bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Farm and Non-Farm Alternatives for Increasing Incomes of Small New York State Dairy Farms
Authors: Wardle Christopher , Boisvert Richard N.
Published: May 2017

Cochrane has described the shape of modern agriculture as a world with highly productive, commercial farmers at one extreme and the world of poor, low-production farmers at the other. In the highly productive world, technology and farm expansion have resulted in increased yields and production on many farms. In contrast, many low-production farms provide no more than poverty level incomes for the farm operators and their families. Their problems stem largely from the fact that many of these farm operators are old, poorly educated and have limited and poor quality resources. Many have been unable to take advantage of the exploding technology and the scale economies accompanying increases in farm size. A third group, the “transition” group, forms the continuum between the two extremes. Some of its members, like young farmers just getting started, are improving their operations and moving into the “commercial world.” For others, who perhaps lack the financing or managerial capacity to compete in a modern agriculture, the transition is in the opposite direction.
Differences in Costs and Returns to Producing Milk Among the Northeastern States
Authors: Smith Blair J.
Published: May 2017

The farm price of much of the milk produced in the Northeast has been under government regulation for a long time. Although they have not applied to all markets at all times; two principal economic criteria have generally been used as bases for setting minimum producer prices; (1) costs of production in the regulated area, and (2) the costs of obtaining milk from sources outside the area. Which of these criteria was paramount at any particular time and location was related to the effectiveness with which barriers to the inflow of milk could be maintained, and the political power of milk producer groups relative to other interests. Thus, as is well known, criteria other than the economic have also been important determinants of farm prices.
Impact of Alternative Trade Policies on Dairy Farm Net Cash Income, 1975-80
Authors: Frick George E. , Davulis John P. , Buxton Boyd M.
Published: May 2017

This paper is an outgrowth of an Economic Research Service study undertaken in 1974 with the cooperation of the Foreign Agricultural Service and the Agricultural Marketing Service. Many individuals, including the authors of this paper, were involved in the comprehensive study of the impact of dairy imports on the U.S. dairy industry (Agricultural Economic Report No. 278, January 1975). This presentation reflects one part of the overall study.
Marketing Margins for McIntosh and Red Delicious Apples in Connecticut
Authors: Montero Jose , Stitts Donald G.
Published: May 2017

Apple production in Connecticut averaged 49.4 million pounds a year during the last decade. Most of these – approximately 80 percent of the total production – are sold for fresh use.
Can We De-Mechanize Agriculture?
Authors: Gavett Earle E.
Published: May 2017

American agricultural production is viewed by starving masses in the world as a great white knight; it can come charging into their lives and rescue them from starvation, malnutrition, and misery. Over the years we have maintained a granary that fed many millions of starving people. Now that these granaries are essentially depleted, there is a demand on the part of the World Health Organization, members of Congress and others that we replenish these reserves and continue to serve this role, rescuing people from starvation.
Rationalizing Milk Market Orders in New England
Authors: Webster Fred C.
Published: May 2017

Milk has both suffered and enjoyed from more price and quality regulation than almost any other farm product in the United States.

Despite these regulations, or perhaps because of them, competition among producers still closely approximates a competitive model. In New England, milk price fluctuations are dampened but production is primarily a matter of economic survival. No government regulation limits entry, exit, or volume of production as long as minimum quality standards are maintained.
Varietal Mix Decision Framework for Massachusetts Apple Growers
Authors: Willis Cleve E. , Hanlon William L.
Published: May 2017

Apple production in Massachusetts has remained relatively stable for the past sixty years at about 2.7 million bushels annually, while output of most other agricultural enterprises in the state has declined. For a variety of reasons, Massachusetts apple growers have been better able to compete with other producing regions. Among the technological adjustments which have occurred, has been an expanded use of semi-dwarf rootstock resulting in a higher density of trees planted per acre. Changes also continue to be made in varieties of apples planted, reflecting both changing consumer tastes and improved varietal selections.
Solid Waste Management for Rural Areas – A Quadratic Programming Approach
Authors: Perlack Robert D. , Willis Cleve E.
Published: May 2017

The expanding volume of solid wastes generated in the United States, with its accompanying health hazards and pollution dangers, has led to concern among public agencies and private citizens alike. It has been estimated by, for example, that the combined effect of increasing population and increasing per capita consumption in the United States has been an increase from 70 million to 175 million tons of solid waste generated annually during the period 1940 to 1970. In Massachusetts, an estimated 7.5 million tons of non-agricultural wastes were generated in 1970, and this volume is projected by to double by the year 2000. Nationally, public expenditures for solid waste collection and disposal services for most communities are exceeded only by spending on the two categories of education and roads.
Community Services: Contrasts Between Resident and Nonresident Landowners in the Adirondack Region of New York
Authors: Craig Robert G. , Mapp Harry P.
Published: May 2017

“There is more than enough evidence to show that the states and localities, far from being weak sisters, have actually been carrying the brunt of domestic governmental progress in the United States ever since the end of World War II … Moreover, they have been largely responsible for undertaking the truly revolutionary change in the role of government in the United States that has occurred over the past decade.”

