At 12:38 PM 2/22/96 -0800, you wrote:
>
>Since the matter of software for evaluation of alternative farming methods/
>systems seems to have attracted some interest, I will point to PLANETOR,
>a software system at University of Minnesota, Center for Farm Financial
>Management. Contact Dick Hawkins at 612-625-1964.
>
>This system was started by John Ikerd at University of Missouri, with a series
>of grants from what was called the LISA program.
>
>I have seen version 2 in operation, and it looks pretty good. It computes
>the monetary returns, monetary risks, environmental risks, energy use of
>a farm described by the user.
>
>Patrick Madden
>
>World Sustainable Agriculture Association
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > From almanac-request@amani.ces.ncsu.edu Thu Feb 22 10:58:51 1996
> > Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 10:15:58 -0600 (CST)
> > From: "James L. Novak" <jnovak@acenet.auburn.edu>
> > X-Sender: jnovak@aces1
> > To: Loku Dam Gunaratna <gunaratn@hawaii.edu>
> > Cc: sanet@ten-nash.ten.k12.tn.us, sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu,
> > Loku Dam Gunaratna <gunaratn@hawaii.edu>
> > Subject: Re: Software for evaluation sustainable systems
> >
> >
> > Guna,
> >
> > We don't have software per se....but, you can use a spreadsheet program
> > to construct total factor productivity measures (indexes). Chapter 3
> > (Rayner and Welham) of the book "Agricultural Sustainability, Economic,
> > Environmental and Statistical Considerations" describes the ins and outs
> > of various index measures. In Chapter 4, we describe the results of using
> > Divisia Indexes on Alabama's Old Rotation cotton experiment. We did this
> > using a lotus spreadsheet (ver 3.1). We will be glad to send you a
> > reprint of Chapter 4 and offer whatever assistance we can in setting up
> > your own spreadsheet. Problems you will run into are related to data.
> > You need enough data and a long enough series to be of use in showing
> > trends. Indexes is not a regression method...... You should be able to
> > find citations on the method of indexes in the AJAE and other ag econ
> > journals.
> >
> > Jim Novak, Extension Economist and Professor
> > Dept. of Ag. Economics and Rural Soc.
> > Rm. 304A Comer Hall
> > Auburn University, AL 36849
> > Phone: (334) 844-3512
> > Fax: (334) 844-5639
> > jnovak@acenet.auburn.edu
> >
> >
> >
> > On Wed, 21 Feb 1996, Loku Dam Gunaratna wrote:
> >
> > > I am in search of software programs to evaluate the suatianbility of
> > > agricultural systems. I understand sustainabilty is a broad term and
> > > there are different ways to measure sustainbility. My major concern is
> > > measurement of sustaianbilty in economic terms.If you folks are aware of
> > > any such software to evaluate sustainability, please let me know the
> > > details. Thanks!
> > >
> > > Guna
> > >
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>