Three Essays: Valuation for and Marketing Spillover of Discolored Beef and Employer Willingness to Pay for Recent College Graduate Attributes

This dissertation is comprised of two essays focusing on discoloration in retail beef, with the third essay evaluating the value to employers of recent college graduate attributes.Consumers prefer beef to be bright cherry-red. As beef becomes discolored we expect consumers are willing to pay less for it. The first study's objective is to determine the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for varying levels of discoloration within both beef steak and ground beef relative to non-discolored beef. Two types of discoloration are considered: coverage (percent of surface area discolored) and intensity (the darkness of the discoloration). The estimated WTP discounts can be useful to retailers as they attempt to minimize losses associated with discolored beef.The second study continues with the theme of discolored beef. Whereas the first study was concerned with the value of the discolored beef, the second study focuses on the value of and preferences for non-discolored beef when marketed together with discolored beef. It is plausible that marketing discolored beef alongside non-discolored beef may have a spillover effect on the value of the non-discolored beef. This study is concerned with determining if a spillover effect exists and determining the direction of the effect.The third study is unrelated to the first two essays. In this essay we introduce a new method of stated preference valuation called design valuation. This method operates by defining a general good as a collection of attributes and assigning prices to those attributes. Respondents are then asked to design their optimal good based on selecting any combination of those attributes. By varying the attribute prices within and across surveys, the value of each attribute can be inferred. We apply the design valuation method to accomplish the purpose of this study which is to estimate the value employers place on various college graduate attributes. We add to the literature on recent college graduate attribute valuation by further classifying attribute values by employer type. Four employer type classifications are used; those that prefer to hire graduates from an agricultural, business, engineering, or other college

Size and Scope of Utah Agriculture 2019

Utah is part of the Mountain West region of states and is bordered by Idaho to the north, Wyoming to the northeast, Colorado to the east, Arizona to the south, and Nevada to the west. It also shares its southeast corner with New Mexico. As of July 1, 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau (2019) estimated the population of Utah was 3,205,958. This fact sheet explores the land use and ownership, climate and growing season, crop and livestock production, irrigation, and information regarding farm income and operators in the state of Utah

A Financial Analysis of Alternative Levels of Facility Investment Associated with Installing an Automatic Milking System

This fact sheet models some of the key variables impacting profitability of AMS and explicitly considers three different levels of capital investment in facilities in addition to the capital cost of the AMS. The specific objective is to determine how the level of capital investment in additional facilities impacts the profitability of an AMS

Size and Scope of Daggett County Agriculture 2020

Daggett County is located along the eastern top border of Utah. To the north, Daggett County is bordered by Wyoming while Colorado shares its border to the east. Other surrounding Utah counties include Uintah, Duchesne, and Summit. In the 19th century, the area was a favorite for mountain men, fur trappers, and traders. Ranching and farming have always played an important role in Daggett County. Its primary economic base today comes from tourism and recreation. The population was estimated at 1,029 in 2017. This fact sheet provides details on the land ownership, growing season, crop and livestock production, and farm income of Daggett County agriculture

Size and Scope of Garfield County Agriculture 2019

This fact sheet profiles the size and scope of agriculture in Garfield County, Utah. It includes location, land ownership, growing season, crop and livestock production, and farm income and age of operator

Size and Scope of Kane County Agriculture 2019

Kane County is located on the southern border of Utah. It borders Arizona on the south. Other surrounding Utah counties include Washington, Iron, Garfield, and San Juan. The economy consists of tourism, services, and agriculture. Some points of interest in Kane County are Lake Powell along the eastern border, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 7,567. This fact sheet details the growing season, farm income, and crop and livestock production of Kane County

Size and Scope of Piute County Agriculture 2019

Piute County is located in the south-central part of Utah. The county seat is Junction and the largest city is Circleville. Other surrounding Utah counties include Sevier, Wayne, Garfield, Iron, and Beaver. In 2017, the population was estimated at 1,420, making it the second least populated county in Utah. This fact sheet provides details on the land ownership, growing season, crop and livestock production, and farm income of Piute County agriculture

Size and Scope of Utah County Agriculture 2019

Utah County is located in the middle of the state. The county seat and largest city is Provo. As of 2018, the population of the county was estimated at 622,213. The Wasatch Mountain Range is in the eastern portion of the county. The elevation drops quickly from the mountains in the east to the Utah Lake valley in the center of the county. This fact sheet reviews land ownership, crop and livestock production, and farm income and age of operators

Size and Scope of Tooele County Agriculture 2019

Tooele County is in northwestern Utah. It borders Nevada. Other surrounding Utah counties include Box Elder, Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Juab. As of 2017, the population of Tooele County was estimated at 67,456. The Great Salt Lake Desert covers much of the western portion of the county while the eastern portion contains many small towns outside of Salt Lake City. Tooele County is the second-largest county in Utah. This fact sheet reviews the land ownership, growing season, crop and livestock production, and farm income and age of farm operators in Tooele County

Size and Scope of Sanpete County Agriculture 2019

This fact sheet describes the size and scope of agriculture in Sanpete County, including growing season, crop production, livestock production, farm income, and age of operator