Tia McDonald

Agricultural and Resource Economics

Tia is originally from Colorado, and her career has taken her from the Rocky Mountains to both coasts and the heart of the Midwest. She has worked as a research associate at UC Berkeley and South Dakota State University, later joining the Economics faculty at Ohio University. Most recently, she served as a research economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. Now based in Saskatoon, she enjoys life with her husband, their son, and their dog Scout—who keeps the family on their toes.

Tia’s current research investigates the effects of weather variability and climate change on farm financial outcomes, with an emphasis on developing data-driven insights that inform economic adaptation and public policy. Tia's work contributes to a deeper understanding of how systemic shifts—whether fiscal or environmental—impact rural livelihoods and agribusiness sustainability.

• PhD in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University with a specialization in spatial, health, and population economics.
• S. in Agricultural Economics from Colorado State University
• A in Political Science from Colorado State University

• Borisova, T., McDonald, T.M., Winters-Michaud, C., Miller, N.J.and Law, J. (2025), "Droughts and components of net farm income in select U.S. regions", Agricultural Finance Review.
• McDonald, T. M., Miller, N., & Thiam, F. (2024). Distance to commercial banks and farm household asset accumulation. Agriculture and Human Values, 1-15.
• McDonald, T. M., & Durst, R. (2024). An analysis of tax benefits by race and ethnicity for farm households. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 46(2), 677-697.
• Collins, L. A., McDonald, T. M., Giri, A. K., & Subedi, D. (2024). The relative financial performance of African American farms in the United States since the Great Recession. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 46(1), 32-51.
• Giri, A. K., Litkowski, C., Subedi, D., & McDonald, T. M. (2023). Change in US farm sector's financial position and performance in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic expectations: An analysis using financial ratios. Agricultural Finance Review, 84(1), 15-30.
• McDonald, T. M., Law, J., Giri, A. K., & Subedi, D. (2022). The role of nontraditional lending for socially disadvantaged and financially stressed farmers. Agricultural Finance Review, 82(2), 247-267.