Infectious diseases play a critical role in determining the profitability of individual farms and maintaining the viability of livestock industries, international trade, and trade policies. Thus, it is critical to analyze the economic consequences of infectious diseases, and the effects of...

Replaced with revised version of paper 06/08/11.

Farm performance measures based upon 10 years of individual farm data are linearly regressed on risk preferences of 41 dairy farmers. Greater aversion to risk produces a lower average but more stable income, although the importance of risk preferences in determining long-run performance appears...