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Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS): Recommended Readings

Contents
 

Agricultural Income and Finance Situation and Outlook provides historical estimates and forecasts of farm sector financial information that gauge the financial health of the Nation's farmers and ranchers.

Farm-Based Recreation: A Statistical Profile—Farm-based recreation provides an important niche market for farmers, but limited empirical information is available on the topic. Access to two USDA databases, the 2004 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) and the 2000 National Survey on Recreation and the Environment, allows us to look at the characteristics of who operates farm-based recreation enterprises.

Structure and Finances of U.S. Farms: Family Farm Report, 2010 Edition—This report presents comprehensive information on family and nonfamily farms and important trends in farming, operator household income, farm performance, and contracting. Most farms are family farms, and small family farms account for most farms but produce a modest share of farm output.

Growing Farm Size and the Distribution of Commodity Program Payments—Structural changes within the farm sector can alter how benefits from government commodity programs are distributed, even without changes in government policy. ARMS data provides links between the distribution of program payments and farm structural characteristics. In this research, ARMS provides the data to measure the production shifts among farm sizes that can alter the distribution of payments.

Agricultural Contracting Update—ARMS measures the share of production sold under marketing or production contracts. Contracts cover an increasing share of the value of U.S. agricultural production, up to 39 percent in 2003. Large farms are far more likely to contract than small farms, over half of the value of production from farms with at least $1 million in sales under contract. ARMS is the only national database available to compare the finances of farms that contract with those that sell on the open market.

Farm Income Less Important to Most Corn Farm Households—The relative importance of the different components of farm household income (farm, off-farm, government payments) varies by farm type, but off-farm income is most important for a majority of farm households. ARMS goes beyond the farm operation and measures the financial characteristics of farm operator households including off-farm income. This allows national comparisons of among farm types and among non-farm sectors.

One Farm, One Operator? Not on the Largest Farms—Today's commercial farms often require more management and labor than an individual can provide. ARMS provides data on the number of operators on a single farm operation and the importance of these farms. Some farms have more than one operator, defined as anyone who makes day-to-day-decisions about the farm business. Understanding multiple-operator farms is important, because they produce a large share of agricultural output.

Inventory of Journal Articles That Use ARMS Data (as of October 2011)

This inventory of ARMS-based research published in professional journals demonstrates the range of uses for ARMS data and the advanced research methods that can be applied. While most citations are for ERS, researchers at 26 universities have used ARMS data.

Also available is a list of NASS research reports that offer a more technical look at the survey itself. Topics covered include nonresponse, incentives, and jackknife and calibration methods.

El-Osta, H.S. "The Impact of Human Capital on Farm Operator Household Income." Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 40, no. 1 (April 2011): 95-115.

MacDonald, J.M., and S.L. Wang. "Foregoing Subtherapeutic Antibiotics: The Impact on Broiler Grow-out Operations." Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 33, no. 1 (Spring 2011): 79-98.

Robbins, M.W., and T.K. White. "Farm Commodity Payments and Imputation in the Agricultural Resource Management Survey." American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 93, no. 2 (January 2011): 606-612.

El-Osta, H.S. "Inequality decomposition of farm family living expenditures and the role of the life cycle." Agricultural Finance Review, 70, no. 2 (Fall 2010): 245-266.

Gillespie, J.M., R.F. Nehring, C. Hallahan, and C.L. Sandretto. "Forage Outsourcing in the Dairy Sector: The Extent of Use and Impact on Farm Profitability." Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 39, no. 3 (October 2010): 399-414.

Gillespie, J., R. Nehring, C. Hallahan, C. Sandretto, and L. Tauer. "Adoption of Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin and Farm Profitability: Does Farm Size Matter?" AgBioForum, 13, no. 3 (2010): 251-262.

Greene, C., and K. Smith. "Can Genetically Engineered and Organic Crops Coexist." Choices, 25, no. 2 (2nd Quarter 2010): 49-61.

Khanal, A.R., J. Gillespie, and J. MacDonald. "Adoption of technology, management practices, and production systems in U.S. milk production." Journal of Dairy Science, 93, no. 12 (December 2010): 6012-6022.

Mishra, A., H. El-Osta, and S. Shaik. "Agricultural Policy Reform and Its Impact on Farm Households Income Inequality." Journal of Income Distribution, 19, no. 1 (March 2010): 75-95.

Mishra, A.K., H.S. El-Osta, and S. Shaik. "Succession Decisions in U.S. Family Farm Businesses." Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 35, no. 1 (April 2010): 133-152.

