grace hasler
Spring commencement student respondent aimed to “meet the moment” 
Being the student responder for Purdue’s Division One spring commencement certainly isn’t Grace Hasler’s first rodeo when it comes to public speaking.

“The first speech I ever gave was when I was eight-years-old running for Rodeo Princess, and I won,” she said. “I don’t even remember what the speech was about, really, but I just remember the pride I felt while I got to ride my horse, Hustler, around the ring while holding the American flag as Rodeo Queen.”
 
Hasler, a senior double majoring in agricultural sales and marketing and agricultural communications, said growing up on a farm with a horse boarding facility offered many public speaking opportunities at rodeos and 4-H competitions.

Hasler was approached by LeeAnn Williams, director of undergraduate advising and student services in agricultural economics, and Mark Russell, department head of agricultural sciences, education and communication, who wanted to submit her name as a candidate to be a student responder.


    Jayson, Mike, and Karen
    Boehlje Chair Celebration
    Dr. Mike and Rita Boehlje were honored for their deferred gift which will establish a future Boehlje Endowed Chair in Managerial Economics for Agribusiness. The recognition took place during the Snyder Lecture in April. Dean Karen Plaut and Department Head Jayson Lusk were on hand to present the award.

    Dr. Michael Boehlje received a master’s and doctoral degree in Agricultural Economics from the department in 1968 and 1971, respectively. He has held faculty positions at Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and the University of Minnesota (professor and head), before arriving as a professor at Purdue in 1992. In 2006, he was appointed a Distinguished Professor of Agricultural Economics at Purdue.

    Michael has received many awards throughout his illustrative career, including the Frederick L. Hovde Award of Excellence, the Morrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Land Grant Mission, American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA) Fellow, and International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) Fellow, to name a few, as well as many national and university awards for his distinguished research, Extension and outreach programing. He has also held administrative roles with AAEA and IFAMA, in addition to consultation roles with various agricultural industries, firms, legislative groups, and government agencies.

    While at Purdue, Michael has worked extensively with the Center for Commercial Agriculture, the Center for Food and Agricultural Business, and the department’s undergraduate and MS/MBA programs in developing and teaching financial and management programing in demand by current and future commercial agriculture producers and business leaders.
    purdue ag econ report
    PAER: Student Research Issue
    The Purdue Ag Econ Report “Graduate Student Research Issue,” edited by PhD Candidate, Mario Ortez, features a variety of research articles written by agricultural economics graduate students. 

    Articles include: 
    • State Of The Graduate Program, April 2022
    • Valuation Of Land Grant University Education Under COVID-19: Students’ Willingness-To-Pay For Alternative Study Options
    • A Good Time To Understand The Agricultural Supply Chain
    • Evaluating USDA’s Farm Debt Forecast
    • Informativeness Of USDA’s Agricultural Export Projections
    • Do Government Farm Support Programs Affect The Adoption Of Farm Technology And Sustainable Production Practices?
    • Food Production And Population Growth: A Cautionary Tale
    • Chicken Labels: How Do Consumer Beliefs Impact Preference For Labels?
    • Digital Agriculture And Rural Broadband
    • Anything But Overprediction: USDA Milk Price Forecasts
    • Key Takeaways From “Commitment Behaviour In The World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement”

    These articles are available at: https://purdue.ag/paer.
    students in ireland
    We all come from somewhere - part 2
    Last month, Dr. Michael Wilcox offered a glimpse into his Purdue Study Abroad trip to Ireland focused on rural development. The group's planned activities exceeded their expectations during the trip, but the unplanned events took us to a whole other level.

    In a nutshell, they proved the adage that “home is where the heart is…” However, the group also learned that conventional thinking would not help communities achieve their goals.

