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Seed & Story Conservation: A Rooted Historical Documentation And Analysis Of Living Seed Stories In The Us Northeast, Celia Luanna Nesbitt

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

Often a neglected item in our current industrialized food system, seed is now typically seen as a commodity. Agrobiodiversity is in decline with diverse crop varieties being lost from cultivation and memory, further threatening levels of biodiversity. Research indicates that seed systems are crucial for the conservation of crop diversity and local adaption of cultivars. Globally, people are working to grow and share seeds that support seed production based around the premises of community-based production and (agro)biodiversity. This project and paper draw attention to the regional seed work in the US Northeast. Through a participatory approach, and an active participation …

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 …

Examining Gendered Aspects Of Land Tenure Security And Smallholder Food Security During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Uganda, Michelle B. Saunders

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Smallholder agriculture is an integral part of the global food system – indeed, over 80% of the world’s farms operate on less than two hectares of land. In Uganda, these smallholder farmers grow the majority (~85%) of food produced, and thus are critical to domestic food security. However, due to external threats such as economic hardship and climate change, smallholders are also vulnerable to food insecurity themselves. As we work towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger, it is crucial that we pay particular attention to this vital population. This thesis explores two key explanatory factors that …

Exploring Potential Domains Of Agroecological Transformation In The United States, Catherine Horner

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

There is now substantial evidence that agroecology constitutes a necessary pathway towards socially just and ecologically resilient agrifood systems. In the United States, however, agroecology remains relegated to the margins of research and policy spaces. This dissertation explores three potential domains of agroecological transformation in the US. Domains of transformation are sites of contestation in which agroecology interfaces with the industrial agrifood system; these material and conceptual spaces may point to important pathways for scaling agroecology. To explore this concept, I examine formal agroecology education (Chapter 1), extension services and statewide discourses around soil health (Chapter 2), and models of …

Socio-Ecological Economic Impact Analysis Of Food Systems Initiatives Using Mixed Methods And Community-Based Research Approaches, Josiah J. Taylor

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Many NGO and government community development programs seek to alleviate complex problems related to food systems and agriculture. Yet, without integrated social, ecological, and economic impact analysis we cannot understand or communicate the value of such interventions. For this research, we partnered with food and agriculture organizations using participatory action research approaches to co-develop and test tools for holistic program analysis. We then used these tools to conduct and co-produce a holistic analysis and evaluation of program impacts. The first chapter provides background and context for the body of the dissertation. Chapter two details work with Hunger Free Vermont to …

Groundwater Governance And Agricultural Sustainability: Examining Farmer Interactions With California’S Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, Zachary Matthew Goldstein

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Climate change has exacerbated groundwater depletion globally, and policymakers have struggled to effectively manage groundwater resources. California enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014 to restore groundwater to sustainable levels.

The first paper of this thesis examines the drivers associated with uptake of groundwater conservation practices in agriculture. While a rich body of research has explored farmers’ conservation practice adoption, understanding of groundwater conservation practices is more limited. This study explores how information sources influence the actual and intended adoption of groundwater management practices in California. Using survey data from farmers (n = 553) in three largely agricultural …

“No Solamente Del Café Puede Vivir Uno...”: Participatory Action Research On Agricultural Diversification In Smallholder Coffee Systems Of Chiapas, Mexico, Janica Mia-Maaria Anderzén

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Diversity and diversification are foundational principles of agroecology. Growing scientific and experiential evidence from different parts of the world shows that diversified, agroecologically managed agricultural systems generate multiple ecological, social, and economic benefits, and can be more resilient to risks and stressors. However, while ecological benefits of these systems are well documented, less is known about socio-economic dimensions of agricultural diversification. This dissertation explores characteristics and outcomes of agricultural diversification in smallholder coffee systems in Chiapas, Mexico, with special emphasis on beekeeping. In this region, beekeeping is seen as an alternative with potential to build household resilience in the face …

An Exploratory Guide To The Work, Efficacy & Potential Of The Usda-Natural Resources Conservation Service In Vermont Through The Perspectives Of Nrcs Staff, Ellen L. Friedrich

