Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons^™

South Dakota Agricultural Land Market Factors: 2010, Burton Pflueger, Larry Janssen, Emmanuel Opoku

Economics Commentator (1972- 2016)

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Farm Business Averages, Tina N. Barrett

Cornhusker Economics

Ten years ago, there was a pattern in net farm income of a good year followed by a bad year, followed by a good year, and so on. From 1999 to 2002 we saw continual drops in net farm income, and since 2003 the pattern has been record high incomes followed by new record high incomes. Grain prices went on the rise and returns followed. In 2009, we recorded the first drop in average net farm income since 2002.

South Dakota Agricultural Land Values And Cash Rental Rates: 2010, Burton Pflueger, Larry Janssen

Economics Commentator (1972- 2016)

No abstract provided.

Energy: A Review Of Federal And Indiana State Information Resources, Bert Chapman

Libraries Research Publications

Provides an overview of U.S. Government and Indiana State Government energy information resources.

Agriculture: A Review Of Federal And Indiana State Information Resources, Bert Chapman

Libraries Research Publications

Provides an overview of information resources on agriculture from the U.S. Government and Indiana State Government.

Internet Connectivity And Use In Nebraska, Rebecca J. Vogt, Charlotte Narjes, Connie Hancock

Cornhusker Economics

As discussed in an earlier Cornhusker Economics article (May 26, 2010), the Nebraska Public Service Commission was awarded a grant from the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for conducting a study of broadband use and needs in Nebraska. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln conducted the survey for the Commission. In addition, the Nebraska Information Technology Commission (NITC), Community Council and Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) collaborated with the Commission on this survey.

Health And Growth: Causality Through Education, Rui Huang, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, E. Wesley Peterson

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

Purpose--The paper theoretically and empirically investigates the impact on human capital investment decisions and income growth of lowered life expectancy as a result of HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Design/methodology/approach--The theoretical model is a three-period overlapping generations model where individuals go through three stages in their life, namely, young, adult and old. The model extends existing theoretical models by allowing the probability of premature death to differ for individuals at different life stage, and by allowing for stochastic technological advances. The empirical investigation focuses on the effect of HIV/AIDS on life expectancy and on the role of health on educational investments …

A. Lynn Martin. Alcohol, Violence, And Disorder In Traditional Europe, Ken Albala

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Poverty Reduction And The Income Inequality In China, Yi Liu, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

In 2000, the United Nations adopted the Millennium Development Goals which set targets for raising living standards in low-income countries. The first goal was to “eradicate extreme poverty and hunger” (United Nations). The World Bank defines extreme poverty as income of less than $1.25 per day (World Bank, 2010a). Based on this definition, the World Bank estimates that the percentage of the population in China living in extreme poverty has fallen from 84 percent in 1981 to about 16 percent in 2005, a period during which China’s population grew by more than 300 million people (see Table 1 on last …

Nama National Conference A Learning Experience For Nebraska Students, Karoline Kastanek, Rosalee A. Swartz

Cornhusker Economics

Change was in the air at the 2010 National Agri- Marketing Association (NAMA) Annual Conference held April 20-23 in Kansas City, Missouri. Students and professionals alike were given the opportunity to rub shoulders with, and hear nationally known speakers engaging audiences on topics such as the new rules of marketing and publication relations, measuring the effectiveness of social media and strategy, and brand communication.

Politics And Trade In The Former Soviet Union, Marianna Khachaturyan, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

Fifteen independent countries emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989-91. Aside from the Russian Federation, the former Soviet Republics lie in four geographic regions: the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia); Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan); the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania); and Eastern Europe (Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine).

Insecticide Use And Crop Selection: A South Dakota Case Study, Tia Mcdonald, Ariel Keating, Scott Fausti, Jing Li, Mike Catangui

Economics Staff Paper Series (1969 - 2017)

South Dakota has recently experienced a significant increase in the proportion of acres treated with insecticide. Unfortunately, data on insecticide usage by crop at the county level is not available. The following case study seeks to uncover the reasons for this increase by analyzing county-level data in South Dakota with a fixed effects panel regression. The study links the proportion of acres planted for a specific crop to the proportion of total acres treated with insecticide. This approach provides insight on how changing cropping patterns in South Dakota have influenced insecticide use.

A Forward-Looking Commentary: China's Agricultural Development, Priya A. Roy

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This paper describes China's agricultural development before the reform period from institutional, economic, and ideological perspectives; the reform period; the 11th 5-year plan; and the current situation. The paper gives two case examples of the Soviet Union and India. Finally, the paper ends with a discussion of what this means for China.

