Digital Commons Network^™

From Australia To Nebraska: Researching Social Value, Marilyn R. Schlake, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Jean Ann Fischer, Michelle Krehbiel, Randy Saner

Cornhusker Economics

Globally, there is a growing body of research on social capital through the lens of social value, or how the social connections translate into actions with tangible outcomes impacting livelihoods and well-being. In the United States, social value is a relatively new perspective that will add to the social capital discussion.

Land Use Intensification And Bio-Resource Utilisation In The South Pacific Islands, David Lopez Cornelio

International Journal of Islands Research

The long and gradual colonisation of the Pacific islands created settlements of cohesive social networks that fused or were displaced by western ways of life, trade and governance through the centuries. In this paper, a historical review of the processes of island discovery, plants domestication, and of land use practices are discussed alongside the main socioeconomic drivers of land cover change. The native trees of the South Pacific constitute an invaluable resource for sustainable development; they were used and domesticated for thousands of years but logging, commercial agriculture, mining, the introduction of exotic species and urban expansion are threatening them …

Stepping Towards Sustainability: Analyzing Walkability In Urban Environments, Elli Lewis

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper examines path walkability in the urban environment and its various impact levels on different neighborhoods. One of the most accessible forms of sustainability is walking, as it produces zero carbon emissions and can harvest a greater sense of care for the human environment. In a growing urbanized world, providing citizens easy access to clean and safe sidewalks, parks, grocery stores, local restaurants, and religious organizations is essential. Accessible walking routes are vital in large, urban cities. The first chapter analyzes the need for walkable cities concerning ecosystem services and their functions. A brief history of New York’s urban …

Assessing Equitable Distribution Of The Urban Tree Canopy At The Neighborhood Scale In Greenville, South Carolina., April Riehm

All Theses

We are living in an era that necessitates adaptation and resilience. The Earth is warming. Our climate has changed (EPA, 2016). Our planet is also rapidly urbanizing. It is predicted that 68% of people will live in cities by 2050. The City of Greenville is a rapidly growing city in South Carolina that has been losing its tree canopy to development(City of Greenville, 2023). The Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) is a community asset that provides many quality-of-life benefits including improved air quality, stormwater management, carbon sequestration, mental and physical well-being, increased mobility and access, aesthetics, a reduction in energy costs, …

Winona State University Alumni Blog: 2011-2022, Winona State University

Winona State University Blogs

The Winona State University (WSU) Alumni Blog includes articles and entries from May 2011- August 2022. Note: there may be format coding in the document.

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln Agricultural Research Division 121st Annual Report. July 1, 2006 To June 30, 2007., Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

Our Mission..... 4

Foreword..... 5

Research Highlights..... 6

Faculty Awards and Recognitions....14

Graduate Student Awards and Recognitions...17

Undergraduate Honors Student Research Program...22

Variety and Germplasm Releases....23

Patents.....24

Administration.....25

Administrative Personnel....25

Organizational Chart....26

Administrative Units....27

IANR Research Facilities....28

Faculty.....29

Agricultural/Natural Resources Units....30

Education and Human Sciences Departments...39

Off-Campus Research Centers....40

Interdisciplinary Activities....41

Visiting Scientists/Research Associates....42

Research Projects.....47

Agricultural/Natural Resources Units....47

Education and Human Sciences Departments...52

Off-Campus Research Centers....52

Interdisciplinary Activities....53

Publications.....55

Agricultural/Natural Resources Units....60

Education and Human Sciences Departments...82

Off-Campus Research Centers....85

Research Expenditures....88

School Of Culinary Arts & Food Technology Autumn Newsletter 2023, James Murphy

Other resources

The School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology, TU Dublin, Autumn Edition Newsletter captured the many events, research, awards, significant contributions and special civic and community activities which the students and staff members of the school have successfully completed up to the Autumn period of 2023. The successful completion of these activities would not be possible without the active and on-going support of the 'INSPIRED' friends of Culinary Arts (school supporters) and our school's industry association supporters. If you would like to support our school and the next Generation of Food, Culinary and Horticulture students, contact us at e: scaft@tudublin.ie

