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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Federal Court Invalidates Initiative 300, J. David Aiken
Federal Court Invalidates Initiative 300, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
On December 15, 2005, the U.S. District Court for Nebraska (Judge Camp) ruled that Article 12 Section 8 of the Nebraska Constitution, popularly known as Initiative 300, violated federal law. The court ruled that I300, which regulates corporate farming, violated the Interstate Commerce Clause and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Tourism: The Cinderella Stepchild Of Economic Development?, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel
Tourism: The Cinderella Stepchild Of Economic Development?, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel
Cornhusker Economics
When most people think about the economic engines that drive the state of Nebraska, agriculture and manufacturing almost always come to mind. But did you know that tourism is ranked #3 in dollars generated into the state economy?
2006 Nebraska Water Policy Choices, J. David Aiken
2006 Nebraska Water Policy Choices, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
Nebraska is blessed with relatively abundant (but not unlimited) ground water supplies. In the tradition of other western states with significant ground water supplies, Nebraska has followed a largely local-control approach to ground water management. This means that local political subdivisions (Natural Resource Districts, or NRDs in Nebraska, other ground water districts in other states) have had the option whether to regulate ground water development and use to extend the life of local ground water supplies. In Nebraska, as well as in Texas, there has traditionally been no effective state role in ground water management – if ground water problems …
The Market Potential Of A New High-Oleic Soybean Developed At Unl, Amalia Yiannaka
The Market Potential Of A New High-Oleic Soybean Developed At Unl, Amalia Yiannaka
Cornhusker Economics
The introduction of genetically modified (GM) products into the food system has been a contentious issue eliciting divergent responses from the major players in the agri-food sector. While farmers have been embracing the agronomic benefits associated with the first generation of producer-oriented GM products, an increasing number of consumers have been raising objections to food containing GM ingredients in major markets around the world. Consumer reaction to GM products is founded on health, environmental, ethical and/or philosophical concerns, and has impaired the potential of agricultural biotechnology.
Risk Management Education In The North Central Region, Beth A. Eberspacher
Risk Management Education In The North Central Region, Beth A. Eberspacher
Cornhusker Economics
The North Central Risk Management Education Center is beginning its competitive grant programs for 2005-2006. During the past four years the Center has been able to offer approximately $2.5 million in grants for the development of risk management educational programs for producers in the North Central Region. The grant program encourages collaboration and partnering of public and private entities inside and outside of the region.
Class I School District Consolidation Ballot Referendum, J. David Aiken
Class I School District Consolidation Ballot Referendum, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
Class I School Districts. Nebraska has 477 operating school districts, 220 of which (46 percent) are Class I districts. Class I school districts are K-6 or K-8 (Table 1). Enrollment in Class I districts is very small, averaging only 3.84 students per grade per school (Table 2). Class I districts average 3.62 teachers per school, about one teacher per 10 students. Each teacher is responsible for 2-3 grades on average. Class I districts educate 2.79 percent of Nebraska’s children.
Crop Insurance Performance In Nebraska In 2005, H. Douglas Jose
Crop Insurance Performance In Nebraska In 2005, H. Douglas Jose
Cornhusker Economics
Unfortunately grain prices, particularly corn, have sagged this fall under the weight of a good harvest across most of the country. With the grain mostly harvested, lets look at what has happened with crop insurance this year and how it complemented marketing opportunities.
Ccc Marketing Loans, Tina N. Barrett
Ccc Marketing Loans, Tina N. Barrett
Cornhusker Economics
The current grain market situation has brought about a renewed discussion on Loan Deficiency Payments (LDPs) and marketing loans this fall. Understanding the tax situation of each may help in deciding which option is right for you. As you know, producers have the option to take a LDP or receive a marketing loan upon harvesting their crop.
Safety Regulations For New Gmo Crops, Richard K. Perrin
Safety Regulations For New Gmo Crops, Richard K. Perrin
Cornhusker Economics
Starlink. Monarch Butterflies. Frankenfoods. These words conjure foreboding thoughts of potential catastrophe lurking behind the development of genetically modified organisms, or GMO’s. Are they really safe to be released? Are they safe to even experiment with? The purpose here is to describe the federal regulatory system that addresses these issues.
Downturn In Nebraska Net Farm Income Expected For 2005, Bruce B. Johnson
Downturn In Nebraska Net Farm Income Expected For 2005, Bruce B. Johnson
Cornhusker Economics
What is obvious to most observers of the state’s agricultural sector is that this year’s income levels will not match those of a year ago. And in some cases, they won’t even come close. However, we need to remember that 2004 represented a truly unique set of circumstances, where both the crop and the livestock sectors were enjoying phenomenal conditions. So, even though down from 2004, the 2005 net farm income forecast still looks relatively strong in the context of the past 10 years.
Long-Term Care For Farmers And Ranchers, David J. Goeller
Long-Term Care For Farmers And Ranchers, David J. Goeller
Cornhusker Economics
An Aging Population There are more than 36 million Americans over the age of 65. Projections estimate this segment of the population will double to 72 million in the next 25 years. Long-term care for America’s aging population is an important consideration in estate and business transition planning. Many have become increasingly aware how easily the cost of long-term care can wipe out a lifetime of savings or hamper the transfer of a family farm, ranch or business to future generations.
