Economics of Enhanced Livestock Production

Production Economics,

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OUT-SOURCING FROM STATE AGENCIES IN BISMARCK TO RURAL NORTH DAKOTA

This investigation of the potential savings to the State of North Dakota because of reduced office space and labor costs and alternatively, the potential benefits to rural communities of increasing employment by adding some state agency jobs was stimulated by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4006, which directed the Legislative Council to study state agency office space needs to determine the feasibility and desirability of transferring state agencies or state employees to rural areas. The objective of this analysis was two-fold; (1) determine the cost difference of operating offices in Bismarck versus rural communities and (2) determine the local/regional economic impacts of the potential jobs. The results indicated that development of satellite data processing offices may be a way for the State of North Dakota to save resources by decreasing operating expenses for wages and office rent. The increase in telecommunication costs would not outweigh the benefits. Furthermore, the metro areas of North Dakota do not have an excess capacity in local services (e.g., schools, city services) which means the metro areas are faced with additional investments in public infrastructure that many rural communities would not be faced with. The economic benefits to rural areas could be substantial; a satellite office with 5 employees in Bowman, North Dakota, would have the same relative impact as a new employer with 209 jobs in Bismarck.out-sourcing, economic impact, data processing, economic development, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING PLANTS IN NORTH DAKOTA: SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

The socioeconomic impact of four agricultural processing plants on their respective North Dakota communities was investigated. The objectives were (1) to evaluate the impact of plant construction and operation on economic, demographic, public service, and fiscal structures of rural areas and (2) to develop a set of general principles and recommended actions for community leaders to follow when a new agricultural processing facility is being considered. The selected communities were Carrington (Foster County), Jamestown (Stutsman County), New Rockford (Eddy County), and Wapheton (Richland County). In-depth personal interviews of community leaders were conducted in each community. In addition, a representative from the agricultural processing plant was also interviewed. Subsequently, a random drop-off/pick-up survey was conducted in the communities. A total of 469 questionnaires (85 percent response rate) were completed by community residents. Improved job opportunities and enhanced incomes were seen as major benefits to the local communities with the addition of the agricultural processing plants. Except for a few management and engineering positions, most of the available jobs were filled by area residents. The addition of the plants did not result in a large in-migration of people to fill positions. The residents' incomes were enhanced by the payroll of the plants. The areas where the plants are located had experienced a declining population base for some time. The siting of these plants did not reverse this trend; however, the employment of the processing plants did help slow the depopulation trend. The availability of 'affordable' housing was a concern in most of the communities. Most of the plant workers wages ($9-13/hour) would not allow for purchasing a new or existing homes in these communities. In one community, there were vacant homes which had been forfeited to the city in-lieu of property taxes. These homes have since been sold and are contributing property taxes to the community. Availability of day care was an issue in all communities. Also, if the plants operated on a 24 hour schedule, extended hour day care was an issue. Two of the communities in which the processing plants operated 24 hours per day offered extended hour day care, but in both cases the demand for extended day care did not justify the additional expense. The short- and long-term implications of local tax abatements were an issue for all communities. Some felt that local governments were leveraging the community's fiscal resources too much, while others believed that the community needed to be more concerned with the longer-term implications of tax abatements. At any rate, the consensus was that residents needed to be kept informed regarding commitments being made to a project and the implications of those commitments. Community leader advice to other communities considering economic development projects could generally be categorized as 1) appropriateness of project and compatibility with community, 2) infrastructure planning and financing, 3) anticipating issues and needs, and 4) development approach and attitude.agricultural processing, community impact, economic development, Agribusiness,