–Daniel J. Elazar, The Public Interest
A Framework for Measuring the Economic Impact of Alternative Pollution Control Policies: An Application to the Egg Producing Industry
Authors: Allen P. Geoffrey
Published: May 2017

Present Federal legislation imposes stringent water quality standards on point source emissions from agricultural operations. In the future, individual states may propose policies which are even more restrictive. A number of studies have examined the normative responses to antipollution regulations at the individual farm level (e.g. Ashraf and Christensen for the Massachusetts dairy industry; Gaede for the Massachusetts egg industry). These studies assumed that individual benchmark farms would achieve compliance with pollution standards by adopting the least cost alternative disposal method. They permitted as activities in a linear programming framework only those waste disposal practices considered capable of meeting regulations.
Farmers’ Capital Expenditures, Who Benefits?
Authors: Schluter Gerald E. , Niles Thomas A.
Published: May 2017

Farm employment fell from 12.8 million workers in 1929 to 4.4 million in 1974. One frequent explanation for this drastic drop in employment is the replacement of labor inputs in this sector by cheaper and more productive capital inputs. Assuming the farm labor market was in equilibrium at the start of this substitution process (admittedly a weak assumption but not crucial to this paper) the farm workers forced out of their chosen occupations were the most apparent losers in the process. If labor's share of the farm income dollar did not decrease as rapidly as the number of workers, then the remaining farm workers would be one group of beneficiaries of the process. Another would be society in general if total productivity increased. This paper will examine another potential group of beneficiaries, the shareholders and workers in the rest of the economy whose business and employment are tied to the provision of fixed capital inputs for the farming sector. Data availability, unfortunately, only allows us to identify economic implications for these groups at one point, 1971, in this ongoing process of transition. Nevertheless, these results are of interest since the groups who have benefited have not likely changed and our understanding of the rural adjustment process as well as the impact of technological innovations may be enhanced.
In-Plant Costs for a Small Rural Town Recycling Plant
Authors: Tichenor Richard , Jansen Edmund F.
Published: May 2017

In the past, open dump burning has been the solid waste disposal method used by many small rural towns because from a strict monetary perspective, it was the least cost alternative available to them. Now, due to environmental legislation prohibiting open dumps, they must ex-tablish new disposal facilities. The traditional environmentally acceptable alternatives of incineration and/or sanitary landfill necessarily involve increased disposal costs for these towns, with the increases being especially pronounced for towns in areas like New Hampshire where fuel oil prices are high and suitable sites for sanitary landfill are scarce.
The SOIV Estimator: A Comparison With Alternative Estimators in a Model of the U.S. Apple Industry
Authors: Piggott Ronald R. , Tomek William G.
Published: May 2017

Multicollinearity and a lack of degrees of freedom are problems in simultaneous systems, particularly in large models where the number of predetermined variables may exceed the number of observations. Such problems are somewhat less obvious in the small and medium-sized models typically estimated by agricultural economists. Thus, estimators designed to cope with the degrees of freedom (undersized sample) problem have received little attention in agricultural economics applications relative to macroeconometric uses.
Valuation of a Recreational Activity: Clamming in Massachusetts
Authors: Smith Richard W. , Conrad Jon M. , Storey David A.
Published: May 2017

Economists have long wrestled with the problem of determining the value of nonmarket recreational activities. Knowing the value of a recreational activity could be helpful in at least three respects: (1) if the recreational activity is publicly provided, knowing the value which society places on that nonmarket activity would help in determining the appropriate level of public investment, (2) if a user charge for access to the recreational activity were necessary, a knowledge of the distribution of individual valuations would permit estimates of use (demand under alternative fees) and (3) to the extent that the resources involved in the recreational activity have other uses, knowledge of recreational values would help in determining the appropriate allocation of resources between the recreational activity and the other uses. Often the non-recreational activities already have dollar values established in markets; if the other uses are also nonmarket in nature, imputations of their dollar values would also be necessary.
The Importance of Locational Characteristics in Determining Rural Land Prices
Authors: Craig Robert G. , Mapp Harry P.
Published: May 2017