Women In Agriculture: Making The Critical Difference, Meg Klosterman Kester
Women In Agriculture: Making The Critical Difference, Meg Klosterman Kester
Cornhusker Economics
In 2002 the Census of Agriculture reported the total number of farm operators was 70,668. Nearly 16,000 of those operators were women, representing 22.5 percent of all operators. Over 3,000 women were designated as principal operators, representing over 6 percent of Nebraska’s 49,355 farms. Because women play a significant role in farm operation in the state, the Women in Agriculture program has grown and flourished over the past 21 years.
Cull Cow Marketing, Dillon Feuz
Cull Cow Marketing, Dillon Feuz
Cornhusker Economics
Every year, about this time of year it seems that someone asks me to speak about cull cow marketing. The date they want me to speak is generally the week before Thanksgiving. The problem with that talk then, is I am always a couple of months late with my advice. So I am getting my advice out early, or perhaps I should say on time, this year. Cull cow sales likely account for 20-25 percent of gross revenue on most cow-calf ranches. It is therefore worth considering different cull cow marketing strategies.
Retail Patterns Across Nebraska, A 10-Year Perspective, Aaron C. Raymond, Bruce B. Johnson
Retail Patterns Across Nebraska, A 10-Year Perspective, Aaron C. Raymond, Bruce B. Johnson
Cornhusker Economics
Retail activity is very dynamic and highly variable, across both time and space. We have been following total retail activity, using taxable retail sales from the Nebraska Department of Revenue as a proxy for many years. Over time, we have witnessed the continuing trend towards increasing concentration of retail activity in the larger trade centers and urban communities, and away from rural and small trade centers. While state sales tax data provides some clear perspectives on overall changes and trends, even down to town and county levels, details as to the specific type of retail activity is precluded.
Brazil And Its Role In Global Agriculture, H. Douglas Jose
Brazil And Its Role In Global Agriculture, H. Douglas Jose
Cornhusker Economics
The themes which have been applied to Brazilian agriculture include “a growing agricultural giant,” and “the future of modern agriculture.” I had the opportunity to visit Brazil and observe some of their agriculture first hand in August. There is always a danger of making general observations based on limited time in a country and a limited area covered. But this two-week visit left me with some observations to consider as we think about the structure of global agriculture in the future.
Appeals Court Rules Cattle Marketing Agreements Are Not Anti-Competitive, J. David Aiken
Appeals Court Rules Cattle Marketing Agreements Are Not Anti-Competitive, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
Traditionally cattle have been purchased for cash prices on the open market, at livestock auctions or directly from cattle producers. Cattle buyers from meatpackers negotiate with feedlot operators to purchase pens of cattle, attempting to estimate the average quality that the cattle will yield on the spot. Feedlot operators consider bids from competing packers and then decide which offer to accept. Cattle are delivered seven days from the date of the purchase.
Labor Issues In Nebraska Feedyards, Rik R. Smith, Darrell R. Mark
Labor Issues In Nebraska Feedyards, Rik R. Smith, Darrell R. Mark
Cornhusker Economics
Cattle feeders in Nebraska employ significant labor resources to care for and manage the two million cattle on feed in Nebraska. With an average of about one employee for every thousand head of cattle fed, that translates to around 2,000 jobs for rural economies in Nebraska.
The Land Market And 1031 Exchanges, Glenn A. Helmers
The Land Market And 1031 Exchanges, Glenn A. Helmers
Cornhusker Economics
Nebraska agricultural land values have increased nearly 50 percent in the past decade. To many observers this increase is much greater than would be expected based on crop profitability. Increasingly it is mentioned that the Section 1031 Exchange provision of the Internal Revenue Code is an important element leading to increased land values. This provision provides for tax deferral of the capital gain tax if an exchange occurs with like-kind property. The 1031 provision was enacted in 1984 by limiting the scope of the Starker Court decision of 1979. In 1991 IRS issued regulations regarding procedures of 1031 Exchanges. Section …
New Domestic Production Deduction, Tina N. Barrett
New Domestic Production Deduction, Tina N. Barrett
Cornhusker Economics
At this time last year we didn’t think we would see a new piece of tax legislation in 2004 and October brought us two of the largest bills in recent history. The second of the two was the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. The fuel behind this bill was largely related to the Extra-Territorial Income Exclusion Act (ETI) of 2000 that had been deemed “inconsistent with international trade agreements” by the World Trade Organization. This had been a tax preference for strictly exporters, which is why the WTO had a problem. While the new law called for a three …
What Price The Moral High Ground In A Competitive Economic Environment?, Gary D. Lynne
What Price The Moral High Ground In A Competitive Economic Environment?, Gary D. Lynne
Cornhusker Economics
A recent book by Robert Frank (2004), a well-known researcher and writer on the nature of our economic nature, points to how the business world appears to be in the grip of “infectious greed” attributing this phrase to Alan Greenspan, the current U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman. Greenspan has also said it is “not that humans have become more greedy than in generations past,” but rather that “the avenues to express greed have grown so enormously (quoted by Frank, 2004, p. vii).” So, apparently in the minds of the business community, perhaps even in our own agribusiness and farming communities, many …
Basis Risk Reduction With Lrp Insurance, Rik R. Smith, Darrell R. Mark
Basis Risk Reduction With Lrp Insurance, Rik R. Smith, Darrell R. Mark
Cornhusker Economics
Livestock Risk Protection Insurance (LRP) is a pilot program from the USDA-Risk Management Agency (RMA) that provides minimum price protection for fed cattle, feeder cattle and swine producers. The program works like a put option in that a minimum price is established, but if prices increase producers can benefit from the increase. Producers pay a premium in exchange for this price insurance, which is available from licensed crop insurance agents.
