The objective of this report is to take stock of the activities, motivations, impacts and challenges faced by the farms in Washington as they relate to agritourism and direct marketing. We characterize the agritourism entrepreneurship and direct marketing activities in different counties of the...

The objective of this report is to take stock of the activities, motivations, impacts and challenges faced by the farms in Washington as they relate to agritourism and direct marketing. We characterize the agritourism entrepreneurship and direct marketing activities in different counties of the...

A structural inter-temporal model of agricultural asset arbitrage equilibrium is developed and applied to agriculture in the North-Central region of the U.S. The data is consistent with a unifying level of risk aversion. The levels of risk aversion are more plausible than previous estimates for...

We analyze growth and diversification of U.S. dairy farms by examining changes in ten size cohorts and new entrants through three successive censuses. We reject Gibrat’s law and the mean reversion hypothesis of growth. Growth rates appear bimodal where the smallest and largest farm cohorts...

Growth and diversification patterns of size cohorts in four Washington state agricultural industries between the 1992 and 2002 agricultural censuses are examined. Three industries (wheat, apples, and beef) show similar growth patterns. Two (wheat and apples) show similar diversification...

Recent consolidation in agriculture has shifted production toward fewer but larger farms, reshaping business relationships between farmers, processors, input suppliers, and local communities. We analyze growth and diversification of U.S. corn, wheat, apple, and beef, farms by examining...

The Environmental Protection Agency has declared the organophosphate pesticide azinphos-methyl (AZM) cannot be used in the production of apples after September 30, 2012. We estimate the change to sales, price, and employment to the Washington State apple industry from using the likely AZM...

An Operational Approach for Evaluating Investment Risk: An Application to the No-Till Transition Abstract: Roy’s safety-first rule is used to provide measures popular with farmers of short and long term business risk associated with various no-till transition strategies over an investment...

One alternative for farmers’ markets to increase sales and expand the customer base is to implement wireless capability (credit and debit card, and electronic benefits transfer readers) at the markets. We estimate the value farmers’ markets managers and vendors posit on wireless machines...

In many ways, the modern market for food exemplifies the economist’s conception of perfect competition, with many buyers, many sellers, and a robust and dynamic marketplace. But over the course of the last century, the U.S. has witnessed a dramatic shift away from traditional diets and toward...