O’Donoghue, E.J., and J.B. Whitaker. "Do Direct Payments Distort Producers’ Decisions? An Examination of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002." Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 32, no. 1 (Spring 2010): 170-193.

Ahearn, M. "Implications of Health Care Reform for Farmers and Rural Residents." Choices, 24, no. 4 (Fourth Quarter 2009): 2 pp.

Ahearn, M., and A. Mishra. "Access of Farm Households to Health Care." Choices, 24, no. 4 (Fourth Quarter 2009): 7 pp.

Aillery, M., N. Gollehon, V. Breneman, and S. Bucholtz. "Modeling Firm Spatial Interdependence Using National Data Coverage: A Regional Application to Manure Management." Natural Resource Modeling, 22, no. 1 (Spring 2009): 42-66.

Blank, S.C., K.W. Erickson, R. Nehring, and C. Hallahan. "Agricultural Profits and Farm Household Wealth: A Farm-level Analysis Using Repeated Cross-sections."  Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 41, no. 1 (April 2009): 207-225.

Briggeman, B.C., C.A. Towe, and M.J. Morehart. "Credit Constraints: Their Existence, Determinants, and Implications for U.S. Farm and Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships." American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 91, no. 1 (February 2009): 275-289.

El-Osta, H.S., and M.J. Morehart. "Welfare Decomposition in the Context of the Life-Cycle of Farm Operators: What Does a National Survey Reveal?" Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 38, no. 2 (October 2009): 125-141.

Gillespie, J., T. Mark, C. Sandretto, and R. Nehring. "Computerized Technology Adoption Among Farms in the U.S. Dairy Industry." Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, 72, no. 1 (June 2009): 201-209.

Gillespie, J., R. Nehring, C. Hallahan, and C. Sandretto. "Pasture-Based Dairy Systems: Who Are the Producers and Are Their Operations More Profitable than Conventional Dairies?" Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 34, no. 3 (December 2009): 412-427.

Lambert, D.M., T. Wojan, and P. Sullivan. "Farm Business and Household Expenditure Patterns and Local Communities: Evidence from a National Farm Survey." Review of Agricultural Economics, 31, no. 3 (Fall 2009): 604-626.

McBride, W.D., and C. Greene. "The Profitability of Organic Soybean Production." Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 24, no. 4 (December 2009): 276-284.

McBride, W.D., and C. Greene. "Costs of Organic Milk Production on U.S. Dairy Farms." Review of Agricultural Economics, 31, no. 4 (Winter 2009): 793-813.

Melhim, A., E.J. O’Donoghue, and C.R. Shumway. "What Does Initial Farm Size Imply About Growth and Diversification?" Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 41, no. 1 (April 2009): 193-206.

Melhim, A., E.J. O’Donoghue, and C.R. Shumway. "Do the Largest Firms Grow and Diversify the Fastest? The Case of U.S. Dairies." Review of Agricultural Economics, 31, no. 2 (Summer 2009): 284-302.

Mishra, A., and H.S. El-Osta. "Estimating wealth of self-employed farm households." Agricultural Finance Review, 69, no. 2 (Fall 2009): 248-262.

Mishra, A.K., H.S. El-Osta, and J. Gillespie. "Effect of agricultural policy on regional income inequality among farm households." Journal of Policy Modeling, 31, no. 3 (May/June 2009): 325-340.

Mishra, A.K., C.B. Moss, and K.W. Erickson. "Regional differences in agricultural profitability, government payments, and farmland values: Implications of DuPont expansion." Agricultural Finance Review, 69, no. 1 (Spring 2009): 49-66.

Mishra, A.K., R.P. Williams, and J. Detre. "Internet Access and Choice of Internet Purchasing Patterns by Farm Households." Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 38, no. 2 (October 2009): 240-257.

Mishra, A., C. Wilson, and R. Williams. "Factors affecting financial performance of new and beginning farmers," Agricultural Finance Review, 69, no. 2 (Fall 2009): 160-179.

Nehring, R., J. Gillespie, C. Sandretto, and C. Hallahan. "Small U.S. dairy farms: can they compete?" Agricultural Economics, 40, Supplement 1 (November 2009): 817-825.

O’Donoghue, E.J., M.J. Roberts, and N. Key. "Did the Federal Crop Insurance Reform Act Alter Farm Enterprise Diversification?" Journal of Agricultural Economics, 60, no. 1 (February 2009): 80-104.

Schaible, G.D., D.M. Lambert, C.S. Kim, and S. Stefanova. "Structural Conservation Practices in U.S. Wheat Production: A Cost-Function Technology Adoption Approach." Journal of Natural Resources Policy Research, 1, no. 2 (April 2009): 167-188.