    Here’s what happened…

      Purdue Ag Econ Podcast
      Purdue Ag Econ Podcast
      In this episode, Halee and Ken introduce next year’s student co-hosts, Abby Meier and Courtney Rodkey. The group then turns the tables asking Halee about her future plans and advice for students looking to get involved both on and off campus. Listen here.
      halee fisher
      AGEC Tops Food Finders Donations
      karen and sarah Thank you to everyone who made donations to the College's Food Finders Campaign. The department took "the pitchfork award" once again, donating more than any other college unit. Thank you to Sarah for coordinating and motivating us to do great things for our local community.
      In the news 

      • Capital Comments: How to Read an Indiana School Referendum Question, Larry DeBoer
      • VoxEU: Agricultural and energy importers in the developing world are hit hardest by the Ukraine war’s economic fallout, Maksym Chepeliev
      • Purdue Ag Jobs Report - Highlights from the April 2022 report
      • Purdue News: Urban-rural food satisfaction, food security gaps show in new report, Jayson Lusk - CFDAS
      6th floor breakroom
      6th Floor Break Room Revamp
      The front office really out did themselves with a renovation of our 6th floor breakroom. Thank you to Sarah, Ryan, Tracy, Nicole, and our student worker Seth for all of their hard work and excellent design decisions.
        Welcome New Faculty & Staff
        Valerie Kilders will join us this fall as an assistant professor. Her research focuses on food marketing and agribusiness related issues and includes evaluations of consumer preferences and demand for specialty crops, novel food products and new food technologies. 
          valerie kilders
          Valerie earned a PhD in Agricultural Economics at Michigan State University, a dual-master in Agricultural Economics and Rural Development from University of Arkansas, and a B.Sc. in agricultural sciences at Humboldt University in Berlin.
          LeeAnn Moss will join the department in August as a Lecturer. Her responsibilities include teaching a variety of undergraduate courses. Prior to joining Purdue, she had her own agribusiness consulting company and served as a lecturer in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
          leeann moss
          LeeAnn holds a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois and a B.Sc. from the University of Guelph in animal and poultry science.
          Mary Breidenbach has joined the NCRCRD team as a communications specialist. Before coming to Purdue, Mary owned and operated Cumulus Design where she worked on many marketing, designing and communications projects for medium and large scale companies and organizations.
            Mary Breidenbach
            UPCOMING EVENTS

              AWARDS, HONORS, APPOINTMENTS
              Congrats to Jayson Lusk winner of both AAEA's Publication of Enduring Quality Award for the article entitled "Are Choice Experiments Incentive Compatible? A Test with Quality Differentiated Beef Steaksand AAEA Choices Magazine Outstanding Article Award for the publication entitled, "Consumer Food Buying during a Recession.”
                jayson lusk
                outstanding students
                Ag Econ's 2021-22
                Outstanding Students
                Congratulations to the Agricultural Economics Department's Outstanding Undergraduate Students for 2021-22!

                David & Stacy Hefty Outstanding Senior: Cole Pearson

                Outstanding Junior: Halee Fisher

                Outstanding Sophomore: Abby Meier

                Outstanding Freshman: Sydney Hefty

                Halee Fisher and Sydney Hefty were also selected as the College of Agriculture's Outstanding Junior and Freshman, respectively.
                Department's Outstanding
                Dissertation & Thesis
                scott Outstanding Ph.D. Dissertation

                Dr. Francisco Scott for "The Economics of Labeling Credence Goods: Theory and Measurement." Francisco's committee: Drs. Juan Sesmero (chair), Joseph Balagtas, Steven Wu, and Timothy Cason.
                Vivek Bist Outstanding M.S. Thesis

                Vivek Bist for "Labor Migration and Agricultural Production in Nepal." Vivek's committee: Drs. Gerald Shively  (chair), Jacob Ricker-Gilbert and Shriniwas Gautam
                Department's Outstanding
                Staff Members
                Ryan Good

                Congrats to Ryan Good winner of the 2022 Ag Econ Departmental Service Award.
                ryan good
                Malissa Allen

                Congrats to Malissa Allen winner of the 2022 Ag Econ Departmental Service Award.
                malissa allen
                CENTER AND EXTENSION NEWS
                glassnet
                glassnet short course group photo
                GLASSNET holds in-person short course

                The 2022 SIMPLE-G short course was held May 2-6, 2022 on Purdue campus. Thirteen participants from the US, Europe, Australia and Brazil completed four weeks of online (April 4-29) and one week of in-person training to learn the SIMPLE and SIMPLE-G models. SIMPLE-G is a multi-scale framework used for evaluation sustainability policies in a global context while factoring in local heterogeneity in land and water resources, and natural ecosystem services.

