How Big Will Our Farms Get?

The cost economics which come with different sizes of forms aren\u27t the only factors which affect form size. But, coupled with risk and uncertainty, they do have an important influence on changes in farm size

Custom Rates for Farm Machinery

Iowa farmers are hiring more custom work done on their farms than they used to. And it\u27s a logical adjustment. Farmers can\u27t always afford to invest in a complete line of invest of a complete line of machinery just for their own needs. The size of their operation may not justify it

Agriculture and Changing Natural Gas Prices

For the period of analysis, 1982 through 1987, the impacts on agriculture that result from increasing natural gas prices are examined. Two types of models are used in the analysis -- econometric and linear programming. These models are linked together so that a short-run multi-period analysis can be conducted. The econometric model represents national demand for agricultural commodities and projects next year\u27s price while the linear programming component is an agricultural supply model

The 1961 Feed-Grain Program - Who Took Part?

The voluntary feed-grain program was an attempt to halt the build-up of surplus feed grains. Interviews with farmers in 12 Iowa counties reveal traits of farm operators who did and did not take part in the program

Farm size adjustments in Iowa and cost economies in crop production for farms of different sizes

The relation of cost economies to size of farm has been a subject of considerable speculation in Iowa. Farmers are interested in farms of different sizes because cost advantages or disadvantages have an important bearing on farm profits. Other segments of the population have also been interested in size and scale economies in farming. Many people put forth the hypothesis that modern farming methods give very great cost economies to the large acreage. The supposition is: Mechanization results in very low per-acre costs for large units and a danger exists that these cost advantages will give rise to large-scale units which cause the liquidation of family-farm units. Whether or not a threat of this nature actually exists depends on the costs associated with farms of different sizes. Discussion of farm size has gone on with very little knowledge of the cost economies realized in different types of agriculture. Certain aspects of cost are, however, evident: (1) Cost economies are likely greatest in grain and crop farming systems; mechanization has been developed particularly around these enterprises. Important changes have taken place in production of livestock. fruit and vegetable crops. However, the adaptation of mechanization to these enterprises has not been great. (2) If foods and fibers are to be produced efficiently, and farm families are to have favorable incomes, the size of the farm must be great enough to attain some of the efficiencies inherent in mechanization. Farms that are too small will result in low income

Optimum allocation of resources between pasture improvement and other opportunities on southern Iowa farms

Pasture land represents an important portion of the total land in southern Iowa. One opportunity for increasing resource productivity and farm incomes in this part of the state is to invest capital in pasture improvement. Experiments show that capital invested in pasture improvement and renovation, and the livestock to utilize the increased forage production, can greatly increase the value of products produced on land unadapted to continuous cropping; yields of forage and livestock products can be increased as much as threefold. However, the practices of improving and renovating pastures are proceeding at a slow rate. One reason suggested is capital limitations. Most farmers operate with limited funds. Accordingly, if they are to make greatest profits, they must use each dollar, acre and labor hour where it will bring the greatest return. The question is not so much whether pasture improvement and renovation is profitable; but whether it is more profitable than alternative uses of scarce capital and labor. For example, pasture improvement may cost $5 per year and return$8 In the same period. It is profitable in this sense: Each $1 In costs returns$1.60 in sales. However, if the same $1 invested in fertilizer for crops or in hogs returns$1.80, pasture improvement should not be included in the farming plan until these more profitable opportunities have been fully exploited. It should, of course, be included before other investments which return less than $1.60

An appraisal of factors affecting the acceptance and use of fertilizer in Iowa, 1953

In 1953 Iowa State College and the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook a research project to determine (1) characteristics of Iowa farmers who use varying amounts of fertilizer and different fertilization practices, (2) informational sources important in the acceptance and use of fertilizer, (3) extent of use and handling of fertilizer on the farm and (4) quantitative relationships between fertilizer use and specified factors considered to influence fertilizer use. A scientifically selected statewide sample of 532 farms was the basis of this report.https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/specialreports/1013/thumbnail.jp

Optimum farm plans for beginning farmers on Tama-Muscatine soils

Farming has become an increasingly complex and competitive industry. The difficulties of farm planning have increased accordingly for all farmers, but particularly for beginning farmers. Getting started is difficult because of the relatively high capital investment required for purchasing machinery, livestock and other supplies. Too, the problem of finding the most profitable organization of crops, livestock enterprises and farming practices is especially difficult for the beginner because there are many combinations of these possibilities available for different levels of capital. No one of these combinations of enterprises and practices can be used as a standard recommendation to young farmers who have varying amounts of funds. The most profitable crop and livestock plan for the operator with a small amount of capital will not also be the most profitable for the, operator with a larger amount of funds

What Approach to Watershed Management?

A study of one Iowa watershed by USDA and Iowa State University economists points up the need for examining alternative methods for watershed management in controlling soil erosion and damage-producing runoff

Milk production functions in relation to feed inputs, cow characteristics and environmental conditions

The main emphasis of this study is on milk production functions as they relate to various levels and proportions of grain and hay in a ration restricted to these two feeds. However, certain auxiliary variables representing cow characteristics and environmental conditions are also incorporated into the production function. The auxiliary variables include: stage of lactation, milk-producing ability, temperature, age, maturity, body weight and a coefficient of inbreeding. These auxiliary variables are fixed at different levels to allow expression of milk production functions when the characteristics of cows are set at different magnitudes. This study considers the economic optima in ration specification for dairy cows and represents a cooperative interdisciplinary effort. The estimates allow derivation of production surfaces, milk isoclines and isoquants, marginal rates of feed substitution and profit-maximizing rations for cows of different characteristics (maturity, ability, inbreeding, weight) producing under specified environmental conditions