Money Matters – Page 2

Yield Mapping Hardware Components for Grains and Cotton Using On-the-Go Monitoring Systems

This 12-page fact sheet discusses yield mapping benefits, grain yield flow sensors, grain moisture sensors, cotton yield flow sensors, differential GNSS receivers, ground speed sensors, header position sensors, computer displays, yield calculation and calibration, and costs of yield mapping hardware components. Written by Rebecca Barocco, Won Suk Lee, and Garret Hortman, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, February 2017.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae518

Food Insecurity and Obesity

Food insecurity is prevalent across the US and often coexists with obesity. It is important that the coexistence of food insecurity and obesity is well understood so that community outreach programs and interventions can continue to be implemented in order to improve food security by increasing access to affordable, healthy foods and promoting good health nationwide. This 4-page fact sheet discusses food insecurity, reduced access to healthy food options, the cycle of food excess and deprivation, SNAP, the WIC program, and child nutrition programs. Written by Rachel Savelle and LaToya J. O'Neal, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, February 2017.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1473

Pre-Breeding Considerations for the Development of Replacement Beef Heifers

The efficiency of post-weaning development of heifers has a major impact on the overall profitability of cow-calf operations. To ensure satisfactory performance during the first breeding season, replacement heifers must be subjected to an adequate development program. This 3-page fact sheet covers age at puberty, nutrition, target body weight gain, pelvic area measurements, reproductive tract score, and herd health. Written by Pedro L. P. Fontes, Nicky Oosthuizen, Carla D. Sanford, and G. Cliff Lamb, and published by the UF Department of Animal Sciences, November 2016.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an329

The Art of Goodbye: Planning Final Arrangements

The consumer is faced with complex personal decisions while making final arrangements. Final arrangements might include a religious ritual, service, tribute, funeral, and/or burial. This 7-page fact sheet, part of a new series entitled The Art of Goodbye series, is designed to help in the development of a final arrangements plan using a coordinated approach. This document discusses the Funeral Rule, determinants, funeral providers, types of final arrangements, tissue or organ donation, body donation, preplanning, and prepaying. Written by Lynda Spence, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, July 2016.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1466

Ocho Pasos para Desarrollar un Plan Simple de Mercadeo

El mercadeo es parte esencial de un negocio. De hecho es el corazón de cualquier negocio que sirva la función vital de convertir actividades de producción en desempeño financiero, asegurando la supervivencia del negocio. El mercadeo es clave, sin importar el tipo de negocio (incluyendo la agricultura).
This 5-page fact sheet provides a rationale for developing a marketing plan, a step-by-step process for creating one, and a marketing plan worksheet. Written by Edward A. Evans and Fredy H. Ballen, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics. Translated into Spanish November 2015. (Photo credit: Thinkstock)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe978

(also available in English as “Eight Steps to Developing a Simple Marketing Plan” at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe967)

The Cost of Food Safety

This new publication discusses the costs and long-term benefits associated with the implementation of food safety programs. This 5-page fact sheet covers the history of HACCP, costs associated with the application of food safety programs, reasons to improve food safety, and the financial impact of foodborne illnesses. Written by Annelys Hessing, Renée Goodrich Schneider, Alan Gutierrez, Rachael Silverberg, Michael S. Gutter, and Keith R. Schneider, and published by the UF Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, October 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs270

Sizzle and Passionista: Two New Lance-Leaved Caladium Cultivars

Many lance-leaved cultivars often produce small tubers, making it difficult for growers to produce tubers profitably. ‘Sizzle’ and ‘Passionista’ are two new lance-leaved caladium cultivars with improved tuber yield potential. The availability of ‘Sizzle’ and ‘Passionista’ may expand the color palette for caladium plants desired by greenhouse growers, nurseries, and gardeners. This 7-page fact sheet discusses the cultivars' tuber yield potential, container trials, landscape performance, growing recommendations, and availability. Written by Zhanao Deng, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, December 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep527

The Economic Impact of Feed Efficiency in Beef Cattle

A well-run, profitable business is usually more efficient than its competitors. In the case of the beef cattle industry, competition can come from two sources: other producers who sell similar classes of cattle, and other protein-producing species, such as pork and poultry. Measuring efficiency across the entire integrated beef system can be difficult due to the differing classes of cattle, breed differences, and ways in which the biological systems interact. There are a multitude of measures of efficiency in beef production, with feed efficiency being one of the most economic. This 3-page fact sheet is a major revision that covers feed to gain ratio and residual feed intake in beef cattle. Written by Travis D. Maddock, Darren D. Henry, and G. Cliff Lamb, and published by the UF Department of Animal Sciences. Original publication date: May 2009. Revised October 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an217

US Consumer Preferences for Home Lawn Fertilizers

Consumer preferences for home lawn fertilizers are not always informed and do not always align with best practices. Understanding the disconnect will help turf industry educators better address consumers’ misperceptions about fertilizers, and help industry stakeholders design more appealing products and educate consumers effectively as they promote them. Knowing consumer preferences greatly reduces stakeholders’ risks and improves efficiency in determining future product and promotional strategies. This 4-page report discusses the findings of a 2013 survey of 1,066 US homeowners about their preferences and willingness-to-pay for various lawn fertilizer attributes. Written by Hayk Khachatryan, Alicia Rihn, and Michael Dukes and published by the Food and Resource Economics Department.
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe975

Estimated Water Savings Potential of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Activities

To help homeowners predict the impact of implementing some of the water conservation measures listed on Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ checklist, this 5-page fact sheet offers a table of estimated water savings. Homeowners can select activities which are the best fit for their landscape and can also see which have the most conservation potential. The water savings is compared to a baseline case of typical irrigation behavior. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Mackenzie Boyer and Michael Dukes, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, August 2015. (Photo credit: Michael Gutierrez, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae515

Using the Decision-Ade(TM) Segmentation Strategy to Better Understand Extension Audiences

Some home occupants are more bothered by their utility bill than others.

