Short-run and long-run technical and allocative efficiencies were computed for 395 New York dairy farms using data envelopment or nonparametric procedures on 1990 Dairy Farm Business Summary data. The farms were, on average, more allocatively efficient in the short run than in the long run, but were more technically efficient in the long run than in the short run. Stanchion barns were as effici...

The proliferation of the Internet has revolutionized the way people work together for business. People located at remote places can collaborate across organizational and national boundaries. Although the Internet provides the basic connectivity, researchers all over the world are grappling with the problems of defining; designing and implementing web services that would help people collaborate ...

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases estimates of total non-farm business payroll employment changes every month. These estimates have significant impact on US economic policy and financial market decision makers. However these estimates are produced based only on "preliminary" Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey results, final estimates are release two months later. In thi...

The present paper presents a non-technical overview of contemporary developments in food supply, as seen from the standpoint of economic adjustment. The historical concerns over availability and price of food have now passed in the UK, and agriculture is no longer dominantly driven by the supply-side forces of new farming technology and the stimulus of support policies. As a now demand-driven s...

Scholars have long noted the trend toward increased political polarization in the U.S. Congress. This paper examines the U.S. Farm Bill in connection with polarization theories. Polarization due to changing ideologies of individual congressmen, the reshaping of districts, and the reorientation of the public affects business in Washington. This paper also discusses the impact of polarization on ...

National dairy data can contribute to improved management decisions. Animals can be ranked nationally for selection decisions, and success of various management practices and environments in supporting profitable production and in minimizing disease incidence can be determined. Baseline information is useful for analyzing farm business status. Genetic evaluations depend on accurate recording of...

This study examines credit score migration rates of farm businesses. We test whether migration probabilities differ across business cycles. Our results suggest that agricultural credit ratings are more likely to improve during expansions and deteriorate during recessions. We also test whether agricultural credit ratings depend on the previous period migration trends. Our results show that credi...

There have been major structural changes in the beekeeping industry over the past 25 yr. The U.S. Census of Agriculture surveys indicate that colony inventory declined > 20% between 1982 and 2002, whereas the number of U.S. farms with apiculture enterprises fell > 70%. This decline in farm numbers was not uniform across different sized farms based on colony inventory--nearly 30,000 of the farms...

Producers’ risk perceptions, as well as their empirical measurement, have been an ongoing concern for agricultural economists. Identification and categorization of producers’ risk attitudes is important in both research and extension contexts. This study explores some alternative measures of farmers’ attitudes and their relationships with observed producer behavior. The effect of farmers’ perso...

The sheer magnitude and growth of public monies directed toward farm-level risk management programs in developed countries is staggering. Canadian Business Risk Management (BRM) subsidies were just under $1.4 billion in 2014 (U.S. premium subsidies totalled $6.2 billion). Risk management has become the backbone of many countries’ agricultural programs and the vehicle of choice to funnel monies ...