness from optimal multiproduct time-varying hedge ratios, applied to the margin of a cattle feedlot operation, over single commodity time-varying and naive hedge ratios. Design/methodology/approach – A parsimonious regime-switching dynamic correlations (RSDC) model is estimated in two-stages, where the dynamic correlations among prices of numerous commodities vary proportionally between two different regimes/levels. This property simplifies estimation methods for a large number of parameters involved. Findings – There is significant evidence that resulting simultaneous correlations among the prices (spot and futures) for each commodity attain different levels along …