McBride, W., N. Key, and K. Mathews (2008). "Sub-therapeutic Antibiotics and Productivity in U.S. Hog Production." Review of Agricultural Economics 30(2): 270-288.

Key, Nigel and Jonathan Kaplan (2007). "Multiple Environmental Externalities and Manure Management Policy." Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 32(1):115-134.

Livingston , M.J., N.P. Storer, J.W. Van Duyn, and G.G. Kennedy (2007). "Do Refuge Requirements for Biotechnology Crops Promote Economic Efficiency?: Some Evidence for Bt Cotton." Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 39(1):171-185.

Ribaudo, M.O., and R.C. Johansson (2007). "Nutrient Management Use at the Rural-Urban Fringe: Does Demand for Environmental Quality Play a Role?" Review of Agricultural Economics 29(4): 689-699.

Ahearn, Mary Clare, Hisham El-Osta, and Joe Dewbre (2006). "The Impact of Coupled and Decoupled Government Subsidies on Off-farm Labor Participation of U.S. Farm Operators." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 88(2):393-408.

McBride, W. D. and J.D. Johnson (2006). "Defining and Characterizing Approaches to Farm Management." Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 38(1):155-167.

Mishra, Ashok K. and Barry K. Goodwin (2006). "Revenue Insurance Purchase Decisions of Farmers." Applied Economics 38(1):149-159.

Nehring, Richard, Charles Barnard, David Banker, and Vince Breneman (2006). "Urban Influence on Costs of Production in the Corn Belt ." American Journal of Agricultural Economics  88(4):930-946.

Tauer, L.W. and Ashok K. Mishra (2006). "Can the Small Dairy Farm Remain Competitive in U.S. Agriculture?" Food Policy: 458-468.

Ahearn, Mary Clare, Jet Yee, and Penni Korb (2005). "Effects of Differing Farm Policies on Farm Structure and Dynamics." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 87(5):1182-1189.

Ahearn, Mary Clare, Penni Korb, and David Banker (2005). "Industrialization and Contracting in U.S. Agriculture." Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 37(2): 347-364.

El-Osta, H. and A. Mishra (2005). "Dimensions of Wealth Dispersion among Farm Households: An Assessment of the Impact of Farm Subsidies." Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 37(1):187-208.

Fernandez-Cornejo, J., C. Hendricks, and A. Mishra (2005). "Technology Adoption and Off-farm Household Income: The Case of Herbicide-Tolerant Soybeans." Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 37(3):549-563.

Huang, W., and R Magleby (2005). "Economic Impacts of EPA's Manure Application Regulations on Dairy Farms with Lagoon Liquid Systems in the Southwest Region." Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 37(1):20-45.

Katchova, A.L. (2005). "The Farm Diversification Discount." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 87(4):984-994.

Katchova, A.L. and P.J. Barry (2005). "Credit Risk Models and Agricultural Lending." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 87(1):194-205.

Key, Nigel (2005)."How Much Do Farmers Value Their Independence ?" Agricultural Economics 33:117-126.

Key, Nigel and Michael Roberts (2005). "Financial Market Imperfections and Structural Change in Agriculture." Focus on Agricultural Economics , edited by Ami R. Bellows, Nova Science Publishers, Inc. New York.

Lubowski, Ruben N., Andrew J. Plantinga and Robert N. Stavins (2005). "Land-use change and carbon sinks: Econometric estimation of the carbon sequestration supply function." Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 51(2):135-152.

Mishra, A., R. Wesley Nimon, and H. El-Osta (2005). "Is Moral Hazard Good for the Environment?: Revenue Insurance and Chemical Input Use." Journal of Environmental Management 74(1): 11-20.

Mishra, Ashok K., and T. Park (2005). "An Empirical Analysis of Internet Use by U.S. Farmers." Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 34(2): 253-264.

Mishra, Ashok K., and H.S. El-Osta (2005). "Decomposition of Variability in Farm Household Assets and Debt." Journal of Agribusiness 23(2): 163-182.

Morrison-Paul, C. and R. Nehring (2005). "Product Diversification, Production Systems, and Economic Performance in U.S. Agriculture." Journal of Econometrics 126(2): 525-548.

Negri, D., N. Gollehon , and M. Aillery (2005). "The Effects of Climatic Variability on US Irrigation Adoption." Climatic Change 69:299-323.

Nehring, R., J. Fernandez-Cornejo, and D. Banker (2005). "Off-Farm Labor and the Structure of U.S. Agriculture: The Case of Corn/Soybean Farms." Applied Economics 37: 633-649.