Usa: Wolf Connection And Inclusive, Safe Spaces For All, Patrick Fuery, Kelli Fuery

CCI Books and Book Chapters

"Wolf Connection is a wolf sanctuary located on the outskirts of a rural town, Acton, California, nestled in the Angeles National Forest. The sanctuary consists of 165 acres of stunning woodland and high desert mountains, including a year-round stream. It is located within a one-hour drive from Los Angeles. Wolf Connection runs a series of programmes based around issues of mental health, addressing social and economic inequality, and providing strategies for resilience and well-being. Wolf Connection identifies the following as its core business activities: Providing Animal Rescue and Wildlife Preservation; At-Risk Youth Education and Empowerment; Community Empowerment; and Environmental Awareness …

Fodder Shrubs For Improving Incomes Of Dairy Farmers In The East African Highlands, Steven Franzel, C. Wambugu, J. Stewart, J. Cordero, B. D. Sande

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Smallholder dairying is an important enterprise in the highlands of E Africa. Farm sizes average 1-2ha and zero-grazing, cut-and-carry systems predominate. Inadequate protein reduces milk production and forces many farmers to spend scarce cash on commercial dairy meal supplements. In 1991, on-farm trials on fodder shrubs were started in Embu District as a collaborative venture of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, the Kenya Forestry Research Institute, and the World Agroforestry Centre. Calliandra calothyrsus was released to farmers in 1995 and was followed by Leucaena trichandra, mulberry (Morus alba), and Sesbania sesban. Farmers produce seedlings of calliandra …

Understanding The Support Local Movement From The Perception Of Generation Z In The Nwa Region, Daniela Medina

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The support local movement is a growing trend within Generation Z, with that comes the need to understand marketing strategies Generation Z responds to best. As Generation Z is entering the workforce and purchasing their groceries there is a need to understand how this generation perceives the term local beef. There is currently little research in regard to Generation Z and their perceptions of local beef. This study aimed to fill a gap within research by conducting a qualitative study to gather rich data to understand Generation Z’s perception of the term local beef and what marketing strategies impacted them …

The Gardens Nearby: A Narrative Podcast Exploring Soil Contamination And Community Gardening In Burlington, Vt, April Mcilwaine

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

The city of Burlington, Vermont (Burlington) is home to the Burlington Area Community Gardens (BACG), a program of the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department. This program has a 50-year legacy in the Burlington community and today comprises 14 garden sites that serve over 1,400 people. Within the framework of food sovereignty, community gardens are valuable, multi-functional spaces that positively benefit residents and neighborhoods alike. However, planting gardens in reclaimed urban spaces may come with food safety concerns. Like other cities that have an industrial heritage, some of Burlington’s urban areas may have soils with high levels of toxic heavy metals …

School Of Culinary Arts & Food Technology, Tu Dublin Newsletter - Spring Edition 2023, James Murphy

Other resources

The School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology, TU Dublin, Spring Newsletter captured the many events, research, awards, significant contributions and special civic and community activities which the students and staff members of the school across our (3) three campuses have successfully completed up to the Spring period of 2023. The successful completion of these activities would not be possible without the active and on-going support of the 'INSPIRED' friends of Culinary Arts (school supporters), our school's industry association supporters and our school's fantastic academic, laboratory assistants, technical support and administrations teams across our (3) three TU Dublin campuses in …

Mixing Regimes In A Cluster Of Seven Maar Lakes In Tropical Monsoon Asia, Milette U. Mendoza, Jaydan I. Aguilar, Karol Sophia Agape R. Padilla, Rey Donne S. Papa, Noboru Okuda

