To investigate the possibilities of establishing a representative sample of farms, using a system of data collection wherein farmers would report monthly their farm business expenses and receipts over a 12-month period, the U.S. Department of Agriculture entered into a cooperative agreement with...

A stochastic computer simulation model is used to estimate disaster payments under the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973. The model uses a random yield generator and actuarial techniques. Simulated payments under 1976 program parameters and stochastic yields are estimated at $300...

The United States Department of Agriculture is cooperating in an interagency study to plan for the future development and control of the water resources of the Potomac River Basin.' One assignment undertaken by the Farm Economics Research Division, Agricultural Research Service, is that of...

The assembly, processing, and dissemination of economic intelligence concerning agriculture is a complex process in which the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its subdivisions are greatly involved. The role of the Economics, Statistics, and Cooperatives Service in the information process is...

The first issue of Agricultural Economics Research appeared in January 1949. The original purpose of the new journal was to provide the Bureau of Agricultural Economics with a "medium for the publication of technical articles." Following the abolition of the Bureau in late 1953, the journal...

Using the concept of negentropy and ordinary least squares, this article investigates the role of public and private information sources m forming growers' Yield perceptions Paid private consultants reduced the discrepancy between gamma-distributed actual and perceived Yield distributions,...

Production and cost functions have long been recognized as vital components of economic analyses relating to the individual firm. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, beginning with the pioneering work of T V. J. Spillman, has been a continuing participant in their empiric and theoretical...

A modified Sims' test which bypasses the traditional Aristotelian causality can be used to determine the appropriate causal ordering among Important economic variables This test can provide valuable insight into many economic relationships, thereby providing additional information for policy...

In many analyses of profit maximization, attention is directed to large herds and specialization in milk production. Why then do some farmers persist in keeping small dairy herds even when prices for Grade B milk become quite low? This article shows that even with relatively low prices for milk...