Nebraska’S Virtual Corn Suitability Rating, Bruce B. Johnson, Tyler Rosener

Cornhusker Economics

Corn Suitability ratings have been used for many years in other parts of the Corn Belt as an agronomic measure of soil productivity, and in turn, some correlation with associated cropland values. For example, in Iowa the Corn Suitability Rating (CSR) is used extensively as a measure of soil productivity across regions and counties, and even down to parcel levels. Google on Iowa CSR, and you will find weighted average CSRs for each county, as well as private firms offering detailed analysis of CSR for any parcel of land in the state. The intent is to provide an index (between …

New 2010 Division Fence Law, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

The 2010 Unicameral revised Nebraska’s division fence statutes. This newsletter discusses the changes made to Nebraska’s division fence statutes by LB (Legislative Bill) 667. The primary change is that the cost of a wire division fence is split 50-50 in all cases, except where the neighbors have agreed to a different division of the fence cost.

A Case Study On Contracted Seasonal Workers And Farm Labor Contractors In The Stockton Area, Cristal Verduzco

Agribusiness

This study was conducted to define the current situation between contracted seasonal workers and farm labor contractors in the Stockton area. Specifically, this study focuses on the perception workers have of farm labor contracted employment. It also addresses the perception farm labor contractors have on the contracting business.

To gather the information needed to compare perceptions, interviews with twelve contracted seasonal workers and two farm labor contractors were conducted in Stockton. The analysis process consists of a detailed account of the problems workers and farm labor contractors encounter in the farm labor contracting business.

The results of these interviews concluded …

Agricultural Resources Available To Women Of Arusha, Tanzania, Travis Barnett

Agribusiness

Paper includes prior research and background about gender inequality and a woman's role in African society. Research documents agriculturally related resources available to women living in Arusha, Tanzania. Research documents agricultural, educational and financial resources provided by Non Government Organizations (NGO's) and Farm Systems Research (FSR) headquarters. Also includes documentation of societal and geographical resources, such as crop production and market locations and times within the Arusha region.

A Comparison Of Costs And Returns For Organic And Conventional Cabernet Sauvignon Grape Production In San Luis Obispo County, Amanda N. Johansen

Agribusiness

This study examined the differences in costs and profitability for established conventional and organic Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the Edna Valley region of San Luis Obispo County, California. The study used a partial budgeting approach to compare cost and profitability for established vineyards for 2009, and thus ignored transition costs. Data were obtained from UC Davis cost studies for organic and conventional grape production in other regions of California in previous years. Adjustments made to these costs to account for changes in input use, input costs and grape prices in San Luis Obispo County during the 2009 growing season.

The …

Sustainable Agriculture: A Time For Education, Kortnie Millhouse

Agricultural Education and Communication

This study used a fifteen-question survey to identify the articulation between education of water quality practices and the willingness to implement sustainable water quality techniques on farmland according to twenty-five agricultural operations residing on the Central Coast. Questions one through eight asked respondents to indicate their agreement or disagreement with various water quality assessment tools. Questions nine through twelve asked respondents to personally rate their operation’s level of water quality management on a scale from one to ten. Questions thirteen through fifteen were open-ended questions to generate responses about demographics. Consensus was reached that the higher the level of education …

Second Time Is A Charm: The Impact Of Correcting Missed Exam Questions On Student Learning, Christiane Schroeter, Steven V. Green, Erin Bess

Agribusiness

This study determined the learning benefit of correcting missed exam questions. The results show that in addition to exams being an assessment tool, they can also be used as a tool for student learning. The availability of this information will provide help considering design, development, and improvement of traditional assessment methods for student learning.

Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Highlights 2009-2010, Bruce B. Johnson, Ryan Lukassen, Tyler Rosener

Nebraska Farm Real Estate Reports

NOTE: Due to UNL budget constraints, the following is an abbreviated version of the historical annual report series. It essentially maintains the key data sets and briefly highlights the recent findings. It is available as a down

Design, Planning, And Evaluation Of Upgraded Cattle Handling Facility, Lindsey Kaeli Tulloch

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design, planning, and evaluation of a livestock handling facility for Tulloch Ranches. The facility will be an upgrade to the facility currently used at the ranch in Pine Valley, California. The design parameters for the facility were narrowed down to the following: 1. Must reduce stress to animals during handling. 2. Must be cost effective to save labor and maintenance. 3. Must show improvement from the current set- up. The above parameters combine to form a system that enables the handlers of Tulloch Ranches to manage and work cattle in a more calm and humane …

