One of the most fundamental and traditional risk management tools available to agricultural producers is a savings account. Cash reserves in savings provide a safety net for producers, allowing financial obligations and living expenses to be met when unexpected shortfalls in income occur. Crop...

Higher commodity price expectations have led to increases in cash lease rates nationwide. This study evaluates the farm level impacts of higher cash lease rates. Current levels of cash rents along with land tenure arrangements of specific farms are instrumental in determining the impacts of...

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”...

This study evaluates the farm level economic impacts of implementing a whole farm revenue insurance program in lieu of current government program payments on agricultural producers in major production areas of the United States. Realizing a multitude of viable options exist, this study...