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Dawn Thilmany

Colorado State University, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Faculty Member

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Dawn Thilmany McFadden is a Professor of Agribusiness and Agribusiness Extension Economist with Colorado State University, serving in that role since 1997, and specializes in analyzing markets, consumer behavior and economic development related to local, organic and other value-added food market segments. She has published over 80 journal articles on consumer behavior, agricultural markets and food systems, and presented similar material to over 200 Extension audiences.She is on the leadership team of the CSU Extension Food Systems work team and Chairs the Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council. Currently, she serves the US Dept of Agriculture by sitting on the Secretary’s Advisory Board on Research, Extension, Education and Economics. She has served on Boards and in leadership positions with the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, the Western Agricultural Economics Association, the Food Distribution Research Society and several regional research committees.

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Portland State University

Klaus-Holger Knorr

University of Münster

Manchester Metropolitan University

António Bento-Gonçalves

Universidade do Minho

Bucknell University

Md. Khairul Alam

Murdoch University

Virginia Tech

Dr Rehan Dastagir

International University Of Business Agriculture and Technology(IUBAT)

James Cook University

University of San Francisco

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Papers by Dawn Thilmany

The 2006 Economic Contribution of Agritourism to Colorado: Estimates from a Survey of Colorado Tourists 1

The 2006 Economic Contribution of Agritourism to Colorado: Estimates from a Survey of Colorado Tourists 1

Diversification through Agritourism in a Changing U.S. Farmscape, Western Economics Forum-Fall 2016

This article seeks to provide a general overview of trends in the agritourism industry and to rev... more This article seeks to provide a general overview of trends in the agritourism industry and to review some emerging literature on the topics noted in the previous paragraph. The data for this work was gathered partially from secondary sources (i.e. the USDA’s Census of Agriculture), as well as from a survey on agritourists in the Western U.S. and an additional producer survey on Californian and Coloradan agritourism farms and ranches. Some aspects of this article focus on the western U.S., and at times specifically on California and Colorado, which are particular regions of interest for studying agritourism, but many of the findings can be generalized to the rest of the U.S. In the following sections, the article examines 1) general industry trends, 2)importance of community, location, and farm attributes, and lastly 3) a look at some interesting aspects of agritourism producers in California and Colorado.

Agricultural Labor in Colorado: Has Recent Immigration and Labor Policy Resulted from Colorado's Employment Trends?

by Jesica Hernandez and Dawn Thilmany

An in-store valuation of local and organic apples: the role of social desirability

by Marco Costanigro and Dawn Thilmany

Agribusiness, 2011

The authors analyze data from an in-store experiment in Colorado to estimate willingness to pay f... more The authors analyze data from an in-store experiment in Colorado to estimate willingness to pay for local and organic labels in fresh apples, and investigate consumers&amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27; motivations. They found that the value of the local trumps that of organic, and motivations for valuing ...

Employment Stability and the Role of Sectoral Dominance in Rural Economies

by Chris Fawson and Dawn Thilmany

American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 1998

Rural development has received renewed attention, particularly in the West, where there are oppor... more Rural development has received renewed attention, particularly in the West, where there are opportunities for enhancing tourism in communities once reliant on extractive resources. The historical focus of rural development has been on economic growth, with little concern about the sustainability or socioeconomic impacts of such growth. This study analyzes and discusses the employment dynamics of rural economies with varying employment bases to illustrate some possible impacts of targeting specific employment sectors as part of a rural economic development strategy. The empirical research focuses on the rural counties of Utah, where the trade and service sectors associated with increased tourism and retirement communities have been rapidly expanding throughout the past two decades. Copyright 1998, Oxford University Press.

