Category Archives: Agricultural Economics

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 →

Posted in Agricultural Economics, Ranch Economics | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Agricultural Economics, Livestock & Meat Markets | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Agricultural Economics, Ranch Economics | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Inequality: The Rhetoric and Reality

Posted on June 23, 2015 by

There’s only one source of prosperity, and it’s not redistribution…Equal freedom under a just rule of law and limited government doesn’t mean that everyone will be equal in their endowments, motivations, or aptitudes. Disallowing those differences, however, destroys the driving … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Economics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

We’re All Welfare Queens Now

Posted on April 17, 2015 by

 …the issue is more complicated than it seems… Feeding people was only one side of the equation back in 1939. The other side was to help farmers sell “surplus” food. That’s why, even today, the U.S. Agriculture Department administers food … Continue reading →

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