The changing business environment and evolving culture of cooperatives create a need to re-evaluate the drivers of cooperative performance. Literature suggests that these drivers could be operational, practices or perceptions. Our model of cooperative performance integrates these variables to...

The U.S. green industry (floriculture and environmental horticulture) is the fastest growing agricultural sector in grower cash receipts, with an average annual growth rate of 9 percent since 1982. Green industry crops totaled $8.7 billion in grower cash receipts, earned 11 percent of the total...

This study presents and analyzes the mean financial characteristics of different types of crop and livestock farms in the U.S. in 2005. The eighteen farm types are: poultry, beef cattle, hogs, dairy, general livestock, general cash grain, wheat, corn, soybean, grain sorghum, rice, tobacco,...

The lack of collateral prevents small-scale farm producers and processors from accessing commercial credit. Th is negatively affects farm productivity and product quality, limits the export potential of products, and prevents further development of the food supply chain. This paper reviews the...

This study investigates the determinants that influence a firm’s decision to use external private equity in agriculture. The use of external equity as a funding source in agriculture has increased since 1990; however, the literature addressing this phenomenon is limited. The asset specificity...

With increased focus on survival strategies for small farm businesses, we investigate the impact of Internet access on income and farm expenses of small farm business and households. Using a nation-wide farm-level data in the U.S. and non-parametric matching estimators, the study finds a...

Federal, state and local governments have funded various efforts to support value added agriculture, often implicitly assuming that the enterprises would be profitable and that the transition from commodity producer to producer-processor-marketer-distributor would be relatively easy. Some...

National average statistics related to farm production mask the diversity in the Nation's 2 million farms and the people who operate them. Farms in the United States differ not only by size (sales and acres) and type of production, but also by organizational characteristics (land ownership,...

Data from the 1993 Farm Costs and Returns Survey were used in a multi-variate analysis framework to determine factors associated with the financial performance of commercial dairy farm operations. Statistical equivalency tests revealed regional differences in the way extensive indebtedness, size...

This study examines the financial performance and stress experienced by beginning farmers in the U.S. Using the USDA’s ARMS data, probit models are estimated to study the personal and farm characteristics that affect whether or not the financial ratios fall into critical zones. The results...