Browsing by Author "Morgan, Kimberly L."
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- AgCache: An Innovative Marketing Tool for your AgribusinessPrice, E. French; Baugh, Kathryn; White, Kathryn D.; Morgan, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020)AgCache uses the geocaching network to allow visitors to experience the real treasure: agriculture. AgCache visitors have the opportunity to learn the importance and history of agriculture by visiting operating agricultural businesses and farms. Not only do AgCaches educate visitors, but they also bring traffic and business to the AgCache hosts. AgCache is a fun, exciting way to turn your business into an agritourism destination.
- AgCache: An Innovative Marketing Tool for your AgribusinessPrice, E. French; Baugh, Kathryn; White, Kathryn D.; Morgan, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2014-06-06)This publication reviews the ways that AgCache programs can bring traffic and business to agricultural businesses and farms.
- Agritourism Safety in VirginiaPreisser, Afton (Virginia Tech, 2017-11-17)Safety is a concern for agritourism venues because an operating farm may expose visitors to many unfamiliar conditions, situations, and/or animals, which opens the farm operation to potential liability risks during these interactions. The purpose of this research was to review current safety protocols on Virginia agritourism operations and seek information that was needed to improve for the future. Based on a survey sent to Virginia operators, numerous areas were identified which would benefit from further education and risk management information. Insurance offerings tailored to agritourism operations are needed, in addition to improved employee screening and training for operations management. The survey found that 25.24% of responses do not do any type of pre-employment screening while over 7% do not participate in walkthroughs before events. The purpose of this research was to document specific protocols already in place, identify, and describe critical areas of improvement for Virginia agritourism event, venue, and visitor safety practices.
- Applications of Applied Econometrics in the Food and Health Economic and Agribusiness TopicsShi, Ruoding (Virginia Tech, 2019-11-12)This dissertation consists of three essays in Applied Econometrics that seek a better understanding of different aspects of risk and risk management tools. The first essay is about mortality risk in Virginia coal regions. With a focus on the mortality of non-malignant respiratory diseases (NMRD), I estimate the impact of living in a coal county and find that coal-mining county residency significantly increases the probability of dying from NMRD. This statistical association is accentuated by surface coal mining, high smoking rates, lower health insurance coverage, and a shortage of doctors. The second essay evaluates the cost of a price risk management tool called futures hedging. A variety of measures illustrate considerable changes in hedging costs over time. Quantile regression results show that substantial price volatility and high margin requirements are the main factors driving high hedging costs from 2007 to 2013. The third paper investigates a health risk management tool, a public health insurance program in China called New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS). I apply contract theory to characterize local governments' selective incentives in NCMS benefit designs. Empirical analysis of China Health and Nutrition Survey data indicate challenges of financial sustainability of this scheme in poor regions. The NCMS plan tends to under-cover the services that are moderately predictable and negatively correlated with plan profits, such as outpatient treatments. Preventive services are generally over-provided, perhaps due to the incentive to attract healthy participants.
- Are Consumer Health Concerns Influencing Direct-From-Producer Purchasing Decisions?Thapaliya, Sudha; Interis, Matthew G.; Collart, Alba J.; Walters, Lurleen M.; Morgan, Kimberly L. (Cambridge University Press, 2017)Research has shown health concerns may motivate consumers to purchase foods sold at direct market outlets, yet connections between management of specific diseases and food purchase decisions remain unclear. We utilize a two-step decision framework to evaluate whether family incidences of six illnesses (cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, back/joint pain, and Alzheimer’s disease/dementia) affect decisions to buy food at farmers’ markets and farm stands.We find that cancer, diabetes, obesity, and back/joint pain influence the decision to purchase from farm stands. Disease incidences have varying directional effects on frequency of purchase for both farmers’ markets and farm stands.