Environmental Science Faculty Publications

The 7 maar lakes of San Pablo are a cluster of small volcanic lakes on Luzon Island; Philippines. These lakes; which are heavily utilized for aquaculture and ecotourism; usually experience fish kills that coincide with the northeast monsoon (NEM). This study explores limnophysical processes; particularly mixing regimes; in the lakes in relation to prevailing monsoons. We monitored monthly vertical and seasonal profiles of water temperature; salinity; conductivity; and dissolved oxygen from October 2016 to December 2018. Three types of mixing regimes were observed among the lakes; which have similar surface areas but different depths: polymixis in the shallowest; warm monomixis …

Perspectives On Certification Of Community Health Workers: A Statewide Mixed-Methods Assessment In Nebraska, Jessica Ernmph1, Virginia Chaidez, Kate E. Trout, Kathy Karsting, Dejun Su

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Objectives: While the Community Health Worker (CHW) workforce in the United States has been growing, so far only 19 states certify CHWs. This study sought to identify perspectives on CHW certification among stakeholders in Nebraska, a state that has not established official certification for CHWs yet.

Design: A concurrent triangulation mixed methods design.

Sample: Study data came from a survey of 142CHWs in Nebraska and interviews with 8 key informants employing CHWs conducted in 2019.

Methods: Logistic regression was used to identify significant factors associated with favoring CHW certification, supplemented by thematic analysis of qualitative data …

Adoption Of Tropical Legume Technology Around The World: Analysis Of Success, H. M. Shelton, Steven Franzel, M. Peters

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

1. Examples of successful adoption of forage legumes are reported from all continents, where they delivered profitability and often provided multipurpose benefits to farmers.
2. Factors vital to successful adoption were: meeting the needs of farmers; building relevant partnerships; understanding the socio-economic context and skills of farmers; participatory involvement with rural communities; and long-term involvement of champions.
3. Organisation of seed supply, achieving scale-up and forming partnerships to implement adoption are key features.
4. Legumes remain an important but under-exploited resource for tropical farming systems. The alternative to legumes will be greater and more costly use of N-fertilisers and purchased protein concentrates.
5. The R&D …

Proceedings - U.S.A Agroecology Summit 2023, Deborah A. Neher, Colin R. Anderson, Andrea D. Basche, Christine Costello, Mary K. Hendrickson, Bruce D. Maxwell, Antonio M. Roman-Alcalá, Aubrey Streit Krug, William F. Tracy, Ernesto Méndez, Catherine Horner, Janica M. Anderzén

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

This docket is a memory of the meeting held in Kansas City from May 22-25 called the 2023 USA Agroecology Summit and contains all the documents generated before, during, and after the meeting.

Landings, Vol. 31, No. 1, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance, Patrice Mccarron, Alexa Dayton, Togue Brawn, Dustin Delano, Steven Dickens, Ann Backus, Melissa Waterman

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to Maine's lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

For more information, please visit the Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) website.

Fostering Socio-Ecological Resilience To Wildfire By Interconnecting Knowledge Systems At Cal Poly Humboldt, Jeffrey M. Kane, Erin Kelly, Benjamin Graham, David Greene

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

The wildfire-related challenges of Northern California and many other regions in the western United States are daunting in scope and magnitude. Ecologically and culturally salient solutions that limit the negative impacts of wildfire and promote resilience of human and ecological systems will require newer approaches. Through Cal Poly Humboldt and the Fire Resilience Institute, there is greater emphasis on the interconnection of knowledge systems across education, training, research, and management. Here we highlight several on-going efforts that seek to enhance the fire resilience workforce, promote socio-ecological resilience through interdisciplinary projects, and inform management through monitoring and research projects that intentionally …

Dynamic Distributed Energy Resources For Expansion Of Ontario’S Greenhouse Sector, Lysandra Naom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The vegetable greenhouse sector is rapidly growing and adopting technology advances like supplemental lighting. Supplemental lighting has a dynamic impact on the demand and consumption of a greenhouse’s electricity load. There is uncertainty on the rate of adaptation of technologies and the impact this could have on the power consumption of the sector. Without electricity availability, the sectors innovation and expansion can come to a halt. This research focused on investigating greenhouse electrical load models and lighting trends to forecast demand on electricity grids and discover potential for Distributed Energy Resource (DER) applications.

