U.S. farm output, from the 1930s until 1981, increased steadily, but growth stopped in the 1980s. Now, after 9 years of volatility, total farm output is less than it was in 1981. The largest decline occurred in the production of grains and oil crops such as soybeans. This stagnation of the 1980s...

A shift to worldwide free trade would improve prospects for U.S. livestock and grain producers. Both production and prices would be higher for meat animals and poultry, but but milk prices would be lower. Producers of peanuts, sugar, and some fruits and vegetables would face lower price and...

An empirical model accurately estimates row crop and extensive crop acreage in the North Central region. It shows (a) for each 1-acre increase in diversion, rcw crops decrease 0.62 acre and extensive crops decrease 0.12 acre, and (b) the annual shift to .row crops is diminishing.

Estimates are made of possible effects in Indiana of a part-farm general cropland retirement program, operating with and without the type of commodity programs that existed until 1970. Conclusions are drawn from estimates for four major groups of crop and livestock farms in each of five areas of...

The probable outcome of a general cropland retirement program based on retiring land having the lowest net return per acre is compared with the probable outcome of a program based on retiring land having the highest unit production costs. Estimates are made of (1) location of the retired...