My research brings economic tools to practical decisions in agriculture and food systems. I work across three related areas:
- Regional Food Systems & Procurement Policy – Measuring farm share, market access, and the effects of institutional purchasing rules.
- Seed Quality, Plant Health & Farm Profitability – Linking agronomic traits, disease pressure, and economic outcomes in specialty crops.
- Regional & Community Economic Development – Estimating the contributions and vulnerabilities of agriculture in local and state economies.
Publications
Wasserman-Olin, R., M. I. Gómez, and T. Björkman. 2023. "Meeting the Expectations of the Customer: Consumer Valuation of Broccoli Produced in the Eastern United States and the Impact of Local Marketing." Sustainability 15(10). Read the Paper .
Manuscripts Under Review
Wasserman-Olin, R., and B. R. Jablonski. "Decomposing the Farm Share of the Municipal Food Dollar: Evidence from New York City." Under review.
Working Papers & In Preparation
Malone, T., C. Carpenter, C. Bir, A. Van Leuven, W. Zhang, and R. Wasserman-Olin. "What the Heck is an Extension Program?" In preparation for submission to Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy.
Wasserman-Olin, R., M. I. Gómez, T. Schmit, and T. Björkman. "Improving Wholesale Local Food Procurement: A Farmer Choice Experiment." In preparation for submission to Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems.
Liu, T., R. Wasserman-Olin, J. Li, and M. I. Gómez. "Willingness to Pay for Berries and the Influence of 'Local' Marketing." In preparation for submission to Agricultural and Resource Economics Review.
Extension, Outreach, and Applied Reports
Wasserman-Olin, R., 2025. The Value of Plant Pathology Research to U.S. Agriculture: The Case of Sweetpotato Seed Quality. Regional Economic Development Institute (REDI) Fact Sheet. Read the report.
Wasserman-Olin, R. 2023. "The Economic Impact of Wheat Stem Sawfly on Colorado Wheat." In Making Better Decisions: 2023 Colorado Winter Wheat Variety Performance Trials, p. 47-48. Download report.
Wasserman-Olin, R. 2021. "The Economic Impact of Hop Stunt Viroid and Certified Clean Planting Materials." Web-based fact sheet. Read online.
Wasserman-Olin, R. 2021. "Vision 2050: Case Study – Beef." In A New York State Vision for a Profitable, Regenerative, Equitable Healthy Food System Future by 2050. CADE Farms. Download PDF.