Nelson Bills Professor Areas of Expertise Rural Land Use, Resource Economics 453 Warren Hall Ph: 607.255.7734 E-mail: nlb4@cornell.edu

Nelson Bills joined the Cornell faculty in 1985 after an 18-year career with the USDA’s Economic Research Service. He conducts research and extension programs on a variety of subjects related to rural land use and public policy. A particular interest is land and water issues encountered in farm and food production.

His research program focuses on state and local farmland protection programs, property taxation, farmland markets and values, and regional economic analysis. Current projects also deal with prospects for agricultural-based economic development and landscape management concerns in the northeastern U.S. and the United Kingdom.

Selected Publications

Poe, G., N. Bills, B. Bellows, P. Crosscombe, R. Koelsch, and P. Wright. 2001. Will voluntary and educational programs meet environmental objectives? Evidence from a survey of New York dairy farms. Review of Agricultural Economics 23(2):473-91.

Bills, N. 2001. Agriculture-based economic development: Trends and prospects for New York. EB 2001-18, Department of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, December, 69 pp.

Bills, N., and J. Maestro Scherer. 2001. Market enhancement programs operated in New York’s key competitor states and provinces. EB 2001-19, Department of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, December, 310 pp.

Lubben, B., C. Simons, N. Bills, N. Meyer, and J. Novak. 2001. The 2002 Farm Bill: U.S. producer preferences for agricultural, food, and public policy. National Public Policy Education Committee, Publication No. 2001-02, Farm Foundation, Chicago, IL, September.

Robb, M. Maloney, and N. Bills. 2001. Farmland protection planning in New York. EB 2001-04, Department of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, April, 22 pp.

Streeter, D., and N. Bills. 1998. Information strategies for agricultural exporters. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 1(1):25-40.

Hirschl, T. A., and N. L. Bills. 1994. Urban influences on farmland use in New York State. Population Research and Policy Review 13:179-94.

Extension Programs

Agriculture and the Environment
Farmland Protection
Real Property Taxation

Achievements and Awards

• NAREA Outstanding Public Service Through Economics Award, 2007
• USDA Merit Pay Cash Award, 1984
• ERS Administrator's Award for Special Achievement, 1984
• Fellowship, Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, 1990
• Award for Outstanding New Extension Publication, The New York State Association of County Agricultural Agents, 1991
• Fulbright Award, 1992-93, research study leave at Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
• John C. Walsh Professional Assistance Award, Institute of Assessing Officers, New York State Assessors' Association, 1993
• Award for Outstanding New Extension Publication, The New York State Association of County Agricultural Agents, 1996
• Award for Distinguished Extension Program, American Agricultural Economics Association, 1997
• Innovators Award, Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI), Cornell University, 1998
• Honorary Member, Institute of Assessing Officers, New York State Assessors' Association, 1998
• Visiting Scholar, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tokyo, 2000

Recent Grants and Contracts

• Hatch funding for Agriculture Economic Development for New York State (joint with Animal Science and Division of Nutritional Sciences)
• Grant, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets for Agriculture-Based Economic Development (joint with Animal Science)
• Hatch funding for Impacts of Changing Agri-Environmental Policy on Countryside Conservation: Comparative Study of Selected Designated Areas in NY and England (joint with Natural Resources)

Education

Ph.D., Washington State University, 1971
M.S., West Virginia University, 1967
B.S., Michigan State University, 1963

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