In recent years, the topic of land prices has received considerable attention in the literature. Part of the interest stems from the importance of land as a factor of production in agriculture. Land prices have a direct influence on the ability of young farmers to operate and expand their operations. Thus, the interest in land prices by farmers, bankers and input suppliers is easily understood.
Assessing the Relative Importance of Economic and Technical Information in Estimating Agricultural Values of Farmland: A Case Study
Authors: Small Leslie E.
Published: May 2017

Economists play two rather distinct roles in the area of public policy. These roles might be characterized as analytical and operational. In their analytical role, economists develop models designed to evaluate alternative policy measures which either might be or have been adopted by a public agency. In their operational role, economists help develop the specific techniques and estimates necessary to make a chosen policy operational.
Accounting for the Social Benefits and Costs of Development Rights Purchase Programs
Authors: Field Barry C. , Barclay Richard A.
Published: May 2017

Public programs of agricultural preservation continue to be of interest in many states of the urbanized Northeast. Farmers themselves, of course, have always been concerned with this issue, and in recent years they have found effective allies among public planners, for whom the agricultural sector has become a chief source of scenic and cultural amenities as well as insurance against unforeseen disruptions in future supplies of food and fiber. Programs of use-value assessment have been enacted by almost all of the northeastern states, as well as by those in many other parts of the country. Partly as a result of the fact that the effectiveness of this approach has been in doubt, attention in some states is turning to programs in which the development rights are purchased from agricultural land in order to alleviate development pressure on these areas. New Jersey has recently undertaken a program of development rights purchase, Massachusetts is currently shaping legislation for such a program, and many other states have shown interest.
Constraints on the Community Decision Process
Authors: Christensen Robert L. , Ching C. T. K.
Published: May 2017

Most discussions of community planning and development have described it as a result (e.g., an increased level of economic activity which leads to a higher social welfare function and standard of living) or as a process (the way decisions should be made to achieve the result). The literature is, therefore, somewhat confusing since subsumed under the overall subject matter heading are such diverse topics as the economic feasibility of a manufacturing plant or social psychology applied to the power structure of the community recreation committee.
Consumer Attitudes About No Repricing in Supermarkets
Authors: Jensen Farrell E. , Perkins Frederick A.
Published: May 2017

In 1974 the price level for food as measured by the Consumer Price Index increased by 14.4 percent. During this period supermarkets received wholesale price increases on up to 800 individual lines of merchandise per week. In keeping with traditional practices the industry would pass the wholesale price increases to the consumer by pricing the new merchandise and existing shelf inventory to reflect higher wholesale costs. It was not uncommon during this period for consumers to find two, three, or more old price markings on an item replaced by a higher price.
Recent Developments in Land Use Laws
Authors: Roberts E. F.
Published: May 2017

When talking about the ownership of land, one deals with property law. Property law is concerned with questions such as how you describe a boundary, what's the scope of a particular easement, and does a mechanic's lien gain priority over an unrecorded mortgage? There are rules here which haven't changed much since Blackstone wrote them down. Thus law can be a set of rules that resemble the axioms of geometry and, often enough, the image of the lawyer as pettifogging nitpicker is an apt one.
Rural Development Alternatives: Pennsylvania's Title V Experience
Authors: Thomson Joan S.
Published: May 2017

With the passage of the Rural Development Act of 1972 (Public Law 92–419), every state in the nation was challenged to provide rural development assistance through the land-grant universities. Operating under flexible guidelines, each state has proceeded differently. Comparison of various states’ programs provides some new insights on effective rural development programming.
1977 Food and Agricultural Policy: The Political Setting in Washington
Authors: Penn J. B.
Published: May 2017

The development of new food and agricultural legislation in 1977 has been subject to a number of constraints almost from the outset. First, the 95th Congress decided, after earlier trial use, to use the new budget process “in earnest” this session. This mandated that committees have bills reported to their respective bodies by May 15. Second, the President very early issued guidelines as to the levels of acceptable Federal outlays for programs in the bills — more expensive ones faced the strong threat of veto. Third, it was widely recognized that the basic or permanent legislation which comes in force if new legislation is not enacted would be virtually unworkable in today's economy. This provided further incentive for development of legislation acceptable to both branches. The Congress thus had to develop new legislation in a very short period to meet the new budget schedule, avoid writing a bill certain to be vetoed, and rush to complete action on the bill before the month-long August recess to avoid having the permanent legislation become operative.
Comparison of Density and Area Models for Anticipating Urban Growth in Eastern Massachusetts
Authors: Ogg Clayton W. , Green John W.
Published: May 2017

Growth in residential land use is a relatively visible and permanent change taking place in communities across Massachusetts and in many parts of New England. These changes have generated considerable public concern and have been the subject of professional study by several disciplines.
Optimal Crop Mix for Land Application of Municipal Wastewater
Authors: Young C. Edwin , Bradley Edward B. , Epp Donald J.
Published: May 2017

Least cost solutions for a three million gallon a day land application of municipal wastewater system are estimated for three levels of capital cost subsidy: no subsidy, 75 percent, and 85 percent. Irrigation of reed canarygrass is superior of alfalfa, corn, forests, and natural vegetation (weeds). The cost of a full year irrigation of reed canarygrass ranges from $493,000 to $565,000 depending upon the assumed value of reed canarygrass. If the local municipality minimizes its costs while receiving subsidies, inefficiencies result. Total costs to society can increase in excess of 65 percent of the minimum cost solution.
Multicollinearity: Effects, Symptoms, and Remedies
Authors: Willis Cleve E. , Perlack Robert D.
Published: May 2017

Multicollinearity is one of several problems confronting researchers using regression analysis. This paper examines the regression model when the assumption of independence among the independent variables is violated. The basic properties of the least squares approach are examined, the concept of multicollinearity and its consequences on the least squares estimators are explained. The detection of multicollinearity and alternatives for handling the problem are then discussed. The alternative approaches evaluated are variable deletion, restrictions on the parameters, ridge regression and Bayesian estimation.
Meeting the Demands For New Degree Programs and Course Offerings: The Experience at Maryland
Authors: Strand I. E. , Bender F. E.
Published: May 2017

During the past fifteen years, many changes have taken place in the curriculum of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland. Twelve new courses have been added, ten courses dropped and a new non-thesis Master's degree developed since the 1963–64 academic year.
Changes in Resource Economics and Community Development Programs: The New Hampshire Experience
Authors: Jansen Edmund F.
Published: May 2017

Agricultural economics became a formalized program at the University of New Hampshire fifty one years ago. During the first thirty five years, the program was primarily a traditional agricultural economics program emphasizing farm management, agricultural marketing, agricultural policy and related subjects. However, during the past fifteen years, the program has undergone profound changes and evolved into one which places emphasis on natural resource economics and community development. In this paper, I will discuss the evolution of the agriculture/resource economics at the University of New Hampshire and look at the changes in course offerings, student enrollment, faculty staffing and factors that have been responsible for the changes that have occurred. Then, I will discuss some of the factors that may influence the future trends in the Resource Economics teaching and research program during the next few years.
Effects of Research Priorities the Northeast Marketing and Competition Research Planning Steering Committee
Authors: Forker Olan D.
Published: May 2017

The Research Program Steering Committee on Marketing and Competition was created in 1977 by the Northeast Experiment Station Directors. It was one of ten such committees asked to develop a master research program to identify research areas of high priority, coordinate and consolidate current research programs, implement new approaches, and coordinate future research plans. This particular committee was asked to cover research programs in “Marketing and Competition” (RP 6.03). The Master Program, still in the development stage, is an indicative plan. It is designed to indicate needed areas of research and priorities and suggests a mechanism for encouraging the allocation of resources in the indicated directions. The effect on research priorities will depend on how well we did our job, on how seriously the limited number of involved researchers take our suggestions, and on the impact we all have on the allocation of funds and human resources.
The National Regional Research Planning System: An Example from Rural Development
Authors: Day Lee M.
Published: May 2017

Public decision makers generally and especially those in the executive branch of the Federal government are demanding increasing amounts of information on which to base research policy and budget decisions. Zero-based budgeting provides a mechanism for revealing the priorities of an organization in a very specific context. The Congress in more general terms is requesting advice on research priorities. Such developments as (1) the proposed cuts in formula grant funds (e.g., Hatch funds) and increases in competitive grant funds contained in FY 1979 executive budget for the USDA, (2) substantial critical testimony before Congressional committees by spokesmen for groups who believe they are underserved by the Land-Grant system (e.g., low income and minority groups), and (3) a possible tax revolt growing out of the recent California referendum, suggest that these demands for information are likely to increase rather than decrease.
The Need for More Financial Management — A Creditor's Viewpoint
Authors: Geiss Wilbert Charles
Published: May 2017

As manager of a Production Credit Association field office, I have had the opportunity to observe various management capabilities and operating tendencies of farm operators for the past several years. In this paper I will try to state several of my observations as an agricultural creditor working with farmers on their financial problems and relate these problems to the changing discipline of farm management.
Economic Comparison of Alternative Tillage Systems for Delaware Grain Farms
Authors: Ohannesian Judy
Published: May 2017