Decision-Ade™ is a tool Extension can use to better understand how residents with a range of household budgets feel about their utility bills. Analyzing households in terms of both income and utility bill “botheredness” creates a more comprehensive picture of that household’s utility use and its willingness to modify utility consumption relative to other households. This 5-page fact sheet uses survey data of Florida residents to demonstrate the insights Decision Ade™ can provide and how those insights can inform Extension programming. Written by Randall Cantrell, Laura Warner, Joy Rumble, and Alexa Lamm, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, July 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1461

Floridian Consumer Perceptions of Local versus Organic Ornamental Plants

Horticultural consumers in Florida are interested in local and organically produced plants. But these terms can mean different things in different regions. UF/IFAS researchers conducted a survey last summer which suggests that consumers in central Florida define local as plants that are grown near where they are sold and identify the most important local benefits as product safety, quality, and community support. Organic plants are perceived as requiring fewer chemical additives and being healthier for the environment. The importance of these traits varies by plant type. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Hayk Khachatryan and Alicia Rihn, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, February 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe964

Spousal Individual Retirement Accounts

A spouse who stays at home to take care of children or other dependents is likely to have reduced Social Security benefits and will not have access to a workplace retirement plan. So a spousal Individual Retirement Account (IRA) can be an important step to enabling retirement security. An IRA is a tax-advantaged way to accumulate money for retirement. In order to contribute to an IRA you must have taxable compensation. But if your spouse has taxable compensation and you file a joint return, then you can fund an IRA. This 2-page fact sheet was written by Lisa Leslie, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, November 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1456

Talking Local series

Extension agents can assist Florida farmers and ranchers in the labeling, sale, and promotion of locally-produced products. This six part series of 3- to 5-page fact sheets provides information about Florida consumers’ perceptions of local food to Extension faculty who are interested in local food programming or who work with local food clientele. Written by Joy N. Rumble and Caroline G. Roper, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, September 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_series_talking_local

In this series:

Understanding the Changes to the Patient’s Bill of Rights as a Result of the Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act is a legislative act that has provided individuals and families more choices related to healthcare insurances. It offers consumers new protections and benefits by creating a more defined Patient’s Bill of Rights. This 2-page fact sheet was written by Deanna Andrews and Martie Gillen, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, May 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1410

An Introduction to Annuities

An annuity contract is purchased from a life insurance company. The individual gives the insurance company a lump-sum payment or a series of payments. In return, the company will provide a stream of payments to the individual. Although an annuity is purchased from a life insurance company, it serves a different purpose than life insurance. Below is a chart comparing life insurance to annuities.
This 4-page fact sheet was written by Michael S. Gutter and Lisa Leslie, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, March 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1406

Five Steps to Seasonal Savings

When the holiday season is over you may find yourself saying: “Why did I spend all of that money? Why did I wait until the last minute to shop? I don’t even want to think about how long it will take to pay off the credit cards. I hope I didn’t take too much money out of the ATM. Did I buy my mom the same gift twice? I should have had a plan.” By following a few simple steps, you can end this post-holiday hangover. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Ricki McWilliams, Julie Pigott-Dillard, and Michael Gutter, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, January 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1405

Important Things to Know about Medicare series

As an older adult citizen of the United States, it is important to understand the structure of Medicare and how it affects you. The information in this series is based on the most current data available and includes several changes with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. This guide was also written using Florida guidelines when appropriate. Please bear in mind that your personal situation may vary from the examples in the series, and always contact your local Medicare representative for questions regarding your own circumstances.

Written by Amanda Terminello and Martie Gillen, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, September 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_series_important_things_to_know_about_medicare

The Facts About Applying: Health Care Coverage and the Affordable Care Act

President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law in March 2010, putting in place a set of reforms to health coverage in the United States. For Americans who have health insurance, they do not have to change their current plan under the health care law. However, those who do not have coverage will have the chance to shop for health insurance starting October 1 using the new Health Insurance Marketplace. This publication reviews some common questions about the new health care law and how it will affect citizens. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Meg McAlpine and Martie Gillen, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, October 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1394

An Overview of Life Insurance

The primary purpose for buying life insurance is to protect the people who depend on you. A life insurance policy can help to ensure your family’s financial needs are met even after your untimely death. Life insurance can also provide a way to leave a cash gift to your spouse, children, grandchildren, or charities. Once you decide to buy a life insurance policy, you will have a few decisions to make. You will need to select among the different types of life insurance, decide on a dollar amount, and name your beneficiaries. In this publication, you will learn about the different types of life insurance and the ways to determine the amount of life insurance you may need. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Lisa Leslie and Martie Gillen, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, October 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1393