Alma Del Vino Benefit Wine To A Fund For The Farm Workers Of San Luis Obispo County, Shane Christensen Hastings

Social Sciences

"Alma Del Vino" is a benefit that gives back 100% of the proceeds to a fund for the farm workers of San Luis Obispo County. Hard work and a dedicated work ethic has provided a bounty of fruits and vegetables grown from this fertile land, and has been the backbone in establishing a reputation for producing high quality wine fruit from this growing region. This wine is an opportunity to give back to those who work so hard, and are most in need.

Essays On Equity–Efficiency Trade Offs In Energy And Climate Policies, Juan P. Sesmero

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Economic efficiency and societal equity are two important goals of public policy. Energy and climate policies have the potential to affect both. Efficiency is increased by substituting low-carbon energy for fossil energy (mitigating an externality) while equity is served if such substitution enhances consumption opportunities of unfavored groups (low income households or future generations). However policies that are effective in reducing pollution may not be so effective in redistributing consumption and vice-versa. This dissertation explores potential trade-offs between equity and efficiency arising in energy and climate policies. Chapter 1 yields two important results. First, while effective in reducing pollution, energy …

A Comprehensive Index For Assessing Environmental Stress In Animals, Terry L. Mader, Leslie J. Johnson, John B. Gaghan Dr

Nebraska Cooperative Extension: Faculty and Staff Publications

Numerous models and indices exist that attempt to characterize the effect of environmental factors on the comfort of animals and humans. Heat and cold indices have been utilized to adjust ambient temperature (Ta) for the effects of relative humidity (RH) or wind speed (WS) or both for the purposes of obtaining a “feels-like” or apparent temperature. However, no model has been found that incorporates adjustments for RH, WS, and radiation (RAD) over conditions that encompass hot and cold environmental conditions. The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive climate index (CCI) that has application under a wide range …

Leveraging Technology For The Future Of Nebraska: Creating A Statewide Broadband Plan, Charlotte Narjes, Rebecca J. Vogt, Connie Hancock

Cornhusker Economics

In Nebraska, some areas of the state S primarily in the most rural areas of the state S may be underserved or unserved in terms of broadband access. Rural areas of the state also lag in economic development and are experiencing population losses. Additionally, broadband adoption and Internet usage among certain income and population groups remains low. Increasing adoption of broadband and Information Technology (IT) services is one way to create economic opportunities, attract new residents to rural areas and address economic inequalities among population groups.

Eating Local And Supporting The Farm Community, Kuo-Liang Chang, George Langelett

Economics Commentator (1972- 2016)

No abstract provided.

North Central Risk Management Education Center, Cheryl Griffith

Cornhusker Economics

Today’s farmers and ranchers face an unprecedented risk environment. Extreme price volatility has impacted the cost of inputs for producers, as well as the prices they receive for farm commodities. Livestock producers in the dairy, hog and poultry sectors have faced liquidations due to declining profits stemming from high feed prices and reduced consumer demand. The price of fertilizer has increased nearly 400 percent in the past three years, while the price of a bushel of corn, after extreme fluctuations, has settled at roughly the same price as three years ago. In response to the world economic conditions, agricultural lenders …

Water Resources In Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case Of Mali, Ria Elise O'Brien

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The world is experiencing the first effects of the water crisis and its importance will become more prevalent in the next few decades. In this study, the case is made that there are steps that can be taken that can improve the standard of living for people by addressing the water needs of both rural and urban areas affected by the water crisis. If the standard of living was increased using the advice given in the thesis, Mali would then serve as an example for what could be done right in other arid areas.

Variance Risk Premiums And Predictive Power Of Alternative Forward Variances In The Corn Market, Zhiguang Wang, Scott Fausti, Bashir Qasmi

Economics Staff Paper Series (1969 - 2017)

We propose a fear index for corn using the variance swap rate synthesized from out-of-the-money call and put options as a measure of implied variance. Previous studies estimate implied variance based on Black (1976) model or forecast variance using the GARCH models. Our implied variance approach, based on variance swap rate, is model independent. We compute the daily 60-day variance risk premiums based on the difference between the realized variance and implied variance for the period from 1987 to 2009. We find negative and time-varying variance risk premiums in the corn market. Our results contrast with Egelkraut, Garcia, and Sherrick …