This thesis presents a series of studies …

Restoring Human And More-Than-Human Relations In Toxic Riskscapes: “In Perpetuity” Within Lake Superior’S Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Sand Point, Valoree Gagnon, Evelyn H. Ravindran

Michigan Tech Publications

Lake Superior’s Keweenaw Bay is the ancestral and contemporary homeland of the Anishinaabe Ojibwa and their relatives. It is also a toxic riskscape: Its waters, shorelines, and fish beings are polluted by an unknown tonnage of legacy mining waste rock called “stamp sands,” which contain unsafe levels of toxic compounds. This paper describes Ojibwa stewardship principles and reciprocal obligations, illustrating First Treaty With Gichi-Manitou practices of restoring relations within a toxic riskscape. Defined here, riskscapes are places and spaces where pollution/toxicity relations are continually reconfigured in literal, symbolic, and systemic ways. We share a story from Keweenaw Bay’s Sand Point …

Understanding Motivations Among Sustained Cooperative Extension Partners For Obesity Prevention In Rural Louisiana, Catherine R. Losavio

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana consistently has one of the highest rates of obesity in the nation with higher concentrations of obesity in many rural parishes (i.e., counties). Due to over a century of visibility and engagement in rural communities, Cooperative Extension (Extension) is uniquely poised to reach remote rural communities disproportionately impacted by obesity. As Extension increases its use of community coalitions and implements its new National Framework for Health Equity and Well-Being, understanding motivations and communication preferences among long-term rural coalition partners for obesity prevention and health promotion has become essential for duplicating successful local-level policy, system, and environmental (PSE) changes. This …

A Commentary On The Healthy Community Stores Case Study Project: Implications For Retailers, Policy, And Future Research, Samantha M. Sundermeir, Megan R. Winkler, Sara John, Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, Ravneet Kuar, Ashley Hickson, Rachael D. Dombrowski, Alex B. Hill, Bree Bode, Julia Deangelo, Joel Gittelsohn

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

In the United States, low-income, underserved rural and urban settings experience poor access to healthy, affordable food. Introducing new food outlets in these locations has shown mixed results for improving healthy food consumption. The Healthy Community Stores Case Study Project (HCSCSP) explored an alternative strategy: supporting mission-driven, locally owned, healthy community food stores to improve healthy food access. The HCSCSP used a multiple case study approach, and conducted a cross-case analysis of seven urban healthy food stores across the United States. The main purpose of this commentary paper is to summarize the main practice strategies for stores as well as …

Farmer-Led Small-Scale Irrigation Systems Management In Highland Vegetable Farming In The Cordillera Region, Philippines, Cheryll C. Launio, Marivic O. Abyado

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

Much has been said about large-scale and pump irrigation systems but not much published research is available on small-scale farmer-led irrigation systems supporting highland farming. This study described the management of irrigation sources and farmer-led irrigation systems, and conveyance and distribution technologies supporting highland farming. Data were based on FGDs in 30 barangays and a survey of 279 farmers in three highland provinces. Findings show that 91% of farmers use irrigation from springs, rivers, and creeks; 70% of the conveyance and distribution facilities are farmer-initiated and managed, and micro-irrigation technologies such as sprinklers and drip irrigation are accessible. National irrigation …

Cooperative Extension In Urban America: Place-Based Approaches For Improving Health, Dawn Burton, Latoya O'Neal, Erin Yelland, Suzanne Stluka, Rodger Rennekamp

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

While the bulk of Cooperative Extension’s (Extension) historical work has been with rural populations, its future work should also address the needs of those living in urban areas. The opportunity to live a long and healthy life is paramount among those needs. Cooperative Extension’ National Framework for Health Equity and Well-Being (Framework) provides a roadmap by which Cooperative Extension can help ensure that all people have that opportunity. The central premise of the Framework is that future work of Extension must include but extend beyond the promotion of healthy behaviors to place-based approaches for improving conditions in which people live, …