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is the largest provider of conservation incentives payments in private agricultural working lands in the United States. This transdisciplinary and action orientated report is an exploratory guide to the work, efficacy, and potential of the USDA-NRCS in the Vermont context through the perspectives of NRCS staff. The report is built around themes identified from semi-structured interviews conducted with seven NRCS-Vermont staff members. Interviews explored a variety of different topics including natural resource & environmental concerns in Vermont, barriers to conservation and sustainable agriculture, the …

School Farms And Stem: Using Institutional Resources To Promote Deeper Learning, Catherine Clare Knowlton

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

Given the structural problems in education laid bare by the recent pandemic, we as a community of educators need to re-evaluate goals for secondary science education. Specifically, classrooms and course content must evolve to become more socially responsive, inclusive, and interdisciplinary. Agricultural education is a demonstrably effective way to boost STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) comprehension as well as SEL (social-emotional learning) skills building. In this study, I use qualitative interview methods to assess current agricultural coursework at independent schools around New England. Results show intriguing themes stemming from designing and implementing farm-based courses, although there are logistical barriers …

Access To Culturally Appropriate Food In Chittenden County: A Program Evaluation Of The Vermont Foodbank’S Fresh Food Distribution, Caroline L. Gilman

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

The Vermont Foodbank, and community organizations statewide, have been working towards creating systems in which community members who receive produce have their cultural preferences taken into consideration. The Janet S. Munt Family Room, a non-profit organization that provides programs and services to parents and young children, is the leading distribution site for the Vermont Foodbank’s gleaning program. Every month, thousands of pounds of fresh, local vegetables are distributed at their programs. In addition to gleaned produce, the Family Room was a recipient of the Vermont Foodbank’s culturally appropriate community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares in 2021, which distributed targeted, responsive, local produce …

Social Justice And The Us Food System: A Critical Course On The Human Dimensions Of Food, Ali Brooks

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

Our world is made up of overlapping political, environmental, and economic spheres that engender social injustice and inequality. Though separate societal issues can seem divergent and unconnected, they are all linked together by one universal necessity: food. Because everyone eats, everyone is connected to—and dependent on—food and the systems that govern it. However, the impacts of our industrial food system are not felt equally among people who hold different positions of power within it.

Today’s industrial food complex operates on the capitalist principle of profit accumulation through exploitation, commodification, and extraction. This set of relations is not defined by scale …

Adaptive Capacity And [Un]Natural Disasters: Puerto Rican Farmers’ Adaption And Food Security Outcomes After Hurricane Maria, Luis Alexis Rodriguez-Cruz

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation investigates how social and natural elements of the Puerto Rican food system intertwine in the aftermath of category four Hurricane Maria, and relate to farmers’ adaptive capacity—access to assets and resources people have to navigate the changing climate. The research utilizes a mixed-methods survey that was conducted in 2018 in collaboration with the Extension Service of the University of Puerto Rico. The three article-based chapters use survey data from 405 farmer respondents to assess adaptive capacity through three different approaches that balance individual and structural dynamics in the context of disaster, where disruptions in livelihood activities reflect vulnerability …

Seeding Coexistence: Understanding The Potential For Seed System Pluralism Through A Mixed-Methods Research Study Of Vermont Growers, Carina Isbell

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Visions for the future of the global agri-food system are often polarizing. Facing such issues as climate change, social and political unrest, and decreasing biodiversity, communities are increasingly facing critical decisions relating to how food systems can transform to better meet the needs of society and the environment. Seeds – an often-overlooked input that, throughout history, have encapsulated agri-food system paradigms as well as hope for how they might be changed – sit at the nexus of many of these decisions. In the last half-century, increasing privatization and industrialization across the agricultural sector have profoundly transformed seed systems globally. In …

Ghgs From Bmps: Examining The Factors That Mediate Soilborne Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Agricultural Best Management Practices, Sarah Brickman

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Agricultural best management practices (BMPs) promote soil health and achieve multiple positive environmental outcomes. However, practices that are intended to solve one environmental challenge may have unintended climate impacts, therefore presenting a potential tradeoff. For example, manure injection is a BMP that can reduce runoff and nitrogen loss as ammonia gas (NH3) but can increase N2O and CO2 emissions compared to manure broadcast application. This thesis explores how CO2 and N2O emissions from manure injection compare to other soil fertility practices as well as the conditions that may enhance or reduce these greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. First, during a two-year …

Anchoring Communities Through Crisis: Enhancing Anchor Institutions’ Roles In Local Food Systems, Naomi Cunningham

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Anchor institutions serve as economic and social anchors for the communities they are embedded within. These mission-driven institutions often leverage their purchasing power and hiring practices to support community development. Local food purchases are one crucial way institutions support local economies and contribute to the development of robust and resilient food systems. The relationships institutional buyers establish with local farmers and intermediaries frequently require more time and energy to facilitate but result in more direct, connected, and mutually beneficial relationships, which, based on the findings of this research, are a critical source of resilience.