                This short course was one of the activities under the NSF-funded GLASSNET project (PI: Dr. Thomas Hertel). More info is available from the course website
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                Ag Economy Barometer
                Producer sentiment improves with strengthened commodity prices; but high cost inflation worries farmers
                The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer improved in April up 8 points to a reading of 121; however, it remains 32% below its reading from the same time last year. Producers’ perspective on current conditions and future expectations saw an uptick over the past month. The Index of Current Conditions improved 7 points to a reading of 120 and the Index of Future Expectations improved 9 points to a reading of 122. The Ag Economy Barometer is calculated each month from 400 U.S. agricultural producers’ responses to a telephone survey.

                Purdue Institute for Family Business
                Spring Greetings from PIFB!

                This PIFB Spring 2022 Newsletter covers all four of PIFB’s topic areas (Estate & Personal Financial Planning, Strategic Business Planning, Maintaining Family Bonds, and Leadership & Succession Planning), including the following articles:  
                • Skills and Requirements for Agricultural Jobs by Brady Brewer, Nathan DeLay, and Douglas Abney
                • Retirement or Training the Next Generation? Framing Succession in the Family Business by Renee Wiatt and Maria I. Marshall
                • Effective Goal Setting for Your Business by Brenna Ellison
                • Assessing Technology Management Skills by Michael Langemeier
                webinar graphic
                Managing Farm Risk Webinar Series

                The team of: Renee Wiatt, Maria Marshall, Michael Langemeier, Ariana Torres, Jenna Nees, Kelly Heckaman, Ed Farris, and Kyle Mandeville are presenting a free Managing Farm Risk Webinar Series. Registration is free and the series will run for 6 weeks on Wednesdays from May 25-June 19 from 11am-noon ET. Information at : https://bit.ly/37wQ65M
                QOM
                Question of the Month: Benefits for Yourself and Employees as a Family Business Owner

                Our April question investigated benefits that family business owners are able to provide to themselves as well as to their employee(s). Results show that owners were more likely to provide benefits for themselves than their employees, although 57% of businesses did not provide employee benefits and 29% did not provide benefits to themselves as an owner. Term life insurance (57%), followed by retirement benefit plans and medical insurance (43%), were the most commonly provided benefits for owners. The benefits most unlikely to be provided for owners or employees were unpaid vacation/sick days and vision/dental insurance. 
                 
                According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 68% of employers that employ 1-49 workers provide paid sick days and 91% of employers that employ 500 or more workers provide paid sick days. Analyzing time status of workers, 48% of part-time workers receive paid sick days and 87% of full-time workers receive paid sick days.


                The Farm's Legacy - A Guidebook to Intra-Family Succession

                The Succession Planning Team has a new Extension publication. This guidebook is a culmination of years of firsthand knowledge and expertise with farm families and the intricate inter-workings of the succession planning process. Within this guidebook, you will find articles and exercises to guide you and your family farm through the succession process. At the core of succession is communication. Of course, other components are critical to succession as well. This guidebook covers the topics of: 1) Setting Goals for the Business, 2) Communication, 3) Financial Feasibility, 4) Protecting the Business & Mitigating Risk, 5) Management Transfer, and 6) Estate Planning & Ownership (Asset) Transfer.