Reconceptualizing Youth Sparks: A Sociocultural Approach To Co-Designing Programs For Somali Youth, Joanna A. Tzenis

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The 4-H Youth Development Program has a long history of fostering positive youth outcomes. Recently, attention and resources have been invested in the development of a program model (i.e., the 4-H Thriving Model) that theorizes the program elements that lead to positive outcomes (Arnold, 2018). Less attention, however, has been given to the program design process by which and with whom 4-H programs are designed and implemented. This matters because a lack of a community-engaged design process may lead to outcomes disconnected from community self-interests or to the exclusion of youth who might view the program as irrelevant to their …

Accessibility And Inclusion As An Approach To Enhancing Local Extension Programs, S. Dee Jepsen, Laura Akgerman, Karen Funkenbusch, Jessie Calero, Heather Kelejian

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Providing accessible learning opportunities and inclusive programs are critical to Extension’s mission. Creating inclusive environments is more than consideration for individuals’ personal identity. Using principles of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) is an approach to intentionally build community and create new opportunities for education and growth. The Americans with Disabilities Act is a federal law requiring businesses and events to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states, “no qualified individual with a disability may be discriminated against in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” The legislation applies to Extension buildings, programs, and …

Utah Farmers Market Network: Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Community Of Practice, Jaclyn Pace, Regan Emmons, Kelsey Hall, Celina Wille, Lacee Jimenez, Carrie Durward, Roslynn Mccann

All Current Publications

The Utah Farmers Market Network convened a virtual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Community of Practice (CoP) to explore how markets could be more welcoming and inclusive to historically excluded populations. Between May and November of 2021, members of seven Utah farmers markets convened at least twice monthly to explore basic DEI concepts and create personalized DEI strategic plans for their markets. This document reviews impacts on participants and the personal, market, community, and organizational goals created.

The Design Of An Agricultural Youth-Centered Rural Development Program In Rwanda, Laetitia Igiraneza Sinyigenga

Honors Theses

Rwanda is primarily a rural, young, and agriculture-based country. The referred variables- agriculture, rural population, and youth- can be creatively merged to engage and empower youth for rural development. This paper indicates the utilization of cross-disciplinary knowledge to design an agricultural youth-centered rural development program in Rwanda. The program uses the interdependence of economic sectors (agriculture and education) with resources (environmental & natural resources and human resources) to boost rural community development. The program’s main activities- mentorship, agribusiness training, tutoring, exposure visits, and community work- highly reflect the requirement for advancing the selected main economic sectors and resources. There is …

Adoption Of Tropical Legume Technology Around The World: Analysis Of Success, H. M. Shelton, S. Franzel, M. Peters

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Key points

1. Examples of successful adoption of forage legumes are reported from all continents, where they delivered profitability and often provided multipurpose benefits to farmers.

2. Factors vital to successful adoption were: meeting the needs of farmers; building relevant partnerships; understanding the socio-economic context and skills of farmers; participatory involvement with rural communities; and long-term involvement of champions.

3. Organisation of seed supply, achieving scale-up and forming partnerships to implement adoption are key features.

4. Legumes remain an important but under-exploited resource for tropical farming systems. The alternative to legumes will be greater and more costly use of N-fertilisers …

Net Effects Of Wild And Managed Birds In Agroecosystems, Karina Garcia

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Agricultural intensification and expansion have reduced biodiversity in agroecosystems, jeopardizing the ecosystem services that nature provides to humans in these landscapes including wildlife-mediated pest control. Among these purveyors of ecosystem services are birds, who can provide services to agroecosystems by consuming arthropod pests. Yet some bird species also act as pests by consuming crops. Herein, I use molecular diet analysis through high-throughput sequencing on DNA extracted from bird fecal samples to examine birds’ diet and classify bird species as consumers of major strawberry pests (Lygus spp.). Additionally, I use targeted PCR approaches to determine which bird species consumed strawberries. …