Category Archives: Agricultural Economics

Agriculture Is Only a Tiny Part of America’s Economy — And That’s a Good Thing

Posted on July 19, 2019 by

Logic would suggest that the USDA and its subordinate agencies are laying off employees and reducing their size and scope in response to the decline of America’s beloved industry.    There are more people working for the USDA than there … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Economics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

What is land for?

Posted on September 15, 2017 by

From: Canadian Cattlemen Straight from the hip with Brenda Schoepp Photo: Canada Beef Inc. It started as a potential narrative for agricultural peril with the question: “What is land for?” That got my attention and I was fostering the dismal … Continue reading →

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Making hay of environmental goods and services

Posted on March 31, 2016 by

…the government and the scientific community have only recently taken their first steps towards discovering the price of various EG&S. However, this process will likely prove difficult. How, for example, does one put a dollar value on a concept as … Continue reading →

Posted in Agenda 21, Agricultural Economics | Tagged , | 1 Comment

8 Common Questions on Flexible Farm Leases

Posted on November 20, 2015 by

 From AgWeb.com © Freeimages.com Wondering if you should propose a flexible farm lease with your landlord? With the prospect of low grain and soy prices facing farmers in the months ahead, many producers are considering a variety of options to protect … Continue reading →

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Is the cattle cycle back?

Posted on November 7, 2015 by

The biology of the cow controls the speed of the expansion phase, while the magnitude of decreasing cattle prices controls the speed of the contraction phase. And that is why market crashes are steeper than up-trends. Sometimes the downside is … Continue reading →

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Rent an Acre or Buy an Acre, That Is the Question

Posted on September 25, 2015 by

Do you want to be in the farming business or the real estate business? In getting around the country, giving talks, teaching seminars, etc. I frequently find it appropriate to tell listeners, “You can make money ranching.” Invariably hear someone … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Economics, Business planning, Land Values, Land Values-Buying a Ranch | Tagged , | 1 Comment

3 business tips for the ranching enterprise

Posted on September 21, 2015 by

Looking to tighten up your budget and expand new marketing opportunities? Check out these three business tips from industry experts. How about quitting the use of force on the land with strong armed, high energy consumptive, agronomic methods and adapting … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Economics, Managing the Ranch as a Business, Ranch business planning, Ranch Economics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How the Fed’s Interest Rate Decision Affects Farmers

Posted on September 19, 2015 by

If you think you only needed to pay attention if the Federal Reserve raised rates Thursday, you’re wrong. While rates may have stayed the same for now, the financial and economic environment for farmers is changing fast. What a mess we … Continue reading →

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The Fallacy of “Buy Land — They’re Not Making Any More”

Posted on September 17, 2015 by

And that brings us to politics. Real estate can be cheapened shockingly quickly by taxes and crime, and those traditional drivers have been joined in recent decades by environmental politics. Tell us about it brother. Nobody knows better than the … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Economics, Land Values, Land Values-Buying a Ranch | Tagged , | Leave a comment

As predicted, COOL fight isn’t over yet

Posted on August 9, 2015 by

It is widely recognized that, if the American economy is the 7th wonder of the world, then American Economic ignorance must be the 8th. And…one of the most widely misunderstood topics within economics is international trade which includes retaliatory tariffs.” … Continue reading →

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