Southwest Florida Research & Education Center

Agricultural Natural Resources Economics

Dr. Tara Wade is an Agricultural Resource Economist in the Food and Resource Economics Department and the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) at the University of Florida. She specializes in determining the economic factors that affect choices to adopt environmentally benign agricultural practices. Her research interests are costs of ecosystem services, conservation policy design, and climate change adaptation. Dr. Wade’s extension and research programs focus on helping farmers to reach their economic and conservation goals in efficient ways.

Prior to working at SWFREC. Dr. Wade was a Postdoctoral Research Associate with North Carolina A&T State University and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service. There she specialized in the economic factors that affect farmers’ choices to adopt conservation practices. Dr. Wade received a master’s in Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Energy and Environmental Systems and Economics from North Carolina A&T State University. Her graduate work dealt with estimating the cost of conservation tillage adoption by corn and soybean farmers.

Research / Extension

Farm Economics

Federal & State Policies

Natural Resources & Environment

Water Quality & Quantity
Conservation Practice Adoption
Conservation Program Design
Precision Agriculture & Integrated Pest Management

Research Publications

Tara Wade - Research Publications
- The potential for increased emissions due to the Electronic Logging Device mandate
  S Suttles, T Wade, L Walters
  Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy
- View All Tara Wade's Research Publications

Extension Publications

Tara Wade - UF/IFAS Publications

Education
- Ph.D. Energy and Environmental Systems and Economics, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, 2011
- M.S. Applied Mathematics, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, 2005
- B.S. Mathematics, Livingstone College, Salisbury, NC, 2003

Professional Experience
- April 2017 - Present
  Assistant Professor, Agricultural Resource Economics, University of Florida
- February 2013 - April 2017
  Postdoctoral Research Associate, Conservation and Environment Branch, Resource and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC
- January 2012 - February 2013
  Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Economics, College of Business and Economics, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC
- August 2007 - December 2011
  Research Assistant, Department of Economics, College of Business and Economics, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC
- August 2006 - July 2007
  Mathematics Instructor, Bennett College for Women, Greensboro, NC
- August 2005 - May 2006
  Adjunct Mathematics Instructor, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC

Awards and Honors
- NCA&TSU College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year (2012)
- AAEA Travel Grant (2012,2013)
- Best Seminar Presentation (2008)
- Excellence in Academic Performance (2008-2010)
- Valedictorian (2003)

Publications

Other Professional Activities
- Agricultural and Applied Economics Association
- American Economic Association
- USDA Economists Group
- Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association
- Canadian Agricultural Economic Society
- Southern Agricultural Economics Association
- Florida Climate Institute
- University of Florida Water Institute