IMPEDIMENTS TO CONTROLLING LEAFY SPURGE IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS

Leafy spurge is an invasive noxious weed, which by definition means it is inordinately difficult to control. The objective of this report is to present the results of focus group meetings and personal interviews with ranchers, local decision makers, and public land managers to discover strategies to improve leafy spurge management. Participants in the interviews and focus group meetings managed property in Fallon, Carter, and Wibaux Counties of Montana; Golden Valley, Bowman, Billings, and Slope Counties of North Dakota; Harding County of South Dakota; and Crook County of Wyoming. Ranchers and local decision makers believe that leafy spurge control must become more proactive rather than reactive; current strategies are largely reactive. Interviews with ranchers and local decision makers revealed that a considerable gap in understanding how to control leafy spurge exists between researchers and those attempting to combat the weed. Interviewers often mentioned that they have been unable to eradicate leafy spurge, which indicates that the current mind set of ranchers and land managers needs to change to one focusing more on controlling and managing leafy spurge rather than eradication. Specific recommendations would include 1) reducing the current levels of herbicide application rates - which are often two to three times higher than rates recommended by weed scientists, 2) must appreciate that herbicides are but one tool in the battle against leafy spurge, 3) must understand that in many cases eradication of leafy spurge will not be possible - the goal should be trying to control it, and 4) rangeland rental rates need to reflect current levels of weed infestations. Records of weed infestations (e.g., acreage, location, rate of spread, attempts at control) on public lands are woefully inadequate. Cooperation between ranchers, county weed boards, and public land agencies could be improved to enhance the effectiveness of existing control programs. Weed control regardless of land ownership is important for ranchers, absentee landowners, and public agencies to effectively control leafy spurge. In general, ranchers and land managers need to generate a broader base of support for control of leafy spurge, since the weed attacks the entire ecosystem and is not just an agricultural problem.leafy spurge management, ranchers, county weed boards, public land managers, policy makers, Farm Management, Production Economics,

Inhibition of DNA ejection from bacteriophage by Mg+2 counterions

The problem of inhibiting viral DNA ejection from bacteriophages by multivalent counterions, specifically Mg$^{+2}$ counterions, is studied. Experimentally, it is known that MgSO$_4$ salt has a strong and non-monotonic effect on the amount of DNA ejected. There exists an optimal concentration at which the minimum amount of DNA is ejected from the virus. At lower or higher concentrations, more DNA is ejected from the capsid. We propose that this phenomenon is the result of DNA overcharging by Mg$^{+2}$ multivalent counterions. As Mg$^{+2}$ concentration increases from zero, the net charge of DNA changes from negative to positive. The optimal inhibition corresponds to the Mg$^{+2}$ concentration where DNA is neutral. At lower/higher concentrations, DNA genome is charged. It prefers to be in solution to lower its electrostatic self-energy, which consequently leads to an increase in DNA ejection. By fitting our theory to available experimental data, the strength of DNA$-$DNA short range attraction energies, mediated by Mg$^{+2}$, is found to be $-$0.004 $k_BT$ per nucleotide base. This and other fitted parameters agree well with known values from other experiments and computer simulations. The parameters are also in aggreement qualitatively with values for tri- and tetra-valent counterions.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, improved manuscript. Submitted to J. Chem. Phys (2010

CONTRIBUTION OF THE BISON INDUSTRY TO THE NORTH DAKOTA ECONOMY

The commercial bison industry is relatively new to North Dakota. There were an estimated 23,000 head of bison in North Dakota in 1998, and these animals were found in 47 of 53 counties. The purpose of this study was to estimate the economic contribution of the bison industry to the North Dakota economy. A survey of North Dakota bison producers and processors was conducted to provide estimates of direct impacts of bison activities within the state. Secondary economic impacts were determined using the North Dakota Input-Output Model. The direct impact of production and processing of bison in North Dakota in 1998 was estimated at $23 million. The$23 million in direct impacts generated an additional $47 million in secondary impacts within the state. The North Dakota bison industry supported a total of 757 secondary full- time equivalent (FTE) jobs within the state. Total economic activity generated within the state was estimated at$70 million, including $27 million in personal income and nearly$18 million in retail sales. In addition, the bison industry generated 4 million in tax revenue (including property, personal income, sales & use, and corporate income taxes). The direct impact of bison production in 1998 ranked fourth in North Dakota's livestock industry; below cattle and calves, dairy products, and hogs, and above turkey and sheep. The average direct impact generated for every bison in the state was 1,000. Total economic activity generated per bison in 1998 was $3,100 (includes direct and secondary impacts from production and processing). For every 30 head of bison an additional secondary FTE job was supported.bison industry, bison production, bison processing, North Dakota, economic impact, Agribusiness, Production Economics,

Crambe as a Specialty Crop in North Dakota

Production Economics,

Enhancing Export Potential for Northern Plains Mustard

International Relations/Trade,