A Hybrid Individual--Zonal Travel Cost Model for Estimating the Consumer Surplus of Golfing in Colorado

by Stephen Davies and Dawn Thilmany

Journal of Sports Economics, 2008

Although golf is a popular activity and significant industry, there is little known about the pri... more Although golf is a popular activity and significant industry, there is little known about the price elasticity of demand for golf, nor the benefits received by the golfers themselves. Using a survey of Colorado golfers at 19 golf courses and a relatively novel hybrid individual observation and zonal travel cost model, the authors find the demand for golf is quite price inelastic with respect to transportation costs (−.433) and green fees (−.115). The typical golfer spends $8 on transportation and $49 on green fees/ carts. The price inelastic demands translate into a consumer surplus of $18.44 per round of golf at Colorado golf courses. The annual net economic value to golfers in Colorado for the 7.8 million rounds of golf is $143.8 million. The authors find a ''U'' shaped quadratic relationship between age and golf demand, such that retirement age golfers take about 30% more trips than middle age golfers.

The Economic And Environmental Aspects Of Colorado'S Golf Industry

by Stephen Davies and Dawn Thilmany

Consumer Preferences for Fruit and Vegetables with Credence-Based Attributes: A Review

The International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 2011

The food marketing sector is responding to an increased level of interest to consumer demand for ... more The food marketing sector is responding to an increased level of interest to consumer demand for products with an increasingly wide array of attributes. As evidence, there has been double digit proliferation of offerings in the produce section of retailers on an annual basis. Differentiation claims include factors related to experiential eating quality as well as credence attributes related to environmental and other social outcomes. To establish the overall importance and willingness to purchase and/or to pay for such foods, a summary of selected studies on such credence attributes and a critique of the research methodologies encountered in those studies may be informative. This study aims to identify and rank a number of attributes, focusing on how their statistical significance across consumer studies of fresh produce buying decisions.

PRICE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG NORTH AMERICAN FRESH TOMATO MARKETS: A COMPARISON BETWEEN MEXICAN AND U.S. MARKETS

International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 2003

Tomato trade between the U.S. and Mexico has grown significantly during the past decade, and mark... more Tomato trade between the U.S. and Mexico has grown significantly during the past decade, and market structure suggests increased market integration. This study examines fresh tomato price relationships between two major North American shipping points (Sinaloa, and Florida) and several major terminal markets in the U.S. and Mexico to infer whether business strategies vary by supply region or the geography of consumer markets. The results show some evidence of inefficient pricing behavior among some markets, and suggest that Mexican shipping point prices are less integrated with Mexico's own terminal markets than the closest U.S. market, Los Angeles. Moreover, perfectly competitive price behavior is less likely in a terminal market (Chicago) where Sinaloa and Florida compete during winter months. These results are the basis of discussion on the role of strategic behavior and trade policy influence in these markets.

Will Local Foods Influence American Diets?

Choices, 2012

Franchising as an Entry Strategy in Mexico

Journal of International Food Agribusiness Marketing, 1997

ABSTRACT

Regulatory Barriers in an Integrating World Food Market

Economics Research Institute Study Paper, 1996

"As technology invades agriculture, more and more agricultural disputes will turn on the use of a... more "As technology invades agriculture, more and more agricultural disputes will turn on the use of additives, pesticides, drugs and genes. JJ "Brie and Hormones," The Economist (Jan. 7, 1989) Policy and technological change (e.g., in communications and transport technologies) appear to be steadily integrating the world's national and regional food markets. Recent trade liberalization agreements, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), have especially raised expectations of increasingly free and profitable cross-border commercial opportunities for American agricultural producers and processors. Improved market access under GATT and NAFT A, through tariff reduction and the conversion of quotas to tariffs ("tariffication"), holds out the promise of greater commercial food trade. But while recent trade agreements have addressed readily identifiable, traditional trade barriers such as quotas and tariffs, there nonetheless remain significant regulatory barriers to international trade in foodstuffs.

The US Organic Industry: Important Trends and Emerging Issues for the USDA

Implementing Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling

SELLING LOCAL: CAMPAIGNS TO ENCOURAGE LOCAL CONSUMERISM

COLORADO WINE CONSUMERS: TAPPING INTEREST IN LOCAL WINES 1

THEME OVERVIEW: INNOVATIONS TO SUPPORT BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS

Across the United States, agricultural producers are responding to increased interest in the "Kno... more Across the United States, agricultural producers are responding to increased interest in the "Know your Farmer, Know your Food" concept promoted by the USDA, as well as growing market demand for local foods. At the same time, USDA and industry leadership have a growing concern about the aging farmer and rancher population, and wonder who will be the future food producers in this country. Subsequently, an unprecedented transition in farm enterprises and land use is occurring as the U.S. farm population continues to age, and in some regions, there is evidence of a "shift" from the conventional system of passing down operations within the same family or to farms with similar production plans with an emerging generation of beginning farmers who are at least two generations from an agricultural family background.

