 | Purdue Ag Econ NewsApril 2026 |  | It's Not Your Parents' Ag Policy Environment with Mary Kay Thatcher - 2026 James C. Snyder Memorial Lecture | On April 17, Deans Auditorium was filled with faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends to listen to Mary Kay Thatcher, agricultural policy expert and farm bill specialist, talk about the rapidly evolving agricultural policy landscape, including the upcoming election, potential changes in Congress and the challenges and opportunities shaping agriculture’s future. Having helped shape nine farm bills in her career, Thatcher shared her insights on trade agreements, tariffs, the past, current and future status of the farm bill and the importance of communication and participation between constituents and government representatives. Thatcher also brought up the importance of the reports and research produced at Purdue. Specifically, she mentioned the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer and recent reports from the Center for Commercial Agriculture examining the impact of agriculture in Brazil.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the lecture, and thank you to Mary Kay Thatcher for sharing your perspectives with the department. We look forward to seeing everyone at next year’s lecture! | | |
|  | | Apex Awards Panel | April 17 was a full day of events for the department. Following the graduate student research poster contest, we honored our Apex Awardees with their Apex awards and listened to a panel moderated by Reagan Koester, student co-host of our Ag Econ podcast and student representative on the Purdue Board of Trustees. Reagan led the panel in a discussion of their experiences at Purdue and how those experiences helped them take their next giant leap in the professional world.
Casey Zeller emphasized the importance of utilizing everyone’s skills on the team and bringing in people with diverse perspectives. Jill Zeller noted that finding your passion can drive you to want to learn more. Jason Brantley reminisced about how his professors didn’t just teach the courses; they involved students in research and learning. Altogether, the panel reiterated the importance of a Purdue connection because no matter where you go, you will likely find an alum and a connection to agriculture. | | |
| | | Graduate Student Research Poster Competition | We kicked off our 2026 Snyder Lecture events with a morning full of research, conversation and discovery! Some of our Ag Econ graduate students presented their research posters, and we’re proud to recognize the top three posters selected by the judges:
First place: Anna Aarstad – “Prices, Preferences & Protein Valuation Consumer Valuation of Protein Choices” Second place: Ivanna Carrillo Siller – “Labor Constraints and Agricultural Diversification in the Corn Belt: The Role of Seasonal Visa Programs” Third place: Emma Donnelly – “Property Value Impacts of Flood Buyouts: Checkerboard Effect, Flood Risk, and Green Space”
A special shoutout to our People’s Choice award, Lavanya Desiraju, for “Import Diversification and Rice Market Stability.”
Thank you to all who participated and attended! | | |
|  | | | Rain Can't Dampen the Fun: Ag Economics Welcomes 1,500 Visitors to Spring Fest
Written by J.W. Fansler | Saturday, April 18, 2026. Chilly temperatures and rain during the morning were no match for the energy inside the Department of Agricultural Economics tent at this year’s Spring Fest. The event was organized by the Indiana Council for Economic Education (ICEE), the center housed within the Department of Agricultural Economics, which leads the department’s K-12 outreach and economic literacy efforts across the state. Twelve graduate and undergraduate student volunteers spent the day guiding curious kids and families through a lineup of hands-on activities designed to bring economic thinking to life, and the turnout proved that a little weather couldn’t keep the community away. By the end of the day, an estimated 650 elementary-age children had passed through the tent, with total foot traffic reaching roughly 1,500 visitors.
New Activities Make Their Debut This year’s tent introduced two brand-new stations alongside returning favorites, each designed to make core economic concepts approachable for young learners.
Making their Spring Fest debut, the Opportunity Cost station had kids weighing the trade-offs of choosing one prize over another, walking away with a tangible sense of why every “yes” is also a “no” to something else. The new Wants vs. Needs ranking activity prompted lively debates as children sorted everyday items into categories, a deceptively simple exercise that often sparked thoughtful conversation with their parents.
Returning fan favorites rounded out the lineup. The Inputs vs. Outputs station gave visitors a look at the agricultural supply chain, asking them to match raw materials with the finished products they help create. And at the Marketing station, kids matched cereal mascots with their brands, a playful window into how advertising shapes what we recognize and remember.
A Souvenir to Take Home Every child who visited left with a custom Spring Fest t-shirt featuring a newly designed emblem, a single circular scene that captures the full sweep of economics, from a classic Indiana farm with its barn, silo, and grazing cattle, to the Indianapolis skyline rising on the horizon. A winding road ties the two halves together, a visual nod to how rural and urban economies are connected rather than separate. The design was sponsored by the Indiana Secretary of State and the Indiana Council for Economic Education, and the shirts doubled as take-home coloring projects, letting the day’s lessons continue long after families headed home.