- A Beginning Farmer and Rancher Community Learning Network in the Greater Richmond Area: Program Development and Initial EvaluationMaxwell, Charlotte H. (Virginia Tech, 2017-07-17)The mission of the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition (VBFRC) Program for Greater Richmond is to develop programming that fits the needs of beginning farmers in the area. This project initially focused on Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover and Powhatan residents and contributed to the larger statewide initiative. The developed program reaches more counties in the Greater Richmond area and continues to contribute to the statewide initiative. The initial mission of this project was to introduce the participants to the VBFRC Whole Farm Planning curriculum, conduct a needs assessment and create a plan of action to address those needs. The initial mission was accomplished through two whole farm planning classes and a third meeting where the beginning farmers participated in a needs assessment discussion and created an action plan to meet their needs. Participants were able to voice their opinions on which needs to prioritize and what events they want to hold in the future. The secondary mission will be to develop a learning community with new farmers and established farmers in the area. The secondary mission does not have a set end time as we will work to connect farmers together in this community-learning network. This project resulted in a program for the participants based on their input with the Extension agent serving as an event facilitator. The whole farm planning classes were evaluated through a paper survey and interviews, the needs assessment and action plan were created through discussion. The Social Exchange Theory was selected as the theoretical framework for this program. In order for the community-learning network to work, a beneficial social exchange will need to be present. The results of the surveys, interviews and needs assessment are being used to inform the program and The development of this program and its evaluation helps to strengthen the agricultural community as well as increase programming offered specifically for beginning farmers by the local Virginia Cooperative Extension offices.
- Beyond the Glass: Examining Wine Tasting Room Profitability Using the 4Ps of the Marketing MixAdams, Meredith Elaine (Virginia Tech, 2016-06-14)Recent exponential increases in attendance at wine tasting rooms resulted in growing research in this subject area as producers seek to learn more about wine tasting room customers and identify ways to capitalize on additional revenue-generating opportunities. Direct wine sales are big business with $3.4 billion in sales in the United States in 2010. Research has shown that small and medium-sized wineries have become financially dependent on direct sales linked to wine tasting rooms with an average of 70 percent of winery sales coming from the tasting room. With limited sources outlining best practices within wine marketing, there is a clear need to identify and classify the literature on this topic. This research applies a marketing theoretical approach using the 4Ps (product, place, price, and promotion) of the marketing mix in conjunction with a comprehensive citation-based global literature review, with the goal of assessing those factors, if any, which may impact wine tasting room profitability. Our findings highlight key differences in individual wine tasting room marketing mix strategies which emphasize the need to understand consumer tastes and preferences for the wine tasting experience. Research shows that investing in the product and promotion of the wine tasting room has a positive impact on profitability. Key profit drivers include investing in branding, tasting room staff, and aggressively pursuing word-of-mouth recommendations to enhance wine tasting room profitability.
- Broadband Internet to Promote Economic Development in Southside VirginiaHusain, Leila; Garber, Ben; Jones, Will; Haskins, Conaway B.; Morgan, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2019-02-28)Discusses broadband internet in relation to economic development in Southside Virginia.
- Building Marketing Capacity of Local Food Systems: Case Studies from the Shenandoah ValleyHe, Shu (Virginia Tech, 2014-09-17)Small and medium-sized farms are an important demographic of the agricultural sector in the Shenandoah Valley and Chesapeake Bay watershed. Having sufficient food system infrastructure available and accessible to these farm operations is essential to help them add value to their farm products; diversify their operations and differentiate their farm and food products in an increasingly competitive and commodity-based food system. Despite its importance, however, local food systems (LFS) frequently have incorrect types or insufficient amounts of the equipment and facilities needed to support these systems. Through the use of two case studies, this study investigates current circumstances, future needs, and offers recommendations for two important components of LFS infrastructure in the Shenandoah Valley. The first study inventories and assesses existing infrastructure capacity available in the region. Using data collected from farmers, LFS organizations, and institutional foodservice organizations, a needs assessment is then completed to determine the specific amounts and types of equipment and facilities which would be needed to meet current LFS infrastructure needs. The second study explores current and potential benefits, and future challenges of a produce auction to impact Mennonite communities in the Shenandoah Valley. This analysis of the Shenandoah Valley Produce Auction (SVPA) was conducted using data obtained from both interviews and surveys. Results indicate that producers, existing infrastructure, and institutional buyers in the region would like to own, use, or rent food system infrastructure. There is unmet LFS infrastructure demand in due to the current lack of enough food cleaning, processing, packaging, and storing equipment in this area. For the SVPA, most of participants were satisfied with the auction. Buyers, however, reported that their procurement from the SVPA is limited by fluctuating prices, demand outpacing supply of produce, insufficient delivery services. Overall, food system infrastructure in general, and the SVPA in particular, were reported to have an important role in the region in supporting market access for local small and medium sized farmers, improve viability of local food system and the regional economy, and facilitating connections between consumers and their local food system. Several recommendations to strengthen the region's LFS are derived from these results.
