A model is developed that shows the usefulness of dynamic optimization in deriving optimal equity recovery strategies for a cooperative lending institution. The objective is to minimize the cost of a member borrowing over time. An interest rate surcharge, above the cost of funds and operating...

We formulate a method to determine an equitable division of dairy farm partnership income when partners provide unequal amounts of capital, labor, and management and empirically estimate this relationship. New York dairy farm financial data are used within fixed effects and random coefficient...

Varian's Weak Axiom of Profit Maximization was used to determine whether each of 49 New York dairy farms displayed behavior consistent with profit maximization. The results indicate that most were only moderately successful in maximizing profits. Characteristics of the farms did not strongly...

Agricultural studies have often differentiated and estimated different technologies within a sample of farms. The common approach is to use observable farm characteristics to split the sample into several groups and subsequently estimate different functions for each group. Alternatively, unique...

The production and profit impacts of recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rbST) on select New York dairy farms were estimated using data over the years 1994 through 2004, by comparing matching farms which use and do not use rbST. The use of rbST increases milk production per cow and decreases the...

The impact of inputs on the four decomposed milk outputs of fluid milk, butterfat, protein, and other solids were estimated using an output distance function, with New York dairy farm level data. Differential impacts of inputs on component production indicate that milk component composition can...

This study empirically compares the retirement values of dairy farm investments to tax-deferred retirement investments that are funded with bank certificates of deposit or common stock. For a successful dairy farm, the results indicate that tax-deferred retirement plans that generate rates of...