A Team Effort The twelve student volunteers, a mix of graduate students and undergraduates, kept the tent running smoothly from start to finish, explaining concepts, demonstrating activities, and maintaining a warm, welcoming atmosphere despite the cold outside.
As always, Spring Fest proved to be both a whole lot of fun and a genuine educational opportunity. From the littlest visitors puzzling over cereal characters to parents nodding along at opportunity cost explanations, the tent delivered on its mission: making economics something you can see, touch, and play with. | | | |
|  | Policy Brief Series: The Iran Conflict | As the conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt global energy markets, experts from Purdue University’s Agricultural Economics Department have released a new series of analyses discussing potential impacts on U.S. farm profitability, global food security and consumer grocery costs.
The series, authored by Ken Foster and Bernhard Dalheimer, begins with The Iran Conflict, Energy Prices, and U.S. Farm Profitability, which examines the fallout from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the cost impacts of higher energy and nitrogen prices on producers during the 2026 spring planting window.
Two additional analyses in the series focus on domestic and global impacts for food prices. The first of these, The Iran Conflict and Consumer Food Prices, looks at U.S. domestic food prices and compares them with recent inflationary shocks that have occurred, explaining the timing and persistence of food cost increases. In the final offering, The Iran Conflict and Global Food Security, Foster and Dahlmeier explain why the world’s most vulnerable populations are expected to bear the heaviest burden of energy-driven food inflation.
In the final two briefs, Foster discusses the April CPI spike, explaining why gasoline drove nearly all the increase and why the impact on food inflation is not yet showing in the data. Additionally, Foster and Dalheimer discuss new PPI data and how ten days of conflict‑era pricing pushed energy and logistics costs sharply higher.
Read the policy briefs below: Briefs featured in the following news outlets: CNN, Uncomfortably high inflation is a real problem and it’s not going away anytime soon (published April 11, 2026) The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Experts say Florida grocery costs will ‘hit harder than we think’ (published April 13, 2026) Agri-View, Iran conflict, farm profitability assessed (published April 16, 2026) yahoo!finance, Why the Iran war might not raise your grocery bill until next year (published April 26, 2026) Mezha, US inflation squeezes household budgets, experts warn prices may persist (published April 14, 2026)
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|  | Egg Industry Insights with Sam and Dan Krouse of MPS Egg Farms (PAEP 126)
In this episode of the Purdue Agricultural Economics Podcast, Valerie Kilders and student co-host Brady Wiley sit down with Sam and Dan Krouse, co-CEOs of MPS Egg Farms in North Manchester, Indiana.
The conversation explores how a sixth-generation family business has grown into one of the nation’s largest egg producers, covering topics like managing Easter demand and navigating commodity price swings, to tackling bird flu and investing in sustainability through vertical integration and fertilizer innovation.
Sam and Dan also share how transparency, community commitment and long-term planning continue to shape the future of egg production in a rapidly changing agricultural landscape.
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| What’s Next After Purdue? Advice from 2026 Apex Awardees Casey and Jill Zeller (PAEP 127)
In this episode of the Purdue Agricultural Economics Podcast, student co-hosts Brady Wiley and Reagan Koester sit down with Casey and Jill Zeller, Purdue Ag Econ alums and Apex Award recipients.
They share how their Purdue experiences shaped their careers at SePRO Corporation and Corteva Agriscience, while offering insights into continuous learning and relationship-building. The conversation also highlights the importance of giving back and making the most of every stage of the journey.
They also offer practical advice for students preparing to enter the workforce, emphasizing the value of hard work, saying yes to new opportunities and embracing growth through challenges.
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AWARDS AND APPOINTMENTS
| Ro & Shorty Whittington Matching Program
The College of Agriculture is excited to offer a unique opportunity for donors to double their impact through the newly available Ro & Shorty Whittington Student Experience matching Program to create new Student Experience Endowments. These endowments, which begin at $50,000, provide life‑enriching support that allows undergraduates to grow beyond the classroom through national conference travel, professional development workshops, off‑campus learning experiences, capstone projects, judging teams, undergraduate research, community‑building events, and more. Every new student experience endowment will be matched dollar‑for‑dollar up to $200,000, making now an especially powerful moment to invest. Our long‑term goal is to establish a Student Experience Endowment in every department across the College of Agriculture to ensure all students benefit from enhanced experiential learning. If you are interested in creating a new endowment, please reach out to Luke Brenneman, Development Officer, at LDBrenneman@purdueforlife.org or 765-494-3717. And remember, we offer a five‑year pledge period, so your gift can be fulfilled over time—you don’t have to fund it all at once. Your contribution doesn’t just support programs; it opens doors, launches careers, and truly changes lives. | |
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|  | Congratulations to our own Isaiah Eisert and the Purdue University Dairy Challenge Team for their 1st place finish at the National Dairy Challenge competition! |
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|  | Over the course of the last academic year, Theertha Ramesh has served as the Region V Undergraduate Student Vice President of the National Society of MANRRS. During the MANRRS40 Annual Training Conference and Career Expo, Theertha was recognized with the Foster Spirit of Excellence Award. Members of the national executive committee select a single student officer to receive this award. The award is named after Dr. Eunice Foster, the first National President of MANRRS, and this award recognizes a student officer who contributes positively to the team, encourages collaboration, and enhances the overall student officer experience. Congratulations, Theertha! |
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|  | Congratulations to Eric Zarse (Agribusiness; Goodland, IN) on being named one of the ten recipients of the Farm Business Farm Management Association (FBFM) Scholarship! Selected from nearly 170 applicants across 24 universities, Eric represents not only Purdue Ag Econ but also the future of agricultural business and financial management. As the sole recipient from Indiana in this year’s cohort, he highlights the strength of the talent emerging from our department.
Thank you to FBFM for recognizing and investing in students like Eric, who are pursuing careers that play a vital role in supporting farm families and advancing the agricultural industry. |
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|  |  |  | The Food Finders fundraiser was an amazing success. The College of Ag Community provided 50,493 meals to the Greater Lafayette area through Food Finders--almost double the amount raised last year. The Ag Econ Department came in second place with 13,250 meals provided. If you see any of our office staff, please thank them for setting up all the events for a good cause. From the door duckings to the silent auction and popcorn and candy, we came together as a department to serve the community. | | |
|  |  | We’re proud to recognize two outstanding members of the AGEC team for their dedication and service—congratulations to Aissa Good, managing director for the Center for Food and Agricultural Business and the Center for Commercial Agriculture, and Olena Hillberry, administrative assistant, our 2026 departmental service award recipients! Thank you for all that you do! | |
| March Madness Bracket Winners
Congratulations to Ken Foster for winning the Men’s March Madness bracket with 1340 points and to Karen Byrd for winning the Women’s March Madness bracket with 1420 points! | |
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AG ECON IN THE NEWS
| Here is a sampling of recent news reports about Purdue Ag Econ from the college and media across the nation.
Fruit Growers News Purdue: Iran conflict fuels fertilizer supply concerns, Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier (published April 27, 2026)
Brownfield Ag News Economist says Brazil’s reliance on fertilizer imports highlighted by Hormuz closure, Joana Colussi (published April 27, 2026) Purdue economist: Geopolitical tensions igniting long-term concerns about fertilizer prices, Joana Colussi (published April 21, 2026) Fertilizer supply disruptions could cause acreage shifts for upcoming crop year in Brazil, Joana Colussi (published April 22, 2026) Middle East conflict could drive higher food prices, economist says, Ken Foster (published April 6, 2026) Purdue economist: Financial risk grows for farmers heading into 2026 season, Michael Langemeier (published April 3, 2026)
Successful Farming Global Supply Disruption Sends Nitrogen Fertilizer Prices Higher, Joana Colussi (published April 24, 2026) Middle East Conflict Revives Concerns Over Fertilizer Dependence in the U.S. and Brazil, Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier (published April 21, 2026) What Will Illinois Farmers Plant in 2026?, Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier (published April 21, 2026) The Iran Conflict and Fertilizer Markets: Why Brazil Faces Greater Near-Term Risk Than the U.S., Joana Colussi (published April 10, 2026)
