From the mountains to the prairies : the banking environment in the Tenth Federal Reserve District

The Tenth Federal Reserve District consists of many types of markets within which District institutions operate. Since conditions in the District environment can vary from dynamic to slow-growing, these markets offer both challenge and opportunity that financial institutions must understand to be successful. But what is the level of change in the District environment and how might that change be materializing? This article considers the environment within the Tenth District and discernible trends within that environment. We highlight the major factors that influence bank behavior and condition, including demographic, economic and structural conditions and trends. The 2000 census information is used in conjunction with that of prior census surveys to describe where the District is today and from where it has evolved demographically. Economic data, including gross state product information, allows us to report the shifts in industrial focus for various markets and the District as a whole. The article also considers changes in the industry and describes how banking consolidation has evolved within the District. Finally, the article looks at potential future trends, to shed light on emerging environmental factors of which District banks may take into account in their planning process.Federal Reserve District, 10th

Afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts: Short vs. Long GRBs

We compiled a large sample of Swift-era photometric data on long (Type II) and short (Type I) GRB afterglows. We compare the luminosity and energetics of the different samples to each other and to the afterglows of the pre-Swift era. Here, we present the first results of these studies.Comment: Conference Proceedings, "Gamma-Ray Bursts 2007", Santa Fe, shortened poster presentation; 4 pages, 3 figures; for full updated papers, go here to arXiv:0712.2186 and also here to arXiv:0804.195

Analysis of H.R. 2646 on Land Tenure Arrangements on U.S. Representative and Texas FARM Assistance Farms

This report analyzes whether H.R. 2646 may provide economic incentives for landlords to end current land tenure arrangements with tenants and take over management (and government payments) associated with their land. This work is a followup to Briefing Paper 01-9, Representative Farm Analysis of the H.R. 2646 Farm Bill Proposal that analyzes the impacts of H.R. 2646 on the representative crop farms maintained by the Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC).Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Land Economics/Use,

Representative Farm Analysis of the S. 1731 Farm Bill Proposal

Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy,

Analysis of the Effects of Proposed House and Senate Farm Bills on Rice Returns

This report reflects analysis of projected gross returns under the proposed farm programs – H.R. 2646 the House Bill that passed the House floor on October 5th, the Senate Bill that passed the Senate Agriculture Committee on November 15th and the Cochran/Roberts Bill that was defeated previously in committee.Agricultural and Food Policy,

AN INTERACTIVE ILLUSTRATION OF FARM PROGRAM PROVISIONS

Explaining the details and the impacts of government program provisions to agricultural producers can be a challenge for extension educators. This paper introduces a visual interactive tool that demonstrates the calculations of government payments established in the 2002 farm bill. Additionally, the paper explains how the tool is created in Microsoft® Excel and may be used in other areas.Agricultural and Food Policy,

BUSINESS SUCCESS: WHAT FACTORS REALLY MATTER?

This paper provides a comparison of successful and financially distressed producers based on the data from more than 400 individualized financial analyses. These objective variables are combined with subjective observations of management styles and attitudes to provide unique identification of the factors most influential in the success of Texas producers.Production Economics,

Risk Assessment in Economic Feasibility Analysis: The Case of Ethanol Production in Texas

The objective of this study is to demonstrate the benefits of quantifying the economic viability of a proposed agribusiness under risk relative to a feasibility study which ignores risk. To achieve this objective, the economic viability of a 50 MMGPY ethanol facility in Texas is analyzed over a 10-year period in two ways: with no risk and with historical risk for prices and costs.Risk and Uncertainty,

Preliminary - Representative Farm Analysis of House of Representatives Draft Concept Paper for 2002 Farm Bill

Agricultural and Food Policy,

Representative Farms Economic Outlook for the August 2007 FAPRI/AFPC Baseline

The farm level economic impacts of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 on representative crop and livestock operations are projected in this report. The analysis was conducted over the 2005-2012 planning horizon using FLIPSIM, AFPC’s whole farm simulation model. Data to simulate farming operations in the nation’s major production regions came from two sources: • Producer panel cooperation to develop economic information to describe and simulate representative crop, livestock, and dairy farms, and • Projected prices, policy variables, and input inflation rates from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) August 2007 Baseline. The FLIPSIM policy simulation model incorporates the historical risk faced by farmers for prices and production. This report presents the results of the August 2007 Baseline in a risk context using selected simulated probabilities and ranges for annual net cash farm income values. The probability of a farm experiencing negative ending cash reserves and the probability of a farm losing real net worth are included as indicators of the cash flow and equity risks facing farms through the year 2012.Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries,