The three articles in this invited paper session examine value-added strategies related to agriculture and food at the state and federal level designed to enhance rural development. Two of the papers dealt with the GO TEXAN program and the other with organic agriculture. All three papers were...

We investigate whether social capital in the form of community involvement affects farmers’ choice to use sustainable agricultural practices. Using associational memberships as a measure of community involvement we study its effects on agricultural practices among Georgia farmers. Our...

These articles provide a discussion of studies presented in a session on spatial econometrics, focusing on the ability of spatial regression models to quantify the magnitude of spatial spillover impacts. Both articles presented argue that a proper modeling of spatial spillovers is required to...

This research examines whether mandatory price reporting (MPR) impacted price relationships among U.S. hog markets. Markets are cointegrated before and after MPR enactment, but not fully integrated in either period. Terminal markets adjust to shocks in the Iowa-Southern Minnesota market more...

The unique nature of the Ogallala Aquifer presents interesting and confounding problems for water policymakers who are coping with changing groundwater rules in Texas. The purpose of this article is to link previous efforts in water policy research for the Ogallala Aquifer in Texas with current...

We investigate the determinants of organic farming in the United States. State-level data show that the organic farming sector has grown over the last decade, but growth has been very heterogeneous with few states accounting for most of the growth. Further analyses of county data reveal that...

The Texas Department of Agriculture launched the GO TEXAN marketing promotion program in 1999 to support Texas agricultural and food production. The underlying assumption is that if successful, the program would support directly or indirectly the demand for Texas agricultural production and the...

This study offers insights on consumer acceptance and willingness to pay for three value-added blueberry products. A modified payment card approach was used. The analytical framework adopted allows the researcher to attach straightforward economic interpretation to the estimated impacts of...

In coastal communities with uniform flood risk, amenity value is comprised of two components – view and access. Having controlled for view, it is assumed that any residual amenity value represents the benefit derived from accessing the beach for leisure/recreational purposes. However, as...