Modern farm management decisions deal with problems concerning the most profitable size and the best combination of enterprises for a given resource base. These decisions determine a farm's operational and/or organizational efficiency. In addition to selecting a new combination of enterprises, farm managers can make decisions on altering and changing their production practices. New methods allow the same products to be produced, but by a different technique. Situations may arise which also change a farm's resource base. A new method of production may enable a farm operator to continue at a desired output level, while decreasing a production input, thereby increasing efficiency of labor, land or capital.
Hill, New Hampshire Relocated: The Socio-Economic Impact of Regional Flood Control on a Small Community
Authors: Adler Steven P. , Jansen Edmund F.
Published: May 2017

This paper is a scenario of a decentralized land-use planning effort in a small New England community which faced extinction as a result of the construction of a flood control dam and reservoir in 1940. It reports on a study that was specifically designed to take a retrospective look at the social, political, and economic parameters from the pre-relocation period to post relocation. Also, social-psychological impacts were measured through an attitudinal study of the relocated and non-relocated populations of Hill.
Small Scale Farmers — The People Left Behind?
Authors: Christensen Robert L. , Ecker George A. , Wallace William H.
Published: May 2017

Over the past few years there has been a heightened interest in small scale agriculture. Increasing food costs, concern for the quality of food, a concept of self-sufficency, and a reawakening of interest in the positive attributes of rural life are among the reasons for this new attitude. At the national level, the problems of small farms has been explicitly recognized in the 1977 Farm Bill. The following amendments to the Rural Development Act of 1972 were enacted (U.S. Congress, 1977):

“(c) SMALL FARM RESEARCH PROGRAMS – Small farm research programs shall consist of programs of research to develop new approaches for initiating and upgrading small farmer operations through management techniques, agricultural production techniques, farm machinery technology, new products, new marketing techniques, and small farm finance.”

“(d) SMALL FARM EXTENSION PROGRAMS – Small farm extension programs shall consist of extension programs to improve operations of small farmers using, to the maximum extent practicable, paraprofessional personnel to work with small farmers on an intensive basis to initiate and improve management techniques, agricultural production techniques, farm machinery technology, marketing techniques, and small farm finance, and to increase utilization by small farmers of existing services offered by the United States Department of Agriculture and other public and private agencies and organizations.”
An Econometric Analysis of Atlantic Sea Scallop Markets
Authors: Storey David A. , Willis Cleve E.
Published: May 2017

The Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) is harvested in the waters off the coast of the northeastern United States and Canada by vessels from both countries. The Atlantic sea scallop fishery has been an important fishery in the Northeastern U.S. in recent decades. This is particularly true for New England where, during the quarter-century ending in 1976, over 10 percent of the value of all fish and shellfish landed was attributable to the harvest of sea scallops.
Estimating the Impact of Rising Transportation Fuel Costs on the Competitive Position of New England Agriculture
Authors: Christensen Robert L.
Published: May 2017

Transportation costs between production regions affect interregional competitive relations. Rising fuel costs have substantially changed the transfer cost function for motor truck transport. A method for estimating the direct impact on consumer and producer prices of fuel cost increases is presented. Example computations are made for long distance transport of vegetables, eggs, meat, and milk to illustrate the methodology. The implication of markup procedures by marketing firms on consumer prices is shown. Differential impacts on producers depend on the type of food product and scale of operation in New England. Impacts on consumer food budgets are suggested.
Evaluation of Agricultural Sediment Control Practices Relative to Water Quality Planning
Authors: Robillard Paul D. , Walter Michael F. , Hexem Roger W.
Published: May 2017

Control of sediment has become increasingly important as an element of many water quality improvement programs. An analytical method using the universal soil loss equation and linear programming to determine the cost-effectiveness of alternative sediment control practices is developed. Applications of this method to four case study farms and a hypothetical watershed are analyzed. The analyses illustrate the need for developing priorities so as to achieve greatest reduction in sediment losses per dollar of cost. The costs per unit of sediment reduction vary greatly with area, soil, and strategy or technique used.
Evaluation of the Base-Excess Plan for Leveling Seasonal Milk Production: Case Example of Maryland
Authors: Prindle Allen M.
Published: May 2017

Seasonal incentive plans, such as the base-excess plan, have been initiated to encourage producers to shift their production to be more similar to seasonal consumption patterns. The effectiveness of the seasonal incentive plan was evaluated by examining Maryland milk production data for the period 1966–78. The analysis indicated that month-to-month variation in milk production has increased in recent years, and suggests that current seasonal incentive plans be evaluated to encourage dairy producers to shift their production schedules.
The Role of Economic Analysis in Local Government Decision Making—A Public Choice Perspective
Authors: McDowell George R.
Published: May 2017

