Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics

Research and Outreach - Today's Program Spotlights

Farmdoc

logo: Farmdoc The goal of the farmdoc (farm decision outreach central) Project is to improve farm decision-making under risk through education and research. To meet this goal, the farmdoc website provides Illinois farmers with comprehensive and integrated risk management information and analysis. Publications, decision tools and databases related to a variety of risk management issues are found throughout the site. Subject matter sections cover finance, marketing and outlook, management, law and taxation, and policy. Specialty sections are devoted to the AgMAS (Agricultural Market Advisory Services) Project, crop insurance, farmland owners, prices and weather, and ag web resources.
Contact: Scott Irwin

Regional Economics and Public Policy

logo: Regional Economics and Public Policy Why do some regions prosper, while others decline? What makes a region competitive? Are federal and state policies effective in stimulating regional development? The REAP Research Group seeks to answer such questions. We focus on theories of regional development, the urban-rural components of regional economies, the location, growth, decline, and regional effects of industries, and the outcomes of public policies. We develop and apply quantitative methods for studying economic and demographic change, identifying urban and rural roles within national value chains and regional industry clusters, testing theories of growth, diffusion, and prosperity, and evaluating public policies.
Contact: Andy Isserman