Publications

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bRb35vh0Vm48tMIe20vezdW0hePzxaOExn6UqOUOIbjZJodQQL5oggbbe3vSNeYAvKvSSz2eCTkZORvIjaB4dpXjuaG8UsQJd5ur_JlQFfTAA5a0-ThjQGCKgs1rUSjZgagt78U4zHB6iCpu_3KS0wXSGgjcLAUv502zYBkwB6qjboh0d_v1byAqicXY3R2AUx6DUnuhVVLsXasWYTkp9TRQpF8yJ0gH6k-pGw2uqaY7EerlG3a7qImsN5pGg_JfwmTK9pAyaUAUUTC3jp8NtA==&c=UJ81SH_6tZSvCkRz4omdcJ6Q91YkjeIwCD1xWAIgv7hNg2FQyS5d1w==&ch=rI8WCiw0uYZgh3_JnWNo5PMC5RSZKyMjABMj7qWhm2vk2of_m-01IA==">Net cash farm income forecast to fall below 1970-2016 average level
Farm sector net cash farm income is a measure of the profitability of farming and, hence, the ability of farmers to meet their loan obligations, invest in new machinery, remain in production, expand their operations, and provide for family living expenses. Beginning in 2010, inflation-adjusted farm sector net cash income rose to near record highs, peaking in 2012. Much of this growth was due to commodity cash receipts, which increased by $113.2 billion from 2009 to 2014. Between 2012 and 2016, however, farm sector net cash income fell 33 percent to $97.3 billion. This is the largest multiyear decline since the 1970s in both absolute and percentage terms. Slowing global demand, a strengthening dollar, and large inventories depressed crop as well as animal and animal product prices and contributed to the decline. Although the decline is large, when viewed over a longer time horizon, net cash farm income has returned near levels seen before the record growth from 2010 to 2013. ERS forecasts net cash farm income in 2018 to be 7 percent below the average across 1970-2016. 

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i9mHBBPKEECXFePaPVa7l9t0F2w8-woZ0sFuT0eMg2c27LAXmG8y3dkUGEYBWW0tV-al2Z6jWxyOVeVd-PWh143Kmn-4PhIF1XDqX6AsXGCQDC4Pgrf2g1QQpuJgCAuJus9ZO_jLPpaNLfiu7BKd8SRMv6aAQZAr-BYhI_lbeEAIS09zfHE6Y7ewBc6zdS2cP16Bt-yJ_3_T4a91FiCgo1uh1dT1aYA5dkgONSOWDQrzw6kCyBD7SxY-LBBZU9NRoANc-zG44gLU98IxcB8Rqw==&c=fx4pGQKHY7oYal_lvogg6b2Pff3Y0RWfJUwdbWMymCobatt60Q2zEw==&ch=m3Mcf0Wwikf98xaVXIfRGnDmTwVw6zkLp1EJZYfWRNS6ksC2f0NNuw==">Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, average income tax rates are estimated to decline for households across all family farm sizes In 2016, family farm households faced an estimated income tax rate of 17.2 percent on average. However, the recently passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 eliminates or modifies many itemized deductions and tax credits, while lowering tax rates on individual and business income. The TCJA also expands some business provisions. Had the TCJA been in place in 2016, ERS estimates that family farm households would have faced a lower average income tax rate of 13.9 percent. The effects of the TCJA varies by farm size, with the greatest reduction for households operating midsized farms. The average income tax rate for households of midsized farms would have decreased by 5.8 percentage points. By comparison, the average income tax rate for households operating large farms would have decreased by 3.4 percentage points, for small farms by 3.0 percentage points. The expansion of the standard deduction is a primary reason households operating smaller farms are estimated to face lower income tax rates, while those operating large farms benefit more from reductions in individual tax rates and a new provision allowing a portion of farm income to be excluded from household taxable income (income from farming is taxed at the individual level for family farms). Midsized farms are expected to benefit from all these provisions. 

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001I_F6AR47ND88WijJYo-0WO4OZSwLC49ddsCg9fEQ8dN_TkC58csvV2dsj6FwDzkVpksGeHB3OOfRoSLBo4J463OZQvOosyjNwLVXQmneenRIgTyq6zoiKnl4xY1czEKEpFdvWyAZC8tem8N5DNQ4e4xX4pHknHyhzj8HzoTvVNRO1NBf3QWS22m4Vsg7JZcuLLppR3hA8qX9t6kxLRIzgMAV5qxcxjTEKTrM5i_x1COnWmRovr8YFdUu8k9FKJaBHXaMxnzLRZt2iCu4lP1_XQ==&c=s6YkvOzTSM0FH8UrxRjjPpUdWdQkrUCUvzOP8nr3t8KOyVGseFueXA==&ch=VVylkUrmnb8XbbfE9G8FmoIq0qL7piCX-XoE21b6sM2sOKjQZNXIfg==">Time constraints due to employment are associated with greater preference for convenience foodsWhen consumers are pressed for time because of employment demands, many respond by spending less time on food shopping, preparation, and clean up. In a recent study, ERS researchers used data from USDA’s 2012-13 National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS) to look at the factors that affect demand for convenience food. The researchers found that households that are time constrained by employment spent more on restaurant food and less on grocery store food. Households where all adults were employed spent about half of their food budgets at restaurants, whereas households where a primary shopper was unemployed spend only 36 percent. The share of the food budget spent on non-ready-to-eat foods, such as raw meats, seafood, dry beans, pasta, and other foods requiring cooking and preparation time, also presents a picture of households making a tradeoff between time and money. Households where all adults were employed spent 10 percentage points less of their food budgets on non-ready-to-eat foods compared to households where a primary shopper was not employed. 