An Analysis of Contract Relationships between Farm Labor Contractors and Farmers in California Agriculture

HEDGING POTENTIAL IN CALIFORNIA CATTLE MARKETS

ABSTRACT

The 2006 Economic Contribution of Agritourism to Colorado: Estimates from a Survey of Colorado Tourists 1

The 2006 Economic Contribution of Agritourism to Colorado: Estimates from a Survey of Colorado Tourists 1

Diversification through Agritourism in a Changing U.S. Farmscape, Western Economics Forum-Fall 2016

This article seeks to provide a general overview of trends in the agritourism industry and to rev... more This article seeks to provide a general overview of trends in the agritourism industry and to review some emerging literature on the topics noted in the previous paragraph. The data for this work was gathered partially from secondary sources (i.e. the USDA’s Census of Agriculture), as well as from a survey on agritourists in the Western U.S. and an additional producer survey on Californian and Coloradan agritourism farms and ranches. Some aspects of this article focus on the western U.S., and at times specifically on California and Colorado, which are particular regions of interest for studying agritourism, but many of the findings can be generalized to the rest of the U.S. In the following sections, the article examines 1) general industry trends, 2)importance of community, location, and farm attributes, and lastly 3) a look at some interesting aspects of agritourism producers in California and Colorado.

Agricultural Labor in Colorado: Has Recent Immigration and Labor Policy Resulted from Colorado's Employment Trends?

by Jesica Hernandez and Dawn Thilmany

An in-store valuation of local and organic apples: the role of social desirability

by Marco Costanigro and Dawn Thilmany

Agribusiness, 2011

The authors analyze data from an in-store experiment in Colorado to estimate willingness to pay f... more The authors analyze data from an in-store experiment in Colorado to estimate willingness to pay for local and organic labels in fresh apples, and investigate consumers&amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27; motivations. They found that the value of the local trumps that of organic, and motivations for valuing ...

Employment Stability and the Role of Sectoral Dominance in Rural Economies

by Chris Fawson and Dawn Thilmany

American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 1998

Rural development has received renewed attention, particularly in the West, where there are oppor... more Rural development has received renewed attention, particularly in the West, where there are opportunities for enhancing tourism in communities once reliant on extractive resources. The historical focus of rural development has been on economic growth, with little concern about the sustainability or socioeconomic impacts of such growth. This study analyzes and discusses the employment dynamics of rural economies with varying employment bases to illustrate some possible impacts of targeting specific employment sectors as part of a rural economic development strategy. The empirical research focuses on the rural counties of Utah, where the trade and service sectors associated with increased tourism and retirement communities have been rapidly expanding throughout the past two decades. Copyright 1998, Oxford University Press.

A Hybrid Individual--Zonal Travel Cost Model for Estimating the Consumer Surplus of Golfing in Colorado

by Stephen Davies and Dawn Thilmany

Journal of Sports Economics, 2008

Although golf is a popular activity and significant industry, there is little known about the pri... more Although golf is a popular activity and significant industry, there is little known about the price elasticity of demand for golf, nor the benefits received by the golfers themselves. Using a survey of Colorado golfers at 19 golf courses and a relatively novel hybrid individual observation and zonal travel cost model, the authors find the demand for golf is quite price inelastic with respect to transportation costs (−.433) and green fees (−.115). The typical golfer spends $8 on transportation and $49 on green fees/ carts. The price inelastic demands translate into a consumer surplus of $18.44 per round of golf at Colorado golf courses. The annual net economic value to golfers in Colorado for the 7.8 million rounds of golf is $143.8 million. The authors find a ''U'' shaped quadratic relationship between age and golf demand, such that retirement age golfers take about 30% more trips than middle age golfers.