The COVID-19 pandemic is the most …

Soil Invertebrates In Agriculture: Assessing Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity Impacts, And Farmer Perceptions, Eva Kinnebrew

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Harmonizing biological diversity and crop production is a major goal towards building more sustainable food systems. Soil invertebrates are diverse and abundant organisms in agriculture, but relatively little is known about their benefits or how agricultural management impacts them. In this dissertation, I dig into the complex interactions between agricultural land use and soil invertebrate biodiversity to better inform farmer decision-making. I find that soil invertebrate communities have major potential contributions to agroecosystems (Chapter 2) and are shaped heavily by agricultural land use (Chapters 3, 4), but remain too uncertain to contribute to farmers’ management choices (Chapter 5). First, I …

Hemp In The United States: An Analysis Of Policy And Consumption, Amanda Falkner

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

As highlighted by its history, the association between hemp and marijuana has proven to be a barrier to success for industrial hemp production for decades. Once a prevalent agricultural crop in the United States, prohibitive legislation discouraged its production and formally made hemp an illegal crop in 1970. Consequently, hemp and its myriad applications remained underutilized by the United States for over forty years. It wasn’t until the 2014 Farm Bill that hemp production was reintroduced as an option for farmers. This hemp hiatus has created the need for interdisciplinary research in order for the market for the crop to …

Building Relationships And Resilience: Local Food Systems In Vermont And New England During The Covid-19 Pandemic And Beyond, Claire Whitehouse

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

This thesis brings together two studies of local food systems in Vermont and New England. The first study focuses on the experience of Vermont local food businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic by combining two surveys conducted in the first half of 2021: one of foodservice operations that procure food locally and one of Vermont farms that sell directly to consumers. We analyzed descriptive statistics, open responses, and conducted Kruskal-Wallis rank sum tests to assess which factors were related with business’ financial status before and since the pandemic. Pre-pandemic financial status was related with business type, whether the business went on …

Shaping Soil: Examining Relationships Between Agriculture And Climate Change, Lindsay Barbieri

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

As the ripple-effects of a changing climate shape our planet, understanding relationships between agriculture and climate change is critical. With agricultural practices shaping soils on over a third of the earth’s land surface, the soils and lands where food is produced are integral grounds for examining these relationships. While not all humans practice agriculture in similar or damaging ways, nevertheless, dominant agricultural practices are displacing beings and ecosystems and perturbing global nutrient cycles across the planet. These entwined imbalances of dominance and nutrients result in flows of excess nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon that are responsible for nearly three-fourths of the …

Influence Of Summer Hedging And Plant Growth Regulators On Apple Trees Grown For Hard Cider. An Evaluation Of Return Bloom, Tree Growth, And Juice Quality., Jessica A. Foster

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Fermented cider production has rapidly increased in the US over the last decade with an annualized growth rate of 50% between 2009 and 2014, and revenues totaling $ 2.2 billion in 2018 (Becot et al., 2016; Miles et al., 2020). Cider producers seek juice with high sugar, high acid, and phenolics that enhance ‘‘mouth feel’’ to make unique, high-quality cider. Specialty cider cultivars are selected for their juice qualities, not for their yield or ease of production. Growers have found many cider cultivars are challenging to grow due to disease susceptibility, biennial bearing, premature fruit drop, and excessive vegetative growth. …

Examining Consumer Perceptions And Behaviors Toward Hemp-Based Products, Hannah Lacasse

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Although its relevance has ebbed and flowed, hemp production has persisted over several centuries. Over time, its popularity has been interrupted by competing products, public health concerns and regulatory barriers. A renaissance of hemp production has emerged in the U.S., particularly after regulatory barriers fell in 2014 and 2018. This has given rise to a growing market of diverse hemp-based food, medicinal, textile and industrial products. Adding to the political, technological and financial challenges facing this nascent industry is a demonstrated need for consumer behavior research on how products made with hemp-based ingredients are received, if at all, by consumers. …

Food From Somewhere: Envisioning And Practicing Aspirational Food Systems, Caitlin Morgan

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

This transdisciplinary dissertation explores the connections between material conditions, human engagements, and the social, economic, and ecological contexts in which they exist. It investigates imaginations of a better food system, projects people have already undertaken, and what happens when their visions meet reality.

