This paper explores the idea that off-farm income is used for investment in farm assets. Using Alabama farm data for the 1997-2004 period, we find that farm investment is more sensitive to off-farm than to on-farm income, and that this sensitivity is stronger for farms with sales less than $250,000.

Replaced with revised version of paper 02/10/10

The European dairy industry faces an increasingly uncertain world. There is uncertainty about, for example, subsidy payment levels and compliance conditions, global competition, price variability, consumer demand, carbon footprints, water quality, animal welfare, food safety, and the...

Policy for agricultural extension services (AES) has been revitalized during the last phases of rural development policies (2007/2013), to empower human capital in agriculture. A wider package of measures aiming at improving the supply of extension at farm level is foreseen and financial...

Whole-farm income insurances are promoted in the new post-2013 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The current Crop Damage Compensation (CDC) scheme in Finland covers crop failure for farmers who have suffered losses and applied for the payments. This paper analyses the use of the Income...

Grass production provides Irish dairy farmers with a competitive advantage over many of their mainland European counterparts by providing a cheap feed source. The temperate climate in Ireland favours the production of grass, however production is highly seasonal with little growth over the...

Applying a bio-economic whole farm model we assess the impact of price and weather risk as well as different risk management strategies on the variability of the income in Swiss suckler cow production. We consider different on-farm risk management strategies such as the flexible adjustment of...

Since the late 1990s scientists have discussed the use of weather derivatives to hedge weather conditioned yield volatility in the agricultural sector. The hedging efficiency is depending on the contract design (Weather-Index, Strike-Level, Tick-Size). The basis risk consisting of the basis risk...

The economic transition and market globalization processes has triggered structural changes in the Macedonian agriculture. Pig producers face challenges to meet the new market requirements and regulations which cause inefficient and less competitive production compared to foreign markets. This...