RFD-TV Rising Costs Force Farmers to Rebuild Budgets in Real Time, Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier (published April 24, 2026) Global Tensions Expose Fertilizer Supply Risks, Squeezing Farm Margins, Joana Colussi (published April 21, 2026) Precision Agriculture Returns Vary Widely Across Farm Operations, Chad Fiechter (published April 6, 2026)
Agri-Pulse Economists: U.S., Brazil need to boost domestic fertilizer output to stay competitive, Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier (published April 22, 2026)
Michigan Farm News Fertilizer titans square off: How the US and Brazil are being impacted by Iran disruptions, Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier (published April 21, 2026)
Indiana Prairie Farmer How to measure your farm’s profitability, Michael Langemeier (published April 15, 2026)
Morning Ag Clips Bringing Agriculture to Life Through Art in Children’s Books, Kourtney Otte, Ag Econ alumni ’25 (published April 13, 2026)
The Nation Newspaper How Nigeria can tackle foodborne diseases, Jonathan Bauchet and Jacob Ricker-Gilbert (published April 13, 2026)
WKKG The Precision Ag Paradox: Why More Tech Doesn’t Always Mean More Profit, Chad Fiechter (published April 13, 2026)
AP News Already under financial pressure, Midwest soybean farmers are squeezed further by tariffs, Iran war, Joana Colussi (published April 13, 2026)
PBS News Already under financial pressure, farmers squeezed further by tariffs and Iran war, Joana Colussi (published April 13, 2026)
The Street Caring Stress Index: What is Happening in the United States?, Laura Montenovo (published April 11, 2026)
Hoosier Ag Today Big Harvest, Thin Margins for Brazil Soybean Growers, Joana Colussi (published April 6, 2026) Top of the Field: Purdue Agriculture #3 in US, #6 Globally in 2026 Rankings, Department of Agricultural Economics (published April 2, 2026)
KORN News Radio Purdue economist: Financial risk grows for farmers heading into 2026 season, Michael Langemeier (published April 3, 2026)
KPC News Extracting value from precision agriculture technology is difficult, Chad Fiechter (published April 4, 2026)
AgTech Navigator Precision ag adoption forecasts have been wrong for 20 years, landmark study finds, Chad Fiechter (published March 31, 2026)
Precision Farming Dealer Precision Farming Dealer’s Best of the Web: April 1, 2026, Trey Malone (published April 1, 2026)
The Pig Site Purdue report flags policy, trade risks for agriculture, Roman Keeney (published March 30, 2026)
KFGO Purdue experts examine trade, policy and economic trends in 2026 report, Roman Keeney (published March 26, 2026)
Ottumwa Radio Economist says Brazil’s reliance on fertilizer imports highlighted by Hormuz closure, Joana Colussi (published April 28, 2026)
WFLX Rising oil prices from the conflict in Iran will likely trigger grocery price shocks later this year, Ken Foster and Bernhard Dalheimer (published April 29, 2026) | |
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UPCOMING EVENTS
| Save the Date: 2026 AAEA Annual Meeting
Mark your calendars for the 2026 AAEA Annual Meeting, happening July 26–28 at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown! The event features a mix of invited paper sessions, case study papers, organized symposia, lightning and paper sessions, poster sessions and more.
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CENTER AND EXTENSION NEWS
|  |  | Farmer Sentiment Improves Despite Rising Input Costs Concerns | Farmer sentiment improved in March as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose to 127, up from 116 in February. The improvement was driven by a notable increase in producers’ expectations for the future, with the Future Expectations Index climbing 14 points and the Current Conditions Index rising 6 points. Despite the improvement, producers’ outlooks remain more cautious than a year ago, with the Future Expectations Index still below the March 2025 levels. The survey was conducted March 16-20.
The report was covered by: Ink Free News, Inside INdiana Business, Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network, AG Information Network, Ag Update, JC Post, Illinois Farmer Today, KFGO, Brownfield Ag News, Southern Farm Network, Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network, Red River Farm Network, AgTech Navigator, Investing News Network, Farm Week Now, Hoosier Ag Today, Farms.com, Farm Policy News, Sioux County Radio, RFD-TV, and WKKG.
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| Purdue Commercial AgBriefs | Check out these quick video insights to help make confident decisions, manage risk, and strengthen your farm business with these short weekly videos.
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| Purdue Commercial AgCastPodcast | Check out the newest videos from the Center for Commercial Agriculture
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| Trends in General Inflation & Farm Input PricesMichael Langemeier | Recent articles have examined the increases in energy and fertilizer prices since early March (Arita et al., 2026; Paulson et al., 2026). This article takes a step back by examining longer term trends in general rates and agricultural input prices. In addition to demand and supply shocks, input prices for agricultural producers are affected by changes in general inflation. During the 1973 to 2025 period the average annual increase for the implicit price deflator for personal consumption expenditures and the USDA agricultural price index for production items were 3.4% and 4.1%, respectively. The correlation between the annual rates for these two indices was 0.59 over this period.
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| Broad Strengthening Across the Eastern Corn BeltJosh Strine | Across the Eastern Corn Belt, corn and soybean basis has pushed upward over the past month. Across the 100 regional basis series tracked, only one weakened between the third week of March and the third week of April. While the historical average forecast an increase in basis, recent movements have broadly outpaced the projected change. Additionally, ethanol plants and soybean processors continue to offer higher prices than local elevators; however, the premiums are smaller than the historical average.
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| Middle East Conflict Revives Concerns Over Fertilizer Dependence in the U.S. and BrazilJoana Colussi and Michael Langemeier | Four years after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, which pushed fertilizer prices to historic highs, the current conflict in the Middle East has once again brought attention to the risks associated with dependence on imported fertilizers for agricultural production. With Iran restricting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route linking the Persian Gulf to global export markets, major supply disruptions have been affecting the United States and Brazil – the world’s two largest country-level fertilizer importers. This article compares fertilizer supply and demand trends over the past five years in both countries, analyzing the scale of their external dependence and the potential implications for agricultural competitiveness.
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| Indiana Herbicide Program Costs Through the Lens of GeographyMadisen (Carns) Stephens, under Chad Fiechter’s research direction | The costs of corn and soybean herbicide programs across Indiana are not uniform, and understanding their differences requires considering geography. While it may seem that herbicide programs should be similar across the state, comparing locations reveals that they are shaped by differences in environment, weed pressure, and management history. These factors create a gradient across Indiana that directly influences both the structure and intensity of herbicide programs, and in turn, the costs. For this project, we analyze enterprise budgets from Purdue Agriculture Centers across Indiana to compare and contrast their herbicide programs. We are particularly interested in the interaction between pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides, because of the challenges related to herbicide resistant weeds.
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| Indiana Farm Income Outlook Report, Spring 2026 | The Spring 2026 Indiana Farm Income Outlook, published by the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF), provides updated projections for Indiana farm profitability through 2027. The report highlights a projected 28% decline in Indiana net farm income in 2026—driven primarily by lower livestock receipts and higher production costs—while increased government payments partially offset the downturn. It also examines trends in crop and livestock markets, input costs, and policy support, offering insight into the factors shaping farm financial performance and risk in the year ahead.
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|  | Purdue Agribusiness Review Relaunches
The Purdue Agribusiness Review (PAR) is a curated digital publication produced by the Center for Food and Agricultural Business at Purdue University. The PAR translates contemporary research, managerial insights and emerging industry trends into accessible articles for agribusiness professionals, executives and policymakers. | The Purdue Agribusiness Review (PAR) has been relaunched as an open-access, editorial-style publication focused on the strategic, managerial and organizational challenges facing the global food and agricultural system.
PAR is modeled more closely on publications such as Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review than on a traditional academic journal. Its purpose is to translate research, industry analysis and applied insights into accessible articles that help agribusiness professionals, executives and policymakers make better decisions.
This relaunch also introduces an important new feature: PAR articles are now assigned DOIs, allowing authors to generate citations while reaching a broader industry audience.
For faculty and staff, PAR provides a platform to extend the impact of research and outreach to industry decision-makers while maintaining an academic publication record. It is designed for work that sits between academic research, Extension and industry engagement. If you are working on research or industry-facing projects that should reach a broader audience, the editorial team welcomes conversations about potential PAR articles.
The first issue of the relaunched Purdue Agribusiness Review can be found here: |
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|  | Are large producers really data-driven? A subtle tension in how decisions get madeWritten by Masie Keshavarz, Senior Research Project Manager; and Erin Robinson, Marketing Manager, Purdue University | As we prepare to release this year’s LCP survey findings, one question keeps resurfacing. In an industry that talks constantly about data, dashboards, and analytics, how are large commercial producers actually making decisions?
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Below are some of our recent and upcoming programs happening for agribusiness professionals.
Business-to-business relationships are the lifeblood of successful salespeople. It’s the environment in which salespeople truly connect with their customers. Those connections are often what result in long-term partnerships. Repeat business, upselling and cross-selling opportunities abound when you invest time in understanding and nurturing your clients.
May 19-20, 2026 | West Lafayette, IN We used to think great salespeople had been given a gift. While this may still be true, we know today’s sales managers play a key role in developing this gift to meet its full potential. During this two-day interactive program, Drs. Scott Downey and Dave Downey will guide you in assessing your people development skills, creating a high-performing culture, using tools to become a more effective coach for your team and more through group discussions, activities and networking opportunities.
This program is especially beneficial for current supervisors of salespeople, novice sales managers or those who will soon be promoted who are looking to amplify their performance.
July 14-15, 2026 | West Lafayette, IN Managing key accounts requires a diverse skill set — skills often more closely aligned with management than traditional sales. During Precision Selling: Building Relationships with Large Farmers, Dr. Scott Downey will lead you in specifically addressing strategies for working with large-scale producers in the evolving agricultural marketplace. You’ll explore complexities of working with growers and delve into the areas of strategic account planning, resource allocation, information analysis and the use of sophisticated selling tools.
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|  |  | Left to right, Dr. Zuzana Bednarik, Dr. Maria Marshall, Pedro Antonio Díaz Cachay and DeAndre Malone at the Small Business Institute 2026 Conference | TravelIn early April, NCRCRD Director Dr. Maria Marshall, along with NCRCRD Research and Extension Specialist Dr. Zuzana Bednarik and Graduate Research Assistants DeAndre Malone and Pedro Antonio Díaz Cachay, attended the Small Business Institute 2026 Conference in Fort Myers, Florida. Presentations by each attendee: - Bednarik, Z. (2026, April 8-11). Staying by Choice or Necessity? Mobility Intentions of Family and Non-Family Businesses in Rural and Urban Areas. Small Business Institute Annual Conference 2026.
- Malone, D. and Montenovo, L. (2026, April 8-11). Creating Recovery-Friendly Workplaces: Small Business Owners’ Identity and Practice. Small Business Institute Annual Conference 2026.
- Díaz Cachay, P. A. and Sesmero, J. (2026, April 8-11). Determinants of Succession Choice in Family Businesses: When Do They Prefer to Keep It in the Family? Small Business Institute Annual Conference 2026.
- Marshall, M. I., Wiatt, R. D., and Lee, Y. (2026, April 8-11). The Tangled Worlds of Love and Labor: Spousal Compensation in Copreneurial Firms. Small Business Institute Annual Conference 2026.
On March 26, Shelly Surber, NCRCRD Senior Program Manager, attended the Delta Regional Authority’s (DRA) PROPEL community event in Anna, IL, entitled “Building Community: Working Together for a Vibrant Anna.” The meeting recognized the recent initiatives, grants, and teamwork between city and county governments, area organizations, businesses, and individuals that have helped strengthen Anna’s sense of place and economic vitality.
The DRA is a federal regional commission promoting economic development within an eight-state service region across the lower Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions. In 2024, DRA partnered with NCRCRD to work with Illinois and Missouri communities participating in the PROPEL Technical Assistance Initiative. |
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|  | In Pursuit of Place SummitThe NCRCRD Place Action Working Group developed the In Pursuit of Place Summit as one of many efforts to accomplish their larger goal of developing and sustaining placemaking systems for academics, practitioners, and local change agents. This hands-on conference, designed for Placemakers, includes engaging sessions, immersive tours, and opportunities to collaborate on the future of placemaking. In Pursuit of Place Summit June 23 – 25, 2026, at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin Learn more at http://go.wisc.edu/placemaking |
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|  | NCRCRD Webinar SeriesNCRCRDs webinars are open to all participants. Visit the NCRCRD web page for information and registration for upcoming webinars. MAY WEBINAR Measuring What Matters: Linking Community Assets, Vitality, and Well-Being Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 2:00 pm ET How do we move from cataloging community assets to actually measuring and improving community well-being? Join us as the NCRCRD and Purdue Extension introduce a new conceptual framework linking the Community Capitals Framework with the Policy, Systems, and Environment approach, then put it to work using the NCR-Stat: Baseline Survey 2024 to benchmark Indiana against the broader North Central Region across indices of financial stress, community satisfaction, civic engagement, trust, mental health, food security, and more. NCRCRD May webinar information and registration | |
|  | PIFB 2026 Newsletter
PIFB has released the 2026 Newsletter 1: Special Issue on Succession with the following articles: | |
| Presentations and ActivitiesRenee is serving as PI on an NCERME Grant entitled “Securing the Future: Legal Audits for Farm Families”, with part of the outputs being an 8-part webinar series (see flyer below). |  | |
|  | Upcoming GTAP Events Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) and Connections to GTAP-InVEST Speakers: Stephen Polasky (University of Minnesota), Tong Wu (Stanford University), Justin Johnson (University of Minnesota) May 19, 2026 | 10-11pm US Eastern | Zoom Register by May 17!
Confronting Developmental and Environmental Challenges in Asia and the New Trade Landscape June 17-19, 2026 | Kyoto, Japan
--------------------------- Upcoming GTAP-U Courses
“Applied Analysis on Trade Policy Instruments” October 12 – November 29, 2026 | Online Course Apply by July 26!
“Applied General Equilibrium Analysis using a Dynamic Multi-Region Model” January 18 – March 12, 2027 | Hybrid Course Apply by August 30! | |
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| DIAL Ventures Resources
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|  | Latest Blog Posts
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| Eat or Toss
The Center for Food Conservation and Waste Reduction announced its new joint social media campaign with Eat or Toss -- your go-to guide for deciding whether that “questionable” food deserves a second chance or a proper farewell.
For the next several months, they will be dropping collaborative posts on Facebook and Instagram:
✨ Taste It or Toss It Tuesdays: Saving food, one quiz at a time.
📖 Recipe Roundups: Recipe ideas for commonly wasted foods! | |
|  | Purdue Extension 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. | |
| Recent News
- From Assets to Well-being: A Conceptual Framework for Community Vitality
- At the start of the new year, many Americans decide to make positive changes in their lives, focusing on individual or family-related factors. Similarly, active community members take stock of their quality of life and the changes they face due to internal and external influences, some of which lie beyond local control.
- Save the Date: Indiana Land Use Summit - August 27, Becks Agricultural Center
- The 2026 Indiana Land Use Summit will highlight Purdue University’s applied research and extension efforts in advancing data-driven, community-engaged approaches to land use planning across Indiana, with emphasis on renewable energy and agrivoltaics. Through sessions featuring the Indiana Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning (IN R‑STEP) program, participants will explore new tools, resources, and research findings supporting utility-scale renewable energy planning.
- An Introduction to Community Development
- The third edition of An Introduction to Community Development is now available, offering comprehensive approaches to enhance community development processes and outcomes. Kara Salazar authored Chapter 8, Sustainability in Community Development. The updated edition blends real-world experience with practical tools and insights, including useful examples and hands-on exercises designed for students and practitioners in building vibrant, thriving communities
- Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing
- The two-day, in-person Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing program is a great skill builder for beginner-to-intermediate grant writers. Whatever your skill level, come with an idea and be ready to write. At the end of Day One, you will have a proposal outline and all the resources you need to expand your outline into a full proposal. A list of workshops can be found on our website. Be sure to check back for updated offerings.
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PUBLICATIONS AND DEPARTMENT HAPPENINGS
| Publications & Presentations
Ai, J., Dalheimer, B., & Zhang, W. (2026). Risky Global Agricultural Supply Chains: Evidence from Firm-to-Firm Trade (Presented during the 29th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis (Kyoto, Japan)). Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN: Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP). Retrieved from https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/resources/res_display.asp?RecordID=7719.
Chepeliev, M., Bañares-Alcántara, R., Campagnolo, L., Halim, R. A., Hall, J. W., Mannarini, G., Naghash, H., Palazzi, C., Parrado, R., Rocchi, P., Taberna, A., & Shayegh, S. (2026). Capturing system complexity in maritime decarbonization: A multilayer modeling perspective. Environmental Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae61ce.
Grebitus, C., Hughner, R. S., Fuller, K., Van Loo, E. J., & Grunert, K. G. (2026). Exploring the role of memory and point-of-purchase promotion on food choice: insights from an eye-tracking study. British Food Journal, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1108/bfj-05-2025-0567.
Haqiqi, I., & Hertel, T. (2026). The buffer value of trade: quantifying how global integration stabilizes food prices and farm incomes. Food Security. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-026-01662-9.
Kalaitzandonakes, M., B. Ellison and J. Coppess. “Fats in the MAHA Era: Consumer Perceptions of Common Cooking Fats.” farmdoc daily (16):61, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, April 9, 2026.
Kwon, H., Langholtz, M., Liu, X., Clark, R., Taheripour, F., Cai, H., & Wang, M. (2026). Life cycle analysis of dedicated energy crops for fuel production in the United States. Biomass and Bioenergy, 212, 109329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2026.109329.
Langemeier, M. “Trends in General Inflation and Farm Input Prices.” farmdoc daily (16):57, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, April 3, 2026.
Malone, T., Fiechter, C., Meng, Z., Lowenberg‐DeBoer, J., Erickson, B., & Akridge, J. (2026). Is precision agriculture technology adoption persistently overestimated? Agribusiness. https://doi.org/10.1002/agr.70085.
Monaco, H., J. Colussi, G. N. Schnitkey, N. Paulson, A. V. Lobo and J. A. Caregnato. “The Iran Conflict and Fertilizer Markets: Why Brazil Faces Greater Near-Term Risk than the U.S.” farmdoc daily (16):62, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, April 10, 2026
Montenovo, L., K.Simon, and C.Wing. 2026. “The Redistributive Effects of Federal Medicaid Outlays Across Counties: Evidence From the ACA.” Public Budgeting & Finance: e70013. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbaf.70013.
Müller, C., Breier, J., Haqiqi, I., Hertel, T., and Gerten, D.: Crop-model informed economic analysis of nitrogen tax effects on food production, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-7806, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-7806, 2026.
Muth, Mary K., and Brenna Ellison. 2026. Food Industry Responses to the Make America Healthy Again Initiative. Durham, NC: Healthy Eating Research. https://healthyeatingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HER_Industry-Response-to-MAHA_Report.pdf.
Quintero, J., Malone, T., Byrne, A. & Carpenter, C. W., (2026) “Uneven Returns: The Varied Impact of Public Transportation Investments on Urban Foodservice Businesses”, Reaching Regions 2(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/rreg.21188.
Simonato, T., van der Mensbrugghe, D., Chepeliev, M., & Golub, A. (2026). Global Chains, Regional Pains: Brazil’s Socio-Economic Exposure to U.S. Trade Policy (Presented during the 29th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis (Kyoto, Japan)). Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN: Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP). Retrieved from https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/resources/res_display.asp?RecordID=7824.
Taheripour, F., Baldos, U., Corong, E., Aguiar, A., Chepeliev, M., & Simonato, T. (2026). Mainstreaming of GTAP BIO database construction and standardized model code (Presented during the 29th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis (Kyoto, Japan)). Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN: Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP). Retrieved from https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/resources/res_display.asp?RecordID=7878.
Wojtowicz, K., Bekkers, E., Chepeliev, M., & Yilmaz, A. (2026). Incorporating critical minerals and renewable energy technologies to the Multi-Region Input-Output framework: a case of GTAP (Presented during the 29th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis (Kyoto, Japan)). Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN: Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP). Retrieved from https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/resources/res_display.asp?RecordID=7810.
Xia, S., Hasegawa, T., Jansakoo, T., Mason-D’Croz, D., Tsuchiya, K., Fujimori, S., Chepeliev, M., Kozicka, M., Mishra, A., Van Zeist, W., Zhao, X., De Lange, T., Diniz Oliveira, T., Doelman, J., Gibson, M., Havlik, P., Herrero, M., Kumar, I., Ochi, Y., Sulser, T., Sundiang, M., Takahashi, K., Takakura, J., & Wiebe, K. (2026). Ozone pollution reduction partially offsets the negative impact of climate mitigation efforts on global hunger (Presented during the 29th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis (Kyoto, Japan)). Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN: Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP). Retrieved from https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/resources/res_display.asp?RecordID=7680.
Zaman, A., Wongpiyabovorn, O., Plastina, A., & Langemeier, M. (2026). “Spring 2026 Farm Income Outlook for Indiana.” RaFF Report 2026-08, Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center, University of Missouri, Columbia. April 2026. Available at raff.missouri.edu/state-outlooks/. | |
| Presentations and Activities
Channing Arndt went to South Africa and presented on Trade and Climate Change at a conference organized by the South African Reserve Bank for the Network for the Greening of the Financial System. The presentation was in Pretoria.
Bernhard Dalheimer was a guest speaker on the “Eat This Podcast” episode: Geopolitics, Food, and Agriculture: A plea for agricultural economists to pay attention to security
On April 8, Jay Akridge participated in a virtual panel discussion: “The Climate of Higher Education”. Redbird Table Talk, Illinois State University
On April 10, Jay Akridge presented “Leadership and Legacy” at the AgriInstitute Celebration Event, Thorntown.
On April 17, Marley Heritier gave a presentation, “Why Are Fewer Indiana High School Students Going to College? Evidence from County-Level Data with a Focus on Rural Indiana,” at the Rural Education Summit in Plainfield.
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| 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. | |
| | | Purdue AgEcon News is a monthly publication of department happenings. The publication is edited by Morgan French (mmfrench@purdue.edu). | | Purdue University Agricultural Economics Department 403 Mitch Daniels Blvd Krannert Building Room 651 West Lafayette, IN 47907 765-494-4191 agecon1@purdue.edu | |
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