This study examines the impact of hospitals on local labor markets in rural and urban counties. We measure the ability of hospitals, particularly in rural communities, to attract non-health related employment and provide higher wage jobs to residents based on their education level. Results find...

Crop insurance is an area of federal agricultural policy that has been a source of continual calls for reform and improvement, yet there are a limited number of empirical studies examining farmers' insurance purchase decisions. As far as we are aware, this study is the first to utilize farm...

Structural change in meat consumption has been the focus of many researchers during the last two decades. In this paper we develop a dynamic linear Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) model from a cost function that allows for time varying parameters. This model is consistent with inertia in the...

In many parts of the U.S., beef cattle production is a large sector of the agricultural economy, yet few of the cattle are stockered; instead the production is focused on cow-calf operations only. Restricting their operation to only the first phase of beef production may be limiting the cattle...

A hedonic model is used to measure the change in value of residential lots in Rockport, Texas, resulting from Section 404 of the U.S. Clean Water Act. Results show that average lot values initially decreased, went though a six-year adjustment period, and then stabilized on a higher price path...

Many communities are experiencing the negative effects associated with not sustaining a sufficient level of tree canopy coverage. Tree canopy plays a crucial role in the environment, providing benefits such as clean water and air, erosion prevention, climate control, and sustained ecological...

Replaced with revised version of paper 07/15/08.

Time-varying energy and protein levels in broiler feed raise profit considerably above feeding at constant levels. To accurately set profit-maximizing levels of feed ingredients, nonlinear biological response functions are employed. Nonlinear programming allows solution for optimal energy,...

What makes agriculture especially deserving of an active government safety net? What is different about agricultural production? Are we concerned about a safe and reliable food supply or about farmers' incomes and returns to assets? Those who make farm policy base their arguments on all of these...