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MUL9SMnO49AKhAyLWPaJI1TXoHT3V7GAxzzSHvfRgTkiC4CSzral4DxXeOCRZDOhgoZurUGcic0aC5XCksI5v8S7kKH4MAjss72ElGn4nVAr6hN0Xe1QDsBJU3x77qke3mQiINky6HfCV5SG7iLnJyT5xzTBAeWuEUxkF_AemYcQOX3w5IR_DP_Zw2UNWBx6U_l4kQuMWAF7sAntEZ7yriOtp_QnXfKBH4AaDGjMVft3IbsalDcycFtPSbXnIS4KB7HReuqWY__8IbalYtn6_g==&c=GbT-w2806_D8UHJ0mCssjhCh4O8EE96_RKPFB-T6yE5ONbR9SOjfqQ==&ch=2Oc2EV4OunBZI4PGkso2Oc2xrAnDe_xZo1n3t_2Md3W5cJ_EFFRCPg==">Ownership of oil and gas rights among farm operators varies across StatesThe ability of landowners to profit from oil and gas development on their land depends on whether they own the oil and gas rights associated with their property. Nationally, 5.4 percent of farm operators reported owning oil and gas rights in 2014. In counties with oil and gas production, the share was higher at 11.4 percent. The share of operators who reported owning oil and gas rights exceeded the national average in States where oil and gas counties were abundant—including Oklahoma and Pennsylvania (about 14 percent each) and Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, and North Dakota (about 10 percent each). Separate ownership of the surface and subsurface rights is more common in the Western United States, particularly when shale formations lie above or below conventional oil and gas fields with a history of drilling, because oil and gas rights may have been sold previously. By comparison, the Marcellus shale play extends into areas of Pennsylvania with little history of drilling. Unified ownership is likely much higher there, increasing that State’s share. 

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001yMDv4NdXCpaPas3hM1YlJexUUfrd96QosW2iGlvf4fbxrycYWyE2Q_F1TFfvlrnoayZ5J2y0GzFvlXq7dZs4_ru_pGTTjnOfCzoildRlVXN-EZZAapAuwIfffnRzqsZhKrSqMy5j1DFFzlBBFpnO32_L3wQf94f1fYIarhZjqrU_Yg8nqdlfS8ht9hfCuHfHSkW3LySLKM463ahZ5gwIJp7qtx0yXEPUBzJRucehKnF5dif3v8YIrnG202QtLWw5dCGJ0ah_SbB3w9jr6Getiw==&c=SrfBcuBeDB1JzC0RaJ6ZsaYEpCoXuOWXCanWWhI06Y64KeOgSwKLtQ==&ch=D62g3w7uXIktTwml48xhUWwQQfPngTCJpGEWXtq2W8aR8L1lI7JotA==">Farm debt-to-asset ratio forecast to stabilize in 2017-18 The debt-to-asset ratio compares the farm sector’s outstanding debt relative to the value of the sector’s aggregate assets. An indicator of the farm sector’s level of risk exposure, this ratio provides a measure of the sector’s ability to repay financial liabilities (debt) via the sale of assets. A lower debt-to-asset ratio indicates fewer assets are financed by debt and suggests the sector would be better able to overcome adverse financial events. After reaching a low of 11.3 percent in 2012, the debt-to-asset ratio increased gradually to 12.7 percent in 2016 as the growth rate for debt exceeded the growth rate for assets. ERS forecasts the debt-to-asset ratio to remain relatively unchanged in 2017-18, as farm sector assets stabilized at $3.1 billion (adjusted for inflation) between 2016 and 2018. Still, the ratio remains well below the peak in 1985 (22.2 percent) as farm sector asset values have nearly doubled since 1985. About 80 percent of the value of farm sector assets is attributable to the market value of farm real estate assets, which increased 115 percent from 1985 to 2016 and is forecast to increase 2 percent in 2017 and remain flat in 2018.

https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/gallery/chart-detail/?chartId=86062">Food stores—except specialized food stores—grew in number between 2009 and 2014
The numbers of different types of food stores and changes in those numbers over time have implications for the economic well-being of communities for reasons related to employment opportunities, tax revenues, and business development. Between 2009 and 2014, the number of grocery stores in the United States grew by 4 percent to 65,975, and the number of convenience stores grew by 4 percent as well to 124,879. Supercenters and warehouse club stores saw their numbers jump by 18 percent to 5,307 stores in 2014, while specialized food stores (bakeries, seafood markets, dairy stores, etc.) saw a 6-percent decline in store numbers. Preference for one-stop shopping by some consumers may be influencing the increase in supercenters and warehouse club stores and the decline in specialized food stores. ERS’s Food Environment Atlas provides a spatial overview of a county’s food retailing landscape by mapping the number and density of these four store types.