Ribaudo, M., and J. Agapoff (2005). "Importance of Cost Offsets for Dairy Farms Meeting a Nutrient Application Standard." Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 34(2):173-184.

Yee, J. and M.C. Ahearn (2005). "Government Policies and Farm Size: Does the Size Concept Matter?" Applied Economics 37(19):2231–2238.

Blank, Steven C., Kenneth W. Erickson, Charles B. Moss, and Richard Nehring (2004). "Agricultural Profits and Farm Household Wealth." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 86(5):1299-1307.

El-Osta H., A. Mishra, and M. Ahearn (2004). "Labor Supply by Farm Operators Under 'Decoupled' Farm Program Payments." Review of Economics of the Households 2(3):367-385.

Goodwin, Barry and Ashok Mishra (2004). "Farming Efficiency and the Determinants of Multiple Job Holdings by Farm Operators." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 86(3):722-29.

Hoppe, R.A., D. Niekamp, D. Banker, and K, Nakagawa (2004). "Differences in Canadian and U.S. Farm Structure: What the Canadian Farm Typology Shows Current Agriculture." Food and Resource Issues 5:83-94.

Katchova, A.L. and M.J. Miranda (2004). "Two-Step Econometric Estimation of Farm Characteristics Affecting Marketing Contracts Decisions." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 86(1):88-102.

Key, Nigel (2004). "Agricultural Contracting and the Scale of Production." Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 33(2):255-271.

Kim, C.S., C. Hallahan, W. Lindamood, and T. Payne (2004). "A note on the Reliability Tests of Estimates from ARMS Data." Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 33(2):293-297.

Lin, W., J. Falk-Zepeda, and J. Fernandez-Cornejo (2004). "Economic Impacts of Adopting GM Crops in the United States ." Farm Policy Journal 1(2):50-64.

MacDonald, J., M. Ahearn, and D. Banker (2004). "Organizational Economics in Agriculture Policy Analysis." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 86(3):744-749.

McBride, W.D., S. Short, and H. El-Osta (2004). "The Adoption and Impact of Bovine Somatotropin on U.S. Dairy Farms." Review of Agricultural Economics 26(4):472-488.

Mishra, Ashok , C. Moss, and K. Erickson (2004). "Valuing Farmland With Multiple Quasi-Fixed Inputs." Applied Economics 36(15):1669-1676.

Mishra, Ashok , F. Tegegne, and C. Sandretto (2004). "The Impact of Participation in Cooperatives on the Success of Small Farms." Journal of Agribusiness 22(1):31-48.

Mishra, Ashok K., H.S El-Osta, and C.L. Sandretto (2004). "Factors Affecting Farm Enterprise Diversification." Agricultural Finance Review 64(2): 151-166.

Morrison-Paul, C., R. Nehring, and D. Banker (2004). "Returns to Scale, Efficiency, and Technical Change in U.S. Agriculture: Are Traditional Farms History?" Journal of Productivity Analysis 22 : 185-205.

Morrison-Paul, Catherine, Richard Nehring, and David Banker (2004). "Productivity, Economies, and Efficiency in U.S. Agriculture: A Look at Contracts." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 86(5):1308-1314.

Ribaudo, M.O., A. Cattaneo, and J. Agapoff (2004). "Cost of Meeting Manure Nutrient Application Standards in Hog Production: The Roles of EQIP and Fertilizer Offsets." Review of Agricultural Economics 26(4):430-444.

Daberkow, S.G. and W.D. McBride (2003). "Farm and Operator Characteristics Affecting the Awareness and Adoption of Precision Agriculture Technologies in the U.S." Precision Agriculture 4:163-177.

Goodwin, Barry K., Ashok K. Mishra, and F. Ortal Magne (2003). "What's Wrong With Our Models of Agricultural Land Values." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 85(3):744-752.

Huang, W. and R. Magleby (2003). "The Economic Impacts of Restricting Agricultural Uses of Manure on Hog Farms in the Southern Seaboard." Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 23(1):31-57.

Huang, W., R. Magleby, and A. Somwaru (2003). "The Economic Impacts of Alternative Manure Management Regulations on Hog Farms in the Heartland." Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 22(1):209-227.

Key, Nigel and William McBride (2003). "Production Contracts and Productivity in the U.S. Hog Sector." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 85(1):121-133.

McBride, W.D. and S.G. Daberkow (2003). "Information and the Adoption of Precision Farming Technologies." Journal of Agribusiness 21(1):21-38.

Mishra, Ashok K. and Barry K. Goodwin (2003). "Adoption of Crop Versus Revenue Insurance: A Farm-Level Analysis." Agricultural Finance Review 63(2):143-156.