The Economic And Environmental Aspects Of Colorado'S Golf Industry

by Stephen Davies and Dawn Thilmany

Consumer Preferences for Fruit and Vegetables with Credence-Based Attributes: A Review

The International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 2011

The food marketing sector is responding to an increased level of interest to consumer demand for ... more The food marketing sector is responding to an increased level of interest to consumer demand for products with an increasingly wide array of attributes. As evidence, there has been double digit proliferation of offerings in the produce section of retailers on an annual basis. Differentiation claims include factors related to experiential eating quality as well as credence attributes related to environmental and other social outcomes. To establish the overall importance and willingness to purchase and/or to pay for such foods, a summary of selected studies on such credence attributes and a critique of the research methodologies encountered in those studies may be informative. This study aims to identify and rank a number of attributes, focusing on how their statistical significance across consumer studies of fresh produce buying decisions.

PRICE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG NORTH AMERICAN FRESH TOMATO MARKETS: A COMPARISON BETWEEN MEXICAN AND U.S. MARKETS

International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 2003

Tomato trade between the U.S. and Mexico has grown significantly during the past decade, and mark... more Tomato trade between the U.S. and Mexico has grown significantly during the past decade, and market structure suggests increased market integration. This study examines fresh tomato price relationships between two major North American shipping points (Sinaloa, and Florida) and several major terminal markets in the U.S. and Mexico to infer whether business strategies vary by supply region or the geography of consumer markets. The results show some evidence of inefficient pricing behavior among some markets, and suggest that Mexican shipping point prices are less integrated with Mexico's own terminal markets than the closest U.S. market, Los Angeles. Moreover, perfectly competitive price behavior is less likely in a terminal market (Chicago) where Sinaloa and Florida compete during winter months. These results are the basis of discussion on the role of strategic behavior and trade policy influence in these markets.

Will Local Foods Influence American Diets?

Choices, 2012

Franchising as an Entry Strategy in Mexico

Journal of International Food Agribusiness Marketing, 1997

ABSTRACT

Regulatory Barriers in an Integrating World Food Market

Economics Research Institute Study Paper, 1996

"As technology invades agriculture, more and more agricultural disputes will turn on the use of a... more "As technology invades agriculture, more and more agricultural disputes will turn on the use of additives, pesticides, drugs and genes. JJ "Brie and Hormones," The Economist (Jan. 7, 1989) Policy and technological change (e.g., in communications and transport technologies) appear to be steadily integrating the world's national and regional food markets. Recent trade liberalization agreements, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), have especially raised expectations of increasingly free and profitable cross-border commercial opportunities for American agricultural producers and processors. Improved market access under GATT and NAFT A, through tariff reduction and the conversion of quotas to tariffs ("tariffication"), holds out the promise of greater commercial food trade. But while recent trade agreements have addressed readily identifiable, traditional trade barriers such as quotas and tariffs, there nonetheless remain significant regulatory barriers to international trade in foodstuffs.

The US Organic Industry: Important Trends and Emerging Issues for the USDA

Implementing Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling

SELLING LOCAL: CAMPAIGNS TO ENCOURAGE LOCAL CONSUMERISM

COLORADO WINE CONSUMERS: TAPPING INTEREST IN LOCAL WINES 1

THEME OVERVIEW: INNOVATIONS TO SUPPORT BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS

Across the United States, agricultural producers are responding to increased interest in the "Kno... more Across the United States, agricultural producers are responding to increased interest in the "Know your Farmer, Know your Food" concept promoted by the USDA, as well as growing market demand for local foods. At the same time, USDA and industry leadership have a growing concern about the aging farmer and rancher population, and wonder who will be the future food producers in this country. Subsequently, an unprecedented transition in farm enterprises and land use is occurring as the U.S. farm population continues to age, and in some regions, there is evidence of a "shift" from the conventional system of passing down operations within the same family or to farms with similar production plans with an emerging generation of beginning farmers who are at least two generations from an agricultural family background.

An Analysis of Contract Relationships between Farm Labor Contractors and Farmers in California Agriculture

HEDGING POTENTIAL IN CALIFORNIA CATTLE MARKETS

ABSTRACT