Events and Learning

https://www.workforcegps.org/events/2018/06/21/15/09/WIOA-Co-Enrollment-Cohort-Lessons-Learned">WIOA Co-Enrollment Cohort - Lessons Learned
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Rehabilitation Services Administration collaborated to form a State Cohort on Co-enrollment among Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and partner programs.
July 18 / 2:00 PM ~ 3:30 PM ET

https://ruralbehavioralhealth.org/webinars/webinar-2-impact-opioid-epidemic-children-and-youth-rural-communities-how-schools-and">Rural Behavioral Health Webinar Series
The second webinar in the 2018 Rural Behavioral Health Webinar Series: "The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic on Children and Youth in Rural Communities-How Schools and Communities are Responding" will be held July 19, 3:00-4:30 PM EDT.

https://www.events.rcac.org/assnfe/ev.asp?ID=1416">Disaster Recovery and Preparation Webinars
The Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) is hosting a series of two online webinars on Disaster Preparation and Recovery. The webinars will cover why disasters are important for housing counseling; the potential effects of disasters on communities, agencies and counselors; and the six areas in which housing counseling has played a key role in disaster recovery to help participants gain a broad understanding of the agency disaster preparation and recovery role, including pre-disaster agency planning, identifying and collaborating with key stakeholders, and recognizing opportunities for disaster recovery housing counseling services. The webinars will take place on September 11 and September 13, 2018 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM EDT.

https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/webinars/teen-birth-infant-mortality?utm_source=racupdate&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=update070318">Rural Insights from the National Center for Health Statistics on Teen Births and Infant Mortality
In case you missed it: We have a recording of last week's webinar with the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Speakers discussed key rural findings on teen childbearing and infant mortality, two important indicators of maternal and child health.

http://www.eda.gov/programs/university-centers?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=">2018 EDA University Center Competition Webinar Recordings for Austin and Denver Regions Now Available Online! Earlier this month the EDA University Center program office hosted two webinars to provide information about EDA’s 2018 University Center program and https://www.eda.gov/files/programs/university-centers/FY18-UC-NOFO-FINAL.pdf?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=">Notice of Funding Opportunity. The first webinar focused on EDA’s Denver Region University Center competition and the second on EDA’s Austin Region University Center competition. EDA's University Center Economic Development Program helps bring research to work by making the resources of universities available to the economic development community. Institutions of higher education have extensive resources, including specialized research, outreach, technology transfer, and commercialization capabilities, as well as recognized faculty expertise and sophisticated laboratories. EDA’s University Center (UC) program marshals these resources to support regional economic development strategies in regions of chronic and acute economic distress. The UCs, which EDA considers long-term partners in economic development, are required to devote the majority of their funding to respond to technical assistance requests originating from organizations located in the economically distressed portions of their service regions. Most UCs focus their efforts on assisting units of local governments and nonprofit organizations in planning and implementing regional economic development strategies and projects. Actions provided by UCs include targeted commercialization of research, workforce development, and business counseling services. Other UCs may focus their efforts on helping local organizations with conducting preliminary feasibility studies, analyzing data, and convening customized seminars and workshops on topics such as regional strategic planning and capital budgeting.

https://smartgrowthamerica.org/watch-the-recorded-webinar-on-understanding-your-opportunity-zones/">Smart Growth America – Opportunity Zones Webinar http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/">Smart Growth America recently delivered a webinar on the new federal Opportunity Zones program.  The webinar shed light on several of the program’s unanswered questions; it addressed the Opportunity Zones program’s economic context and incentives, as well as the policies and practices needed by stakeholders to achieve equitable development outcomes in America’s most distressed communities. 

https://uwexics.adobeconnect.com/ps0p8aunhmhy/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal">Cooperatives and Community Housing Needs Webinar A webinar hosted by the University of Wisconsin, Center for Cooperatives on housing has been recorded, and is available https://uwexics.adobeconnect.com/ps0p8aunhmhy/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal">here.

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sy58DHhDSA6Tz4tNWDhFzg">Cooperatives and Business Succession Strategies | July 19, 2018.  Time: 12 - 1 p.m. CDT. Over the next two decades, an estimated 70% of privately held businesses will change hands, many as a result of retiring baby boomers. Who will take over these businesses, and will they remain in their communities?  This webinar will look at the conversion of businesses to cooperatives owned by the employees as one effective method for retaining businesses, jobs, and wealth in local communities.  This webinar is the third in a series that explores cooperative solutions to challenges in rural and urban communities.

• Cooperatives and Community Infrastructure Needs: September 19, 2018 
• Cooperatives and Community-Owned Businesses: October 17, 2018 
• All webinars will be held at 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Central Time.