Payne, T., J. Fernandez Cornejo, and S. Daberkow (2003). "Factors Affecting the Likelihood of Corn Rootworm Bt Seed Adoption." AgBioForum 6(1):79-86.

Ribaudo, M., N. Gollehon, and J. Agapoff (2003). "Land Application of Manure by Animal Feeding Operations: Is More Land Needed?" Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 58(1):30-38.

Roberts, Michael and Nigel Key (2003). "Who Benefits from Government Farm Payments?: Relationships between Payments Received and Farm Household Well-being." Choices 3:7-14.

El-Osta, H. and M. Morehart (2002). "The Dynamics of Wealth Concentration among Farm Operator Households." Agricultural Resource Economic Review 31(1):84-96.

Fernandez-Cornejo, J., C. Alexander, and R. Goodhue (2002). "Dynamic Diffusion with Disadoption: The Case of Crop Biotechnology in the U.S.A." Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 31(1):112-126.

Fernandez-Cornejo, J., C. Klotz-Ingram, and S. Jans (2002). "Farm-Level Effects of Adopting Herbicide-Tolerant Soybeans in the U.S.A. " Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 34(1):149-163.

Huang, Wen -Yuan (2002). "Using Insurance to Enhance Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Timing to Reduce Nitrogen Losses." Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 34 (1):131-148.

McBride, W. D. and H. El-Osta (2002). "Impacts of the Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops on Farm Financial Performance." Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 34(1):175-191.

Mishra, Ashok K. and Carmen L. Sandretto (2002). "Stability of Farm Income and the Role of Nonfarm Income in U.S. Agriculture." Review of Agricultural Economics 24(1): 208-221.

Mishra, Ashok K., and H.S. El-Osta (2002). "Managing Risk in Agriculture Through Hedging and Crop Insurance: What Does a National Survey Reveal?" Agricultural Finance Review 62(2):135-148.

Fernandez-Cornejo, J., S. Daberkow, and W. McBride (2001). "Decomposing the Size Effect on the Adoption of Innovations: Agrobiotechnology and Precision Agriculture." AgBioForum 4(2):124-236.

Goodwin, Barry K. and Ashok K. Mishra (2001). "An Analysis of Risk Premia in U.S. Farm-Level Interest Rates." Agricultural Finance Review 60(1): 1-17.

Mishra, Ashok K. and M.J. Morehart (2001). "Factors Affecting Returns to Labor and Management on U.S. Dairy Farms." Agricultural Finance Review 61(2):123-140.

Mishra, Ashok K. and M.J. Morehart (2001). "Off-Farm Investment of Farm Households: A Logit Analysis." Agricultural Finance Review 61(1):87-101.

Mishra, Ashok K. and H.S El-Osta (2001). "A Temporal Comparison of Source of Variability of Farm Household Income," Agricultural Finance Review 61(2):181-198.

McBride, W.D. and N. Brooks (2000). "Survey Evidence on Producer Use and Costs of Genetically Modified Seed." Agribusiness 16(1):16-20.

Klotz-Ingram, C., S. Jans, J. Fernandez-Cornejo, and W. McBride (1999). "Farm-Level Production Effects Related to the Adoption of Genetically Modified Cotton for Pest Management." AgBioForum 2(2):73-84.

Mishra, Ashok K., H.S. El-Osta, and C.J. Steele (1999). "Factors Affecting the Profitability of Limited Resource and Other Small Farms." Agricultural Finance Review 59(1):77-91.

Mishra, Ashok K., H.S. El-Osta, and J.D. Johnson (1999). "Factors Contributing to Earnings Success of Cash Grain Farms," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 31(2):623-637.

Mishra, Ashok K. and Janet E. Perry (1999). "Forward Contracting of Inputs: A Farm Level Analysis," Journal of Agribusiness 17(2):77-92.

Daberkow, S.G. and W.D. McBride (1998). "Socio-economic Profiles of Early Adopters of Precision Agricultural Technologies." Journal of Agribusiness 16(2):151-168.

Huang, Wen -Yuan. Tracy Irwin Hewitt, and David Shank (1998). "An Analysis of On-Farm Costs of Timing N Application to Reduce N Losses." Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 23(2):445-467.

Somwaru, Agapi and Richard F. Nehring (1996). "A Graph Efficiency Multiproduct Model of Corn/Livestock Farming: Accounting for Nitrate Pollution." The Annals of Operation Research 68:379-408.

 

For more information, contact: Mitch Morehart

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Updated date: October 12, 2011