                You can download the publication here.
                Purdue Center for Food and Agricultural Business
                Consumer Corner
                Consumer Corner

                Check out Dr. Nicole Olynk Widmar’s Consumer Corner page on the Center for Food and Agricultural Business website for weekly consumer-derived lessons and insights from Dr. Widmar and guest experts across the industry. This month’s letters and articles include:
                Center for Food & Agribusiness Events:

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                ncrcrd logo
                NCRCRD to host booth at NACDEP

                The NCRCRD team will be attending the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) from June 5 -8 at the Alexander Hotel, Downtown Indianapolis. The conference agenda is packed full of learning events, workshops, meetings and fun!  The NCRCRD will also host an exhibit booth so if you’re in the area, stop by and say hello.
                webinar
                Register for Today's Webinar

                Register Now for NCRCRD Webinar, Moving Rural communities FORWARD: Future Opportunities for Rural Workforce and Rural Development through Extension on May 24 from 3pm to 4:00pm (ET).  You won’t want to miss this presentation on the FORWARD project, including ways that Cooperative Extension professionals will identify and address the needs of low-income workers and employers in rural communities.  You’ll hear how three pilot models are working in the rural communities of Oregon, Arkansas, and Indiana, leveraging extension to build capacity to engage community stakeholders and use local data to design career pathways that provide low-income rural worker-learners with skills needed to obtain and succeed in local, in-demand jobs that provide a path to social and economic mobility. Visit: https://ncrcrd.ag.purdue.edu/webinars/ for details and to register.
                webinar
                Recording Now Available
                 
                Recording Now Available:  NCRCRD Webinar, Remaining Land-Grant Fierce While Accepting the Land-Grab Truth of Our Foundation.  Land-grant universities (LGUs) have been providing affordable access to a quality higher education experience for over 150 years. However, these same institutions were founded from the sale of lands taken from Tribal Nations, typically through broken treaties or brute force. We will discuss a variety of initiatives being undertaken by LGUs as they grapple with these contrasting circumstances.

                Watch this and other previous webinar recordings at https://ncrcrd.ag.purdue.edu/webinars/
                gtap branding
                Upcoming GTAP Courses & Events

                The Center for Global Trade Analysis is pleased to recognize graduates of the recent GTAP 101 Course.
                 
                2022-1 GTAP 101 Course Graduates
                • Sam Agbahoungba - CREG (Senegal)
                • Ananya Ajatasatru - Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (India)
                • Karen Arcia - University of Goettingen (Germany)
                • Nitya Batra - EY (India)
                • Ines Benachir - Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Institute (France)
                • Rosemary Botha - One Acre Fund (Rwanda)
                • Teale Cunningham - UK Government (United Kingdom)
                • Marcelo Dolabella - IDB (Brazil)
                • Roshen Fernando - The Australian National University (Australia)
                • Shilpi Gupta - EY (India)
                • Mustajab Khatir - Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences - Hyderabad Campus (India)
                • Rostant Roland Leudjou Njiteu - North-West University (Cameroon)
                • Mateusz Maksymiuk - EY Doradztwo Podatkowe Krupa Sp. K. (Poland)
                • Vandudzai Mbanda - UNDP (Zimbabwe)
                • Siphokazi Mngxunyeni - UCT  (South Africa)
                • Ozcan Ozturk - College of Public Policy, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar)
                • Chiradul Pitaktam - National Institute of Development Administration (Thailand)
                • Orna Raviv - University of Haifa (Israel)
                • Rhoda Telewoda - Bank of Uganda (Uganda)
                • Milan Thomas - Asian Development Bank (Philippines)
                • Rupananda Widanage - University of Hawaii (United States)
                community development

                Latest Community Development News

                The mission for Purdue Extension Community Development is to strengthen the capacity of local leaders, residents and organizations to build strong, vibrant communities by using research-based resources to guide their decisions. Learn more about their programs, offerings, and catch up on the latest news on their website
                   
                   
                  PUBLICATIONS & DEPARTMENT HAPPENINGS
                  For a list of recent publications and endeavors by faculty, staff, and students in the department of agricultural economics, visit our publications and endeavors pages. 
                  Follow us on social
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                  Purdue AgEcon News is a monthly publication of department happenings. The publication is edited by Kami Goodwin (kami@purdue.edu). 
                  Purdue University
                  Agricultural Economics Department
                  403 W. State St. 
                  Krannert Building Room 651
                  West Lafayette, IN 47907
                  765-494-4191
                  agecon1@purdue.edu