THE IMPACT OF LOCAL LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS ON THE OFF-FARM EARNINGS OF FARM OPERATORS

Local labor market characteristics are theoretically relevant to the determination of off-farm earnings of farm operators, but the empirical analysis of these effects has been hindered by a lack of appropriate data. This study employs the new census public use micro-data sample, PUMS-D, to investigate the effect of local labor market characteristics on off-farm earnings of farm operators. The PUMS-D data allow local characteristics to be defined on a labor market area basis, rather than on a political boundary basis. For a sample of Georgia farm operators, local labor market size, unemployment rates, and industrial structure were found to have significant impacts on off-farm employment and earnings.Labor and Human Capital,

ON- AND OFF-FARM DIVERSIFICATION

The present paper brings together two strands of literature by analysing the interrelationship between on-farm and off-farm diversification econometrically. Estimation results from simultaneous bivariate probit models suggest that on-farm and off-farm diversification decisions are closely related. The degree of diversification is significantly lower for farms where the farm operator works off-the farm. On the other hand, the probability of entering into the off-farm labour market declines with the degree of diversification in farm production.Farm Management,

TAX INCENTIVES: AN EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES?

As national and local economies become more globalized, many rural areas are going to find it more difficult to compete for private capital investments. A traditional tool, modifications to tax policy, of state and local governments will not be as effective (for many communities it has never been effective) in the future. These communities will need to seek other avenues of growth. However, for many rural communities even alternative avenues will not lead to enhanced economic opportunity.agglomeration, rural development, tax policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, R51, R58, O21, O23, R11, R38,

Acceptability of Videoconference Technology for the Delivery of Continuing Education to Rural Pharmacists

Videoconference technology is a valuable tool for the delivery of carefully structured CE sessions in rural and remote areas with an appropriate information technology infrastructure

Farm-gate phosphorus balances and soil phosphorus concentrations on intensive dairy farms in the south-west of Ireland

peer-reviewedThis project was part funded by the European Research and Development Fund under INTERREG IIIB: Green Dairy Project Number 100 and partly by the Dairy Levy. Financial support for post-graduate students involved in this study was provided by the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Scheme.Phosphorus (P) loss to water is a significant threat to water quality in Ireland. Agriculture is an important source of this P. There is concern about balancing agronomic requirements and environmental protection in regulations prescribing P management on farms. This study examined farm-gate (P) balances and soil test P (STP) concentrations on 21 dairy farms in the south west of Ireland over four years, from 2003 to 2006 inclusive. Stocking density on the farms averaged 2.4 (s.d. = 0.4) livestock units (LU) per ha. Annual mean import of P onto farms was 21.6 (1.9) kg P/ha. Fertilizer P accounted for 47% (0.041), concentrates 35% (0.060) and organic manures 18% (0.034) of imported P. The mean annual P balance per farm was 9.4 (1.2) kg/ha, ranging from –3 to 47 kg/ha and mean P use efficiency was 0.71 (0.05) ranging from 0.24 to 1.37. The mean STP per farm following extraction using Morgan’s solution was 8.15 (2.9) mg/L of soil and ranged from 4.4 (2.2) to 14.7 (6.4) mg/L. There was a positive relationship (R2 = 0.34; P < 0.01) between STP and P balance; farms with a deficit of P tended to have agronomically sub-optimal STP and vice versa. The high between- and withinfarm variation in STP indicates that farmers were either unaware or were not making efficient use of STP results, and consequently there was agronomically sub-optimal soil P status in some fields and potentially environmentally damaging excesses on others (often within one farm). There was considerable potential to improve P management practices on these farms with clear agronomic and environmental benefits.European UnionTeagasc Walsh Fellowship ProgrammeDairy Levy Fun