Because so much agricultural policy analysis utilizes estimates of supply and demand elasticities, it is crucial to obtain the most reliable estimates possible. Where reliability cannot be adequately assessed, the sensitivity of elasticities to equally plausible a priori specifications should at...

Using farm-level data from the 1987, 1992, and 1997 Census of Agriculture, this study estimates what effect agricultural payments have had on the likelihood of farm business survival and on farm size. The unique panel data set permits conditioning current farm size on past farm size, which...

A bioeconomic model is developed to analyze the optimal control management strategies for an introduced herbivore in a two-compartment ecosystem. This paper analyzes cost-effective control strategies that decrease the spillover effects of the herbivore on endangered plant species, thereby...

Responses from a national survey of U.S. organic farmers indicated dissatisfaction with the extension service. An ordered probit model was used to identify the factors influencing effectiveness ratings of extension advisors by farmers. Study findings show that part-time, higher income organic...

The forecasting content of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Commitments of Traders (COT) report is investigated. Bivariate Granger causality tests show very little evidence that traders’ positions are useful in forecasting (leading) returns in 10 agricultural futures...