The United States is losing farmland but productivity and output continue to increase. Last week, the loss of 11 million acres of pastureland to cropland was explored. That blog also examined the over emphasized claims on cattle as an environmental … Continue reading →
I have benefitted from a rich tradition of military service. In 1979, I was part of an exchange work-study program on a potato and hog farm in southern Germany. Working outside of my home environment in the Midwest United States … Continue reading →
Land use change has gotten complicated. Tracking changes in climate have added more than simply physical changes in land use. The first step in understanding the more sophisticated land use change implications is to understand what land is changing. The … Continue reading →
Number 2 Yellow Corn plays many roles these days. Among them both ‘sustainable savior,’ as well as, ‘destroyer of humanity and the planet.’ That is a pretty broad range. Back in the good old days, 20 years ago, corn was … 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 →
Moving averages are the most basic tool, taught in undergraduate courses as an introduction to forecasting. Prior to the pandemic, commodity futures charts were the go-to illustration of the benefits of moving averages for undergraduate students. Moving averages smooth out the … 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 →