The Effect Of Cooperatives On Innovation, Konstantinos Giannakas
The Effect Of Cooperatives On Innovation, Konstantinos Giannakas
Cornhusker Economics
Innovation activity is a critical element of business conduct affecting the competitiveness of firms, the arrival rate of innovations in the economy, productivity growth and social welfare. The strategic interactions among firms and their effect on innovation have received considerable attention in the economic literature with the main focus being on innovation competition in a pure oligopoly – i.e., a market in which a small number of profit-maximizing, investorowned firms (IOFs) operate.
Dry Beans As A Farm Program Commodity: Is This A Good Idea?, Paul Burgener
Dry Beans As A Farm Program Commodity: Is This A Good Idea?, Paul Burgener
Cornhusker Economics
With the inclusion of soybeans in the direct payment program and chickpeas, dry peas and lentils in the marketing loan program under the 2002 Farm Act, the question of whether or not to push for inclusion of dry beans in the 2007 legislation has been posed. There are a number of factors that need to be considered before making a major lobbying effort to get dry beans included in the 2007 Farm Bill. The key points will be discussed here.
Water Marketing: The New Frontier In Nebraska Water Law, J. David Aiken
Water Marketing: The New Frontier In Nebraska Water Law, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
Water marketing refers to the buying and selling of water rights. Typically, in many western states cities purchase water rights from farmers, because no unappropriated water is available. The water right transfer must be approved by the State Engineer to make sure that other water right holders are not harmed by the sale. Typically, the buyer receives only the amount of water consumed in the original use (e.g. irrigation), not the entire quantity of water allowed under the original water right.
2005 Legislative Wrap-Up, J. David Aiken
2005 Legislative Wrap-Up, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
The 2005 legislative session saw little agricultural legislation adopted, although several rural development measures were adopted. The most contentious issue was mandatory school consolidation.
Comparison Of Returns For Cash Or Crop Share Rentals, H. Douglas Jose
Comparison Of Returns For Cash Or Crop Share Rentals, H. Douglas Jose
Cornhusker Economics
The popularity of cash leases as opposed to crop share leases has increased in recent years. Historically, crop share leases have predominated, but it is estimated that about half of the cropland leases in Nebraska are now cash leases and half are crop share. There are a number of reasons for this trend. With the competition for land, cash leases establish a specific rental rate which can easily be negotiated or bidup. The equivalent cash for a crop share situation cannot be determined until after harvest when the yield and market price of the crop are known. The land owners …
Whose Money Is It Anyway?, Jeffrey S. Royer
Whose Money Is It Anyway?, Jeffrey S. Royer
Cornhusker Economics
Substantial reductions in personal income tax rates and an elimination of the estate tax have been major priorities for the current presidential administration. When arguing for tax cuts, George W. Bush has frequently told Americans that “It’s your money.” According to Princeton University ethicist Peter Singer, “His message was that when governments tax their subjects, they take money that belongs to the taxpayers and spend it—instead of letting the taxpayers decide for themselves how they want to spend it” (Singer 2004, p. 11). Singer thinks most Americans believe taxes are their money. As he puts it, “Of course it was …
1031 Tax Exchanges And Nebraska’S Farm Real Estate Market, Bruce B. Johnson, Aaron Raymond
1031 Tax Exchanges And Nebraska’S Farm Real Estate Market, Bruce B. Johnson, Aaron Raymond
Cornhusker Economics
“The 1031's are giving us a distorted value of farmland.” The above quote from a Southeastern Nebraska reporter to this department’s 2005 Nebraska Farm Real Estate Survey, to be released July 1, reflects many of the comments made by reporters from across the state. The 1031 exchanges appear to be increasingly influential in local agricultural land markets from Chadron to Falls City. This year, for the first time in the series of monitoring factors influencing the value of agricultural land, the categories of non-farm investors and 1031 Tax Exchanges were ranked by our survey respondents as the two most influential …
Community-Based Entrepreneurship: A Community Development Strategy, Marilyn R. Schlake
Community-Based Entrepreneurship: A Community Development Strategy, Marilyn R. Schlake
Cornhusker Economics
For the past twelve years, the NebraskaEDGE Program has assisted nascent and active entrepreneurs through the delivery of a community-based educational program. Administered by the Center for Applied Rural Innovation at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the program’s overall goals are to build community capacity, develop new entrepreneurial support coalitions and increase entrepreneurial activity within the community and region.