A survey was conducted to determine U.S. grass-fed beef producer perceptions of important challenges facing the industry. The most important challenges facing grass-fed beef producers were shortage of processors, lack of a clear marketing system, pasture management problems, and the long period...

We estimate a production function for U.S. dairy farming to examine the productivity of organic and non-organic dairy production by system and size. Across organic/non-organic systems and size classes, size is the major determinant of competitiveness based on various measures of productivity and...

Annually, cow-calf producers face the decision of whether to sell their calves at weaning or to retain ownership of them. This study determines how animal characteristics, carcass quality, and a supplemental prepartum feeding program for cows impacts returns to retaining ownership of calves...

Native warm-season grasses (NWSGs) have demonstrated potential to reduce summer forage variability in the region, and there has been growing interest in the use of NWSGs as a lignocellulosic biomass crop. The objectives of this research were to determine if there was a difference in beef yield...

This study examines preferences for cattle traits using mixed logit and latent class models. Choice experiment data from a 2013 mail survey of 1,052 U.S. grass-fed beef producers were used. Preliminary results indicate that producers prefer lower-priced, heavy, black, and easy-to-handle feeders...

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) was introduced in 2002 but not implemented until September, 2008. COOL required covered commodities to indicate their country of origin. Among other commodities, COOL applied to muscle cuts and ground beef. Canada and Mexico won a WTO complaint against the U.S....

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) beef grading system plays an important role in marketing and promoting of beef. USDA graders inspect beef carcasses and determine quality grade within a few seconds. Although the graders are well-trained, the nature of this grading process may...

Brazil is the fourth largest country in milk production and both production and consumption of dairy products are growing fast. However, it is unknown how the dairy sector reacts to exogenous shocks. A structural econometric model of the Brazilian dairy sector is used to analyze the consequences...

Beef is the most commonly consumed red meat and a major source of protein for US consumers. High-quality beef products are sold with substantial premiums, but the specific beef attributes by which high-quality standards are determined remain ambivalent. Most attribute studies have focused on...