Conventional economic theory suggests that economists’ contribution to local government is primarily with respect to the production function type of knowledge. A characterization of local government decision making exposes some limitations on applicability of economic analysis of that kind. Public choice perspectives to local government help to redefine and elaborate the role of economic analysis in instructing local government decision making.
New Directions for Research in the 1980's
Authors: Sinclair Robert O.
Published: May 2017

As we enter a new decade, it seems logical to take stock of the state of our profession and to attempt to assess where we may be heading and what we may be doing in the years ahead. It may be less logical or enlightening to ask a research administrator to make this assessment. Furthermore, I believe that researchers themselves should be identifying the problems and mapping out the new directions. However, there will be certain institutional constraints that will play a significant role in your ability to carry out our research mission; and it is to these constraints that I wish to speak first.
New Directions in Northeast Teaching
Authors: Brand John P. H.
Published: May 2017

It has been ten years since I last spoke to this group; long enough for you to have forgotten what I said at that time. As an expatriate from the profession I am delighted to have this opportunity to meet with you again. I am especially pleased that you have chosen to meet here and on behalf of Dean E. J. Kersting I extend a very sincere welcome and best wishes for a successful program.
Indirect Employment and Income Distribution Impacts of Investment Programs
Authors: Stevens Thomas H. , Ngenge Wawa , McDowell George
Published: May 2017

Private and public investment programs are often implemented without adequate knowledge of their employment or income distribution impacts. For example, although numerous studies have been done on the environmental and economic efficiency aspects of electricity generation alternatives, relatively little is known of who will benefit and by how much.
The Use of Optimal Control Techniques for Managing the International Radio Spectrum
Authors: Altobello Marilyn A. , Diamond Joseph E.
Published: May 2017

Outer space would appear to be a natural resource whose use is characterized by open access and a minimum of congestion externalities. However, over the past two decades, there has been an increase in demand for the limited number of “orbital slots” for communications satellites, and over-crowding has become a problem in space. Recent studies commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Gamble et al., 1979 and Gabriszeski et al., 1979) concluded that demand for communications satellite circuits will increase many-fold between 1982 and the end of this century. This projected increase in demand is the result of the growing number of non-military uses for satellite activities such as weather and climate data collection and remote-sensing of the earth's resources. Another is simply the growing number of nations with interests and capabilities in advanced space technology. To illustrate, membership in the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, (Intelsat), the organization responsible for coordinating global telephone and television relays, has grown from 14 nations in 1964 to 101 in 1980.
Structural Change in the New England Egg Industry: A Markov Analysis
Authors: Skinner S. P. , Lee T. C. , Seaver S. K.
Published: May 2017

In recent years there has been a noticeable trend toward a small number of large farms and declining output in the Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire egg industries. This is partly due to increases in the costs of feed grains and freight rates [Skinner]. A significant change in farm income and cost after 1973 is also observed by Hwang. The purpose of this paper is to examine the changes in the size distribution of egg farmers in this three-state region over time as a Markov process. Also, the occurrence of a marked structural change in the egg industry during the period 1967 to 1978 is statistically examined. We also seek answers to questions such as the following: how many years can different-size egg farms survive in the face of increasing feed and energy costs? What will be the size distribution of egg farms, total number of layers, and egg output in the next decade?
Composition and Cost of Dairy Cow Rations with Varying Hay Crop Quality
Authors: Milligan Robert A. , Knoblauch Wayne A.
Published: May 2017

Researchers and extension personnel interested in dairy systems recognize the importance of high quality hay. It is generally assumed that feeding a higher quality hay should result in increased quantities of hay in the least cost balanced ration and thereby reduce total ration cost (Chase). The objective of this article is to quantify the direction and magnitude of changes in dairy cow ration composition and cost with increased hay crop quality.
Poverty, the Cities, and the Food Delivery System
Authors: Marion Donald R.
Published: May 2017

Entering the decade of the 80's, the U.S. faces a number of difficult challenges carried over from the decade just ended. A pressing domestic problem is that of poverty, and its many manifestations. Major cities are confronted with a particularly difficult problem. Concentrations of low-income persons, unemployment, congestion, dilapidated structures, high crime rates, struggling education systems, and deteriorated business and economic conditions, create a seemingly impossible morass of redevelopment problems. One aspect of the decline of the cities that has had particularly serious consequences, is the gradual deterioration of the food delivery system there. It is especially critical because of its implications for the diets and budgets of low-income families.
The Cost of Air Pollution Abatement—The Case of New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program
Authors: Rossi Daniel , Palmini Dennis J.
Published: May 2017

