Public support for integrated pest management (IPM) is derived in part from concerns over food safety and the environment, yet few studies have assessed the economic value of health and environmental benefits of IPM. An approach is suggested for such an assessment and applied to the Virginia peanut IPM program. Effects of IPM on environmental risks posed by pesticides are assessed and society's willingness to pay to reduce those risks is estimated. The annual environmental benefits of the peanut IPM program are estimated at $844,000. The estimates of pesticide risks and willingness to pay can be applied elsewhere in economic assessments of IPM.

Rose et al. 271exclusively on locally produced foods (i.e., a local food diet) for 4 weeks during the summer and fall of 2006. For this study, a local food was defined as a food produced within 100 miles of an individual's residence. Food records were used to assess each participant's compliance with the local food diet as well as the impact of following the diet on the intakes of energy, macronutrients, and fruits and vegetables. Body weight was assessed at baseline and immediately following the 4-week period. Compliance with the local food diet varied considerably, but the average intake of local foods increased from 15% of calories at baseline to 81% of calories during the local food diet. Compared to participants' baseline values, following the local food diet for 4 weeks significantly (p < 0.05) reduced reported intakes of energy and protein and increased reported intakes of dietary cholesterol, saturated fat, and servings of fruits and vegetables. Results from this pilot study suggest that individuals attempting to follow a local food diet vary in how they execute a local food diet and that following a local food diet may result in a reduction of energy intake. Future research into the impacts of following a local food diet on dietary quality is needed.

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As many universities are promoting distance courses, the comparative advantages and disadvantages over conventional classroom delivery are being debated. Student attitudes and test performance in an introductory microeconomics course are compared across the two different course delivery formats. Results show that students with average or below-average college aptitude test scores perform more poorly in the distance class. R ecent advancements in the Internet's speed and availability have catapulted distance education into the forefront of possible economic education alternatives. In a distance-learning environment, teacher and student are separated by place and/or time (Batte, Forster, and Larson). Although distance courses can include conventional video or broadcast classes, the most intense interest focuses on courses delivered asynchronously via the Internet, where different students remotely access a course site at different times (Navarro). This is in contrast to synchronous activities where all students are "in attendance" at the same time. With more economics distance courses emerging, a debate has

A web site was designed and introduced to an introductory agricultural microeconomics course. The web site provided students with supplemental reviews, practice problems, self-tests, and a simulation exercise. A variety of quantitative assessments were conducted to determine whether the web site influenced student learning, perceptions, and motivation. Results indicate the web site provided small to modest educational benefits. I n many ways, instructors of principles of agricultural microeconomics face a unique set of instructional challenges. Economics operates at a level of abstraction that many students find difficult. Although applications and examples may be given in lecture or take-home assignments, many students express difficulty and frustration with linking abstract concepts to practical examples. Further, unlike other introductory college classes (biology, chemistry, English, mathematics), an introductory economics course is often the first exposure for many students to the subject matter of economics. Since economics is often a required course taken by nonmajors, student apathy adds to the challenge of teaching an abstract, difficult, and unfamiliar subject. Large class sizes in many introductory courses may compound these difficulties.Computer applications and delivery methods are frequently advocated as a means to stimulate student learning and interest. Studies have reported that

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