Combinations of futures and options contracts on milk and feed were simulated to determine their influence on a representative dairy farm’s ability to meet cash flow requirements and reduce the variance of net income. Compared with the reference scenario of selling milk and procuring...

Buy-sell arrangements for the death of a co-owner may be funded with life insurance. The mechanisms and details of buy-sell arrangements were discussed. The decision whether to use life insurance was modeled using the expected utility theorem. State dependent utility was used since a surviving...

The major sources of variability in net farm income on New York dairy farms over the past 10 years are identified using Dairy Farm Business Summary records. The most important source of income variability is the fluctuation in milk prices, followed closely by year-to-year variation in the...

Major sources of variability in net farm income on New York dairy farms over the past 10 years are identified using variance decomposition methods. The most important source of income variability is the fluctuation in milk prices, followed closely by year-to-year variation in the quantity of...

Farm performance measures based upon 10 years of individual farm data are linearly regressed on risk preferences of 41 dairy farmers. Greater aversion to risk produces a lower average but more stable income, although the importance of risk preferences in determining long-run performance appears...