New Jersey is the most urbanized state in the nation; correspondingly, it also has the highest motor vehicle density, averaging 467 vehicles per square mile in 1976. In some metropolitan areas of the state, vehicle density may exceed 15,000 vehicles per square mile (New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection 1976). Motor vehicles are considered responsible for significant emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides (New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection 1978). Because of growing concern about these emissions, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) decided to adopt an in-use motor vehicle exhaust emission testing program; this could be incorporated easily into the already-existing automotive safety inspection program and thus was calculated to be more cost effective than alternative strategies as well as being less disruptive to the state's transportation system (New Jersey).
Fiscal Trends and Enrollment Change in Rural School Districts
Authors: Alter Theodore R. , Moore Dan E.
Published: May 2017

Until recently, the dominant demographic trend in the United States had been an increasing flow of people from rural to urban areas and a concentration of population in the nation's cities. Early in the 1970s, however, it became clear that this historically dominant trend had been reversed. People were leaving the cities for the countryside, and nonmetropolitan areas were experiencing higher population growth rates than metropolitan areas. The now familiar “turnaround” along with the socioeconomic characteristics of metro to nonmetro migrants and their reasons for moving has been well documented in the literature (Beale, 1975; Zuiches and Brown; Fugitt and Voss). Most evidence indicates that this trend emerges from a decline in metropolitan growth rates and an increase in nonmetropolitan growth rates originating twenty to thirty years ago, and is likely to be with us for some time into the future (Fugitt and Voss, pp. 10 and 37).
Food Prices and Rising Energy Costs
Authors: Lamm R. McFall
Published: May 2017

Higher relative prices for energy and food are often referenced as important continuing problems in the United States. For example, the Council on Wage and Price Stability attributed 5.2 percent of the 18 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in early 1980 to higher crude oil prices and described energy prices as “uncontrollable.” Similarly, the substantial upward movements in food prices during 1978 and 1979 were identified by policy-makers as a major source of inflation and stimulated Congressional hearings and an Administration investigation of the causes of rising food prices.
Puzzles for Agricultural Economists in the 1980's
Authors: Tweeten Luther
Published: May 2017

The role of the economist is to identify and solve puzzles. Unsolved puzzles seem to crop up more frequently these days or perhaps my ability to solve them has diminished. The purpose of this paper is to set forth selected enigmas in hope that someone (perhaps a bright, young mind who fails to appreciate the intractability of the problem) will find solutions. I begin with national macroeconomic policy, then turn to international economics. After looking at past trends in supply and demand for farm output, I conclude with sections on farm investment behavior and the role of the agricultural economist in an affluent farming economy.
The Potential for Economic Development in Rural Communities in the Northeast
Authors: Goode Frank M.
Published: May 2017

Recently released reports of the 1980 Census of Population has again focussed attention on the relatively poor economic performance of the Northeast region. This paper suggests that the labor costs and market conditions that have allegedly been responsible for the movement of traditional manufacturing out of the Northeast may be changing. Thus, this movement will not be a “drag” on the future economic development of the Northeast. The potential “turnaround” in the Northeast is suggested by the recent economic performance in New England and by Pittsburgh's ability to attract firms in rapidly growing manufacturing sectors.
The Effects of Industrialization on Farm Income Distribution and Farm Numbers in New England
Authors: Somwaru A. , Lee T. C. , Seaver S. K.
Published: May 2017

Affected by industrialization, agriculture in New England adapts to economic changes. Farms have become either large commercial units or small part time farms. Distributions of farm income have changed from an inverted-J distribution to a U-shaped distribution in the past three decades. Farm income grows slower and shows a larger dispersion in urban counties than in rural counties. Analyses of census data support the hypotheses (1) that farm income is lognormally distributed and (2) that industrialization has a complementary effect on agriculture while growth of urbanization essentially reduces farm numbers mostly in middle income classes.
Milk-Hauling Rates: A Self-Imposed Constraint with Differential Effects Upon Large and Small Farms
Authors: Karpoff Edward , Webster Fred C.
Published: May 2017

Costs impose restraints upon all activities. Certain costs chargeable to a sector of an industry–as for example, milk assembly and hauling costs–must be broken down from their total into the shares chargeable to individual users. When there is flexibility in this apportionment of cost shares, part of the burden upon the individual shipper becomes an industry-apportioned constraint upon individual firms, in this case dairymen-shippers. An alternative means of apportioning hauling costs is suggested, to retain large shippers in the conventional hauling system, and to sustain that system for the benefit of small dairymen.
The Effect of Higher Energy Prices on the Competitive Position of Northeast Agriculture
Authors: Dunn James W.
Published: May 2017

