America’s agricultural producers continue to age. According to the U.S. Census of Agriculture, the average age of farm operators increased from 55.3 in 2002 to 57.1 in 2007. During the same period, the Census shows a thirty percent decrease in the number of farmers under the age of 25. Young...

Switchgrass (panicum virgatum L.), a viable option for second-generation renewable fuels, has an extended harvest window with optimal harvest affected by yield, storage losses and nutrient uptake. This research shows that optimal harvest occurs later than maximum yield for Haskell, OK and...

A spreadsheet-based tool that tracks cow-calf producer net returns (NR) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was used to determine the impact of calving season for three typical farm sizes and four fertilization strategies in Arkansas. Economic and environmental changes were examined for spring,...

Concern over GHG emissions has producers analyzing cattle production alternatives. One way producers can modify emissions is by changing herd sire genetics. The ‘Bull Estimator’, part of a recently developed cow-calf profitability and GHG spreadsheet tool, shows that genetic change can...

U.S. agriculture has seen a decrease in of producers under the age of 35 entering agriculture for the past thirty years. This paper will explore the design and possible implementation of an innovative loan program designed give qualifying new young and beginning producers concessionary interest...

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has determined that agricultural irrigation in Arkansas’ Delta is unsustainable with significant negative economic repercussions on producers net returns affected by the Alluvial aquifer. This study examines how irrigation restrictions in that region would...

With the Waxman-Markey Bill passing the House and the Obama administration’s push to reduce carbon emissions, the likelihood of the implementation of some form of a carbon policy is increasing. This study estimates the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the six largest crops produced in...

This study conducts a life cycle assessment (LCA) of carbon emissions and estimates the carbon sequestered in 14 commonly sown rice varieties across the Arkansas Delta. Given the uncertainty regarding future carbon legislation, and increased consumer and industry demand for “greener”...

A static, producer profit maximization framework is used to capture county level land use choice on the basis of profitability, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the farm gate as well as soil carbon sequestration as affected by tillage and soil type. Policy scenarios of a 5% GHG cap on...