The last few years have been an inflationary roller coaster. On September 26, nearly 50 years of US inflation was used to illustrate HOW NOT TO USE inflation (spurious correlation). Part of understanding what charts of inflation actually mean, is … Continue reading →
It is an election year, and the number of charts showing the economy-wide influences by a single factor are up. A recent chart making a thin claim about the cause of inflation struck me as a similar rhythm to my … Continue reading →
Twenty years ago the State of Indiana asked question, “Does a rural community produce sufficient organic wastes to provide energy for the community?” Fortuitously, Indiana’s BioTown, USA project invited Biomass Rules, LLC to help answer the question. Today’s table summarizes … Continue reading →
Hemp seeds command a premium price. USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) now reports weekly hemp product prices. In the September 11, 2024 report, one pound of hemp seeds was reported at $12.64. That is down from $14.39 per pound the … Continue reading →
As an economist, I have been trained to see the world through a lens of critical thinking. As a manure visionary, I have been trained to look beyond traditional monetary values to measure both benefits and costs. If and when … Continue reading →
Food pricing has many layers. Earlier, it was established that Biomass Rules considers food to be retail consumption of human nutrients. There are exceptions, but this working definition simplifies many parts. It is easy to look at the farm gate … Continue reading →
The more things change, it seems the more they stay the same. This Biomass Rules chart with data from 2006, appeared in Chapter 19: Williams, James L. and Mark Jenner. Petroleum Dependence, Biofuels – Economies Of Scope And Scale; US … Continue reading →
The first federal census of agriculture was conducted in 1840. It has been conducted for 184 years. The oldest hardcopy of the US Census of Agriculture in the Biomass Rules collection is from 1982. We have been reading and analyzing … Continue reading →
Paying $3 for a drive-thru coffee is a rational choice when the alternative is no coffee at all. It is also reasonable to pay $4 for a box of corn cereal. If one, 12-ounce box of cereal provides 8 bowls … Continue reading →
Food is as old as dirt. However, in 2024 the word ‘food’ is poorly understood. Pandemics, supply-chain challenges, trade wars, real wars; have all contributed to growing concern about access to food. Clarifying and aligning definitions of food will take … Continue reading →
