Contacts: Deane Morrison, (612) 624-2346, [email protected];
Susan Ahn, (612) 624-8038; Amy Johnson, (612) 625-2640
o Really down on the farm
A 200 percent drop in income could be in store for some farmers in southern and western Minnesota, says Kent Olson, associate professor of applied economics at the U. If income is measured by taking into account the value of inventories as well as cash flow, farm income could drop from $40,000 in 1997 to negative $42,650 in 1998, Olson says. It's the low prices for inventory remaining in 1998--especially corn, soybeans, beef and hogs--that are doing the damage. Why such low prices? "Large supplies," says Olson. "Also, the Asian economic crisis has cut demand, so American exports are down." Olson says the latest Farm Bill, passed in 1996, eliminated most price supports. And if you think a 200 percent loss is bad, farmers with crop losses will be even harder hit. Farmers will respond by reducing capital expenditures, he says. The only bright spot is dairy farms. Olson based his estimates on data from the Southwestern Minnesota Farm Business Management Association. He's at (612)!
625-7723. Sound bites are on the Newsline, (612) 625-6666. News Service contact, Deane Morrison, [email protected], (612) 624-2346.
o Parents really do matter A theory that parents and parenting don't matter to the ultimate development of a child is sweeping the country. Alan Sroufe, with the U's Institute of Child Development, says parenting does indeed matter, and he has studied child development for more than 20 years. "There is increasing, solid information that early care does matter," says Sroufe. "It predicts later development better than any other single thing that can be measured. Early experience is the basis for strong supporting structures in a child's life. Good quality care is associated with fewer behavior and emotional problems." While some researchers say peer groups are the most important element in a child's development, Sroufe says peers are only one element that affects children. A well-cared-for child results in a well-adjusted, resourceful and independent person. "A child who has nurturing parents will get along with his or her peers, cooperate better in a group and may become a leader in the peer group," says!
Sroufe. He's at (612) 624-1035. News Service contact, Susan Ahn, [email protected], (612) 624-8038.
o Nursing the supply and demand With an increasing elderly population and growing numbers of chronically ill patients, demand for registered nurses will outstrip supply by about 2010, according to the Division of Nursing of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This puts pressure on educators to steer more RNs to teaching careers to prepare the higher numbers of nurses needed. "Ideally, we want nurse educators with doctoral degrees," says Marilee Miller, associate dean in the U's School of Nursing. "However, because nurses tend to work before and during their doctoral education, the average age of nurse educators is inching up each year." Because of the shortage of RNs in many cities, attracting senior faculty and doctoral level nurses to universities nationwide is becoming more competitive. How to increase the pool of younger faculty? Miller says to steer interested students in the baccalaureate program toward a teaching career. "RNs and nursing students need to realize that academic nursing is ! just as important as giving high-quality patient care in a clinic or hospital," she says. Call Miller at (612) 624-7111.
News Service contact, Amy Johnson, [email protected], (612) 625-2640.
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