The U.S. will soon see many farmers retire and younger farmers taking their place. These younger farmers would prefer to purchase the land rather than rent because of the advantages associated with ownership. However, these farmers need to determine how many acres they need to rent in order to...

Genetically modified (GM) cotton varieties have changed many aspects of cotton production in the United States. The advent of GM varieties has fueled the ongoing trend of increasing farm size and fewer farmers. Mississippi is no exception to this trend. The rapid adoption of GM cotton varieties...

Many retiring farmers will need to use their land equity to provide a retirement income. Based on a present value analysis, retiring farmers may either decide to sell or lease their land. The analysis is needed because taxes, liability issues, and goals of the farmer complicate the decision.

The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) can provide farmers financial compensation in exchange for retiring marginal lands from standard agricultural practices. Often overlooked in the analysis is the cost to the government to implement these programs. This paper examines two issues: first do farmers...