Major increases in energy prices since 1973 have raised considerable interest in the effect of a continuation of these increases on interregional competition. There is speculation in the Northeast that a general increase in energy prices will cause agricultural production to shift closer to the consumers. This production shift supposedly will lead to self-sufficiency in many products which were once grown in the Northeast and are now largely imported from other regions. This paper uses a simple interregional trade model to estimate the possible impact of higher energy prices on interregional competition, and on the Northeast in particular. It does this by assuming values for the relevant variables in the model and estimating the changes in the system. A range of values are used to estimate the sensitivity of the conclusions to the assumptions.
Small Farm Businesses: A Typology of Farm, Operator, and Family Characteristics with Implications for Public Research and Extension Policy
Authors: Buttel Frederick H. , Gertler Michael E.
Published: May 2017

Data from a 1979 New York survey were analyzed to develop a systematic multivariate typology of small farmers (i.e., operators of small farm businesses) which would be useful in designing and targeting public programs. Farm business size, operator's age, and off-farm employment were the most important dimensions of variation. A typology was constructed by successive dichotomization of low and moderate sales volume farms; operators 49 years of age and under, and 50 and over; and families with and without off-farm income. Means for economic and social indicators were computed for each of the resulting eight categories. Low sales volume farm families with relatively old operators and without off-farm employment were found to experience very low total family incomes. Suggestions are made regarding how public extension and research programs may be developed and targeted with specific categories of the most needy small farmers in mind.
Municipal Bond Ratings: Are They Worthwhile for Rural Governments?
Authors: Sullivan Patrick J.
Published: May 2017

Rural governments in the Northeast purchased credit ratinqs for a high percentage of their general obligation bonds sold in 1977. This paper examines the effect credit ratings had on the interest cost of GO bonds sold by nonmetro governments in the Northeast. The results suggest that the decision to purchase a rating may be a costly error under certain circumstances.
Marketing Alternatives for Northeastern Dairy Beef and Feeder Calves
Authors: Lesser William
Published: May 2017

Raising livestock has always been a difficult and arduous occupation. The financial risks are substantial and the long-term returns in many instances are merely adequate, at best. When the cattle are raised in fringe producing areas, such as much of the Northeast, the complexities are magnified. Producers must use additional managerial expertise to offset partially their cost disadvantage compared to feeders operating in more grain-rich areas.
Is Self-Sufficiency a Legitimate Goal for Northeast Agriculture?
Authors: Tyrrell Timothy J. , Anderson Glen D. , Weaver Thomas F.
Published: May 2017

In any society a loss of confidence in the capacity of contemporary institutions and leadership to deal with current problems creates anxieties and feelings of loss of control. A classical reaction to such stress is efforts to return to earlier, presumably simpler, institutional forms and lifestyles, thereby regaining control and the lost sense of purpose and direction. Today in the Northeast, as in much of the nation, many people are alarmed by the recent disturbances and shocks to the American way of life: the energy shortage, the threat of nuclear disaster, high unemployment and prices, faltering state and local finances, and a recurring credibility gap at all levels of government. The perceived inability of institutional forms to deal with these concerns has fostered a re-examination of individual, local and regional goals and a rediscovery of more traditional values based on self-reliance. One manifestation of this phenomenon is the promotion in the region by some professionals and laymen alike of a policy of self-sufficiency in agricultural production.
Spatial and Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Labor Force Participation Rates
Authors: Beck Roger , Jansma J. Dean
Published: May 2017

An economically viable rural American is generally accepted as a desirable national goal, but few policy guidelines or comprehensive programs1 for attaining this goal have been developed. One reason for the current “piece-meal” approach in pursuing rural development goals is the lack of knowledge about basic economic interactions between the factors influencing the level and distribution of economic activities in rural areas. A second reason is the tendency to design rural development research and extension programs to attain quick payoffs which results in descriptive studies which emphasize what rather than why certain events are occurring in rural areas.
The Distribution of Benefits from Industrialization in Rural Areas: Some Findings
Authors: Bieker Richard F.
Published: May 2017

Industrialization has long been proposed as a policy for promoting regional economic growth and reducing the incidence of unemployment, poverty and dependency in lagging regions (Smith). Such policy proposals are based on the trickle down theory. This theory holds that economic development results in an increase in the demand for skilled labor which in turn results in an upgrading of the positions of the semiskilled, unskilled, and unemployed. The result is economic growth and a reduction in the incidence of unemployment, poverty and dependency and the degree of income inequality in the area.
The Efficiency of the Family Dairy Farm Over its Life Cycle
Authors: Tauer Loren W.
Published: May 2017

This paper presents empirical measures of the efficiency of the New York family dairy farm over its life cycle. The increase and then decrease in farm efficiency with age is only minor. Factors not correlated with age are much more important in determining efficiency. Exiting farmers who appear not to have children to take over the family farm are managing and maintaining the farm as well as exiting farmers who have potential future farming children.