In this paper it is argued that solving problems in farm management involves applying an appropriate balance of disciplinary knowledge. More specifically, farm management decision-making is about making choices, and the discipline of choice is economics. Thus economics is the core discipline of...

Farm systems in Australia are open systems. The financial openness of farm systems has implications for managing farms and, thus, implications for analysing farm management decisions and farm performance. In elaborating on this theme, capital investment in agriculture is considered and key ideas...

The natural, technological, economic, political and social environment in which farmers farm constantly changes. History has lessons about change in agriculture and about farmers coping with change, though the future is unknowable and thus always surprising. The implication for farm operation is...

The dairy industry in northern Victoria faced dramatic changes between 2001/02 and 2002/03. Drought resulted in a substantial decrease in availability, and subsequent increase in price, of irrigation water and supplementary feed. Most farms recorded substantial net cash flow deficits. Prior to...

Economic illiteracy is abundant in farm management analysis. Failure to understand that economics is the core discipline of farm-management analysis and failure to apply the whole-farm approach leads to wrong questions being asked and wrong answers being given. The power of economic thinking is...

This study investigated whether there would be an increase in consumer willingness to pay and purchase if reduced cholesterol pork was introduced to the Australian market. A stated choice analysis was used, with the following questions addressed. How are current purchases of fresh pork affected...