Farmer productivity by age was estimated, allowing for differences because of efficiency and returns to scale. Using Census of Agriculture data, estimates vary by state, but returns to scale average 1.07. Efficiency increases average 4.5 percent every ten years of age, to the age interval 35 to...

Labor Requirements Decrease with Larger Herd

The Dixit entry/exit real option model was applied to the entry/exit decisions of New York dairy farmers. For the cost structure of a 500-cow farm the entry milk price is $17.52 per hundredweight (cwt.) and the exit milk price is $10.84. For the 50-cow farm cost structure the entry price is...

The majority of farm families have not named a successor nor developed an up-to-date farm business transition and estate plan. This program effort was designed to enable these farm families gain a better understanding of the process required and thus develop and implement a farm transition and...