Dr. Daniel O'Brien

Address:
Northwest Research Extension Center
105 Experiment Farm Road
PO Box 786
Colby, KS 67701-0786

Voice: (785) 462-6281
Fax: (785) 462-2315
E-mail: dobrien@ksu.edu

Daniel M. O’Brien

Vita

Dr. Daniel O’Brien was raised on a diversified crop and livestock farm in Fillmore County, Nebraska. Dan and his wife Lois have five children (three boys and two girls ranging from 3 to 10 years of age).  Lois received a B.S. degree in education from Liberty University in Virginia in 1990.   They make their home in Colby, Kansas.

Extension Education and Applied Research Focus:

Dan’s applied research and extension educational interests have been and continue to be in the areas of grain markets and market structure, the profitability of alternative irrigated and dryland cropping systems and other relevant farm management topics. His current program focus is in the following areas:

A. Grain Market Structure, Conduct and Performance / Specialty Crops (70% of focus)

• Structure of feedgrain, wheat and oilseeds markets
• Indepth focus on markets for grain sorghum, sunflower and other specialty crops

B. Crop Production Systems / Natural Resources (25% of focus)

• The profitability of irrigated and dryland cropping systems and enterprises
• A supporting focus on natural resource issues related to the Ogallala Aquifer

C. Other Extension Agricultural Economics – Related Issues (5% of focus)

• Cropland and pastureland leasing arrangements and farmland values
• Crop insurance / risk management issues
• Farm financial management decisions
• Farm program decisions education
• Other agricultural economics-related educational activities

Academic Training:

·         Bachelor of Science – Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1978

·         Master of Science – Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1980

-          M.S. Thesis:  The effect of agricultural cooperatives on rural fertilizer markets

·         Doctorate/Ph.D. – Agricultural Economics, Iowa State University, 1993

-          Ph.D. Fields:  Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Production and Finance

-          Ph.D. Dissertation:  Forecasting the probability distribution of U.S. harvest time average corn prices

Work Experience:

·         Extension Agent – Agriculture & 4-H Youth Development, Nebraska Cooperative Extension, Lincoln County (North Platte), January 1980 – August 1983.

·         Extension Agent – Agriculture & 4-H Youth Development, Nebraska Cooperative Extension, Pierce County (Pierce), September 1983 – August 1987.

·         Graduate Assistant – Extension Agricultural Marketing, Iowa State University Department of Agricultural Economics, September 1987 – August 1988.

·         Extension Associate – Agricultural Marketing, Iowa State University Department of Agricultural Economics, September 1988 – December 1992.

·         Extension Farm Management Field Specialist, Iowa State University Extension, West Central Iowa (Onawa), January 1993 - February 1995.

·         Extension Agricultural Economist – Northwest Research Extension Center, Colby, Kansas (March 1995 – May 2003)

·         Extension Area Director / Administrator – Northwest Kansas (26 Counties), (June 2003 – December 2006)

·         Extension Agricultural Economist – Northwest Research Extension Center, Colby, Kansas (January 2007 – present)

For a full listing of Daniel O’Brien’s Extension and Applied Research publications and activities, please contact him at the address above.