- Consumer Willingness to Pay for Environmental Production Attributes in Tomatoes: A Southeastern Consumer SurveyMaples, McKenzie; Interis, Matthew; Morgan, Kimberly L.; Harri, Adrian; Hood, Kenneth (Virginia Tech, 2014-02)Direct-to-consumer sales accounted for roughly 18.27 percent of the total food sales in the United States (Low and Vogel 2011), and farmers’ markets increased by about 150.67 percent between 2002 and 2012 (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, 2012). Local food consumption is often motivated by the buyer’s perceptions of environmental and local economic benefits (Brown, 2003). Because there is no exact definition for “local,” direct-to-consumer sales are one of the ways to identify local for research purposes. The Hartman Group (2008) and Zepeda and Leviten-Reid (2004) revealed that consumers viewed buying local had direct environmental benefits. Michaud et al (2013) found that consumers are willing to pay a premium for two environmental attributes, an eco-friendly cultivation condition label and a carbon footprint measure, associated with a non-food agricultural product, cut roses. While previous research has shown that consumers are willing to pay for specific environmental attributes of non-food products and that consumers do take environmental attributes into account for food products, are consumers willing to pay for specific environmental attributes of fresh food products?
- Effects of Farm and Household Decisions on Labor Allocation and Profitability of Beginning Vegetable Farms in Virginia: a Linear Programming ModelMark, Allyssa (Virginia Tech, 2016-05-17)The United States is facing a rising average age of principal farm operators and a decline in number of beginning farmers. With numerous barriers and challenges resulting in many farm failures, a majority of beginning farmers are relying on off-farm income to support their households. Decision-making and farm business planning are difficult skills to develop and improve, and the ability to develop a plan to balance on- and off-farm labor could allow farmers to make more profitable decisions. In this study, a General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) is used to develop a labor management planning framework for use by Virginia's beginning vegetable farmers or service providers, such as extension agents, with the goal of improving total (on- and off-farm) profitability and farm viability. Study findings suggest that a willingness to work of 12 hours per day, 365 days per year and hired labor costs of $9.30 per hour, which is the national average for agricultural workers encourage a farmer to maintain an off-farm job, while a relatively lower off-farm wage or salary may encourage a farmer to work on the farm only. Lastly, higher hired labor costs may encourage a farmer to pursue his or her most profitable work opportunity, be it on- or off-farm, without hiring labor to maintain the farm. The model developed in this study may be used to plan multiple years of farm management to include anticipated changes in off-farm employment opportunities, land availability, product mix, and access to farm labor. The author suggests that beginning farmers who use this planning tool are able to make more informed decisions related to allocation of labor time and resources, resulting in lower failure rates for beginning farmers in Virginia. A user-friendly interface may be developed based on the study framework, to strengthen the results and increase the practicality of the tool.
- Farm Financial Risk Management Series Part I: Overview of Financial Systems for New and Beginning FarmersMorgan, Kimberly L.; Callan, Peter L.; Mark, Allyssa; Niewolny, Kimberly L.; Nartea, Theresa J.; Scott, Kelli H.; Hilleary, Jim (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2016-12-09)Discusses decision-making process in relation to financial assessment and risk-taking. Discusses the importance of creating financial statements and planning budgets.
