Maria Bampasidou

Primary research responsibilities pertain to identifying, monitoring, managing, and mitigating financial and human-related risk in agricultural operations and how they relate to farm operators. I evaluate and assess farm operators’ decisions, with regards to financial management and liabilities, and labor supply and management. 

Agricultural finance main areas of work include business planning for new and beginning farmers, debt structure of farm operations, use of debt, and access to capital and credit. Related to labor, my work looks at labor supply decisions at the farm level examining dependency in household labor, hired labor and non-immigrant labor. Applications of my work at the state level, pertain to the impact of agricultural policy related to regional and local food systems on labor and financial risk mitigation of Louisiana farm operations and use of H-2A and H-2B guest worker programs. 

Multistate and multidisciplinary projects focus on applications of automation and mechanization and how it impacts labor supply and demand, particularly for specialty crops and the nursery industry.

AGEC 2700 - Topics in Agricultural Labor (2021)

AGEC 4273 - Agricultural Price Analysis (2016-2020)

AGEC 4403 - Agricultural Finance (2017-2023)

AGEC 4433 - Agricultural Business Planning, Management and Policy (2022-2023)

AGEC 7313 - Agricultural Production and Labor Supply (2015-2017)

NACTA Educator Award, 2022

LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation Undergraduate Teaching Award, 2019.

Check my Extension and Outreach Activities.
Farm Labor: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/portals/our_offices/departments/ag-economics-agribusiness/extension_outreach/farm-labor 

The page serves as a repository of reports related to farm labor at the state and the Delta States region. Examples include utilization of hired labor, non-immigrant labor (H-2A, H-2B), and farm labor policy. In development is an application that can report on H-2A and H-2B program utilization by key industries in Louisiana.

LSU AgCenter Annie’s Project: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/community/annies_project

The page has information on Annie’s curricular, resources for producers, webinars and presenter handouts. Web based resources are utilized by Louisiana clientele, producers, and educators. 

Grow Louisiana: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/portals/our_offices/departments/spess/grow-louisiana 

Grow Louisiana is a partnership of academic, cooperative extension, and non-profit personnel that trains new and beginning sustainable horticulture farmers with less than 10 years of experience on small to mid-size farms in Louisiana. 

Growing Farmers: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/portals/our_offices/departments/ag-economics-agribusiness/extension_outreach/farmer-resources/growing-farmers

The purpose of Growing Farmers program is to enhance farm business viability for young, new, and beginning farmers in Louisiana through financial and business risk management training
Grass-fed Beef: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/livestock/beef_cattle/grass-fed_beef

Grants

1.     Southern Risk Management Education Center “Enhancing Farm Viability through Improved Financial and Marketing Risk Management for Young, and New & Beginning Horticulture Farmers in Louisiana”, 2021-2022, Funded for $50,000. Lead-PI M. Bampasidou, and Co-PI C. Motsenbocker.

2.     USDA NIFA AFRI “Grow Louisiana: Beginning Farmer Training Program”, 2018-2021, Funded for $589,610. Lead PI-Motsenbocker, C., Co-PIs. M. Bampasidou and K. Fontenot. 

3.     USDA NIFA AFRI “Production and Market Development for Grass-fed Beef in the Gulf Coast Region of the US”, 2016-2021, Funded for $499,880 Lead-PI G. Scaglia, Co-PI’s M. Bampasidou, J. Westra, S. Gebrelul, and R. Marshall.

4.     Louisiana Sea Grant Program. “Impacts of Labor Policy Changes on Louisiana Seafood Processing and Production”, 2016-2018, Funded for $156,094. Lead-PI M. Bampasidou, Co-PI J. M. Fannin.