With a declining share of the domestic meat market, some beef producers are becoming more attentive to opportunities for value-added products tailored to the desires of certain consumer segments. Using a survey of St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri meat consumers, this study investigates...

Increasing concerns about a healthy diet, food safety and support for the local economy provide new opportunities for farmers to increase their farm income by locally selling their farm products. The major challenge for farmers making local sales is to predict consumer preferences correctly and...

Increased use of alternative fuels and low commodity prices have contributed to the recent expansion of the ethanol industry. As with any competitive industry, there exists some level of output price risk in the form of volatility. Yet, no actively traded ethanol futures market exists to...

Little information exists on grain merchandisers, their characteristics, and the skills needed to be successful. This research contributes toward filling this gap. A summary of survey responses from 230 experienced grain merchandisers quantifies personal characteristics, skills perceived as...

This research examines whether mandatory price reporting (MPR) impacted price relationships among U.S. hog markets. Markets are cointegrated before and after MPR enactment, but not fully integrated in either period. Terminal markets adjust to shocks in the Iowa-Southern Minnesota market more...

This study analyzes the effect of the Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) program, established under the Federal Agriculture Improvement Reform (FAIR) act of 1996, on corn and soybean basis pattern patterns in Missouri. Additionally, spatial competition is incorporated into the basis models. Using...

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) such as soybeans and corn have garnered considerable consumer attention due to the concern over potential effects from using these commodities as inputs into food production. In the simplest form, segregation of bioengineered and non-bioengineered crops is...