- Farm Financial Risk Management Series Part III: Introduction to Farm Planning Budgets for New and Beginning FarmersMorgan, Kimberly L.; Callan, Peter L.; Mark, Allyssa; Niewolny, Kimberly L.; Nartea, Theresa J.; Scott, Kelli H.; Hilleary, Jim (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2016-10-19)Provides information that can help beginning farmers with understanding the importance of constructing financial statements and planning a budget.
- Farmer Financial Health and Wellbeing Assessment: A Tool for Fostering Supportive Financial ConversationsMorgan, Kimberly L.; Nunoo, Nicole; Mason, Garland; Niewolny, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020-09-28)Extension agents are closely involved in advising farmers and farm families on identification and mitigation of financial risks unique to the agricultural industry. Financial decisions are often time-sensitive and complicated, and the source of many sleepless nights to farmers and advisors alike. This tool is intended for use as a communication aid to foster safe, productive conversations between farmers and service providers. It is designed to complement related resources aimed at supporting the mental health of our farmers who make tough decisions under conditions of uncertainty on a daily basis.
- A Farmer’s Responsibilities to His BusinessCallan, Peter L.; Morgan, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020)A farmers' health and well being is the most important asset in his/her farm. Farm owners need time to manage their businesses rather than just working themselves into ground. Suggestions for managing farm business
- Introduction to Labor Issues for Beginning FarmersMark, Allyssa; Niewolny, Kimberly L.; Morgan, Kimberly L.; Callan, Peter L.; Scott, Kelli H.; Nartea, Theresa J.; Kloetzli, Cathryn; Hilleary, Jim; Jeter, Rose (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2015-02-25)The purpose of this resource is to introduce you to important labor issues as you begin planning for expanding your farm enterprise.
- Labor Market Dynamics in West Virginia and the Appalachian RegionBeverly, Joshua Paul (Virginia Tech, 2023-01-11)This dissertation consists of three manuscripts analyzing labor market dynamics in West Virginia and the Appalachian Region. The first manuscript examines the dynamic effects of national, regional, and local labor market shocks on labor force participation rates in Appalachia. A dynamic factor model with time-varying loading parameters and stochastic volatility is used to explore the synchronicity and divergence between state labor force participation rates within and outside the Appalachian region. We find that the choice of time and state is crucial to the relative importance of the level of synchronization on observed change in LFPR variations. Our findings can help better target labor policy by taking advantage of the sensitivity exhibited by each state to various labor market conditions. The second manuscript examines the dynamic effects of state, Metro/Non-Metro, and county labor market shocks on labor force participation rates in West Virginia. In the first stage, using a dynamic factor model, we find that non-metropolitan and county-specific components are dominant contributors to the observed variations in the change in West Virginia LFPRs. In the second stage, using a fixed effects panel model, we find county demographics, education levels, income, access to interstate highways, and industry composition are useful covariates for explaining the variance contributions of the state, metro/non-metro and county factors. The third manuscript uses cointegration analysis in the presence of structural breaks to determine whether the Unemployment Invariance Hypothesis exists in West Virginia. Using monthly labor force data from 1976 - 2022, we find mixed support for the unemployment invariance, added worker effect, and discouraged worker effect hypotheses over multiple sub-sample periods. These results suggest that labor markets are temporally-dynamic, and a one-size-fits-all approach could prove disadvantageous to growth.
- Market Ready Farm to Restaurant - A Conversation about PricingGarber, Ben; Morgan, Kimberly L.; Shadler, Meleah; Mark, Allyssa; Niewolny, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2019-05-06)Discusses product pricing considerations to help food producers manage legal risks, and build relationships with restaurant clients.
- Market Ready Farm to Restaurant - Delivery ConsiderationsGarber, Ben; Morgan, Kimberly L.; Shadler, Meleah; Mark, Allyssa; Niewolny, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2019-05-06)Discusses developing a reliable system for delivery farm products to restaurant clients.
- Market Ready Farm to Restaurant - Food and Food Product Packaging ConsiderationsGarber, Ben; Morgan, Kimberly L.; Shadler, Meleah; Mark, Allyssa; Niewolny, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2019-05-10)Discusses food packaging concerns for farmers selling to local restaurants.