Cyclical Debt: Agriculture and Interest Rates

I read this article/ blog post, which touched on the cyclical nature of most agriculture. Basically, most farmers and ranchers get all of their income in a fairly small window of time, then need to use it for the rest of the year. There aren’t a lot of jobs or industries where this is such a common occurrence. Coupled with the fact that many of farmer’s costs are incurred during planting, then again as harvest approaches, this results in cyclical debt for farmers. Add in the long-term loans for land and capital, and it all adds up to significant debt. Continue reading Cyclical Debt: Agriculture and Interest Rates

Keynes vs Hayek

In the world of economic study there are many different schools of thought, but two influential economists have steered the way for modern economics. John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich August Hayek were both pioneers of the early twentieth century. They developed economic theory that would shape polarizing sections of the economic belief. Keynes was a product of King’s College, Cambridge and his general theory was an examination of the economic forces behind the Great Depression. But while Keynes was developing his own theory on employment and interest rates, Hayek was doing much of the same. Hayek was an Austrian native Continue reading Keynes vs Hayek