Chapter 1 weaves together diverse literature: a justification for action-oriented research and a blending of ecofeminist scholarship, agroecology and sustainable agriculture, ecological economics, systems theory and food systems scholarship, and sensory studies. These disciplines tie together through notions of embeddedness, embodiment, and the context for action, which all translate to the dissertation’s methodological approach of mixed qualitative …

Organic Amendments Alter Soil Hydrology And Belowground Microbiome Of Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum), Taylor Readyhough

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Manure-derived organic amendments are a cost-effective tool that provide many potential benefits to plant and soil health. For example, amendment applications may increase soil fertility, improve soil structure, stimulate microbial activity, and suppress plant pathogens. Yet, responses to these applications may have unintended consequences. Inherent variability in the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of these materials can result in inconsistent outcomes observed after their application. These differences are manifested in plant growth, soil physiochemical properties, and soil microbial community composition. Popular manure-derived organic amendments include dairy manure compost and poultry manure pellets. Dairy manure is an abundant resource on many …

It’S More Than Profits: Examining Perceived Success In Agritourism, Lindsay Quella

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Over the last 20 years, small- and medium-sized farm owners are increasingly interested in participating in agritourism and direct sales in order to boost income, provide family employment, and educate the public about agriculture, among other reasons. A growing body of research has focused on agritourism from the provider perspective, but more research is needed in order to identify supports and barriers for agritourism operators. In order to address this gap, we first investigated how operators themselves define success, before studying the attributes that are associated with success in agritourism. While prior research acknowledges the strong influence of non-economic factors …

Does Adding Forage Radish Enhance Winter Rye Cover Crops In Northeastern Corn Silage Systems?, Kirsten Cynthia Workman

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Cover crops play an important role in decreasing erosion and nutrient runoff associated with corn silage production in northern New England. Winter rye (Secale cereal L.) is the primary cover crop species used in this region. While winter rye (rye) monocultures are easily established, they can be challenging to manage in the spring, expensive to establish at recommended seeding rates, and can interfere with the planting of subsequent corn crops. We hypothesized that adding forage radish (Raphunus sativus L.) to a rye cover crop could augment fall performance and enhance the ecosystem services provided by the cover crop and allow …

Social Networking And Social Media As Resilience Strategies Among Us Women Farmers, Kerry Daigle

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Women farmers worldwide have long been under-recognized and undervalued in agricultural contexts. Traditionally, women farmers in the United States have experienced limited access to land, equipment and training, and women often bear the brunt of household responsibilities. Despite the significant challenges they face, women farmers have developed creative ways to access farming opportunities, including through alternative farming operations that use sustainable agricultural methods. Such strategies have allowed women farmers to remain resilient, while also bringing an array of benefits to the environmental, social, and economic well-being of rural communities.

Barriers that women farmers face in agriculture have been increasingly studied, …

The Potential Of Refugee Seed Systems To Promote Contemporary Adaptation In Traditional Crops: A Case Study Of African Maize In New England, Andi Kur

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

There are many mechanisms by which landraces evolve in a contemporary agricultural setting; however, the influence of forced human migration on landrace redistribution and evolution has received little attention in comparison to the stochastic effects of drift, mutation, and gene flow in the centers of origin. Although the seed systems of forcedly-displaced people remain poorly understood, evidence suggests that refugees often continue to grow traditional crops after resettlement. From a genetics perspective, the crops that are transported to highly disparate environments provide an interesting opportunity to study adaptation.

This research addresses how forced human migration has impacted contemporary landrace evolution …

Rapid Evolution In Agroecosystems: Transposable Elements And Epigenetics In The Colorado Potato Beetle, Kristian Brevik

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Within agricultural ecosystems, humans and insects enter into complex relationships. Humans consider many of these insects to be pests, and exert significant pressures upon them, such as efforts to kill them using insecticides. One of the ways insects respond to these efforts is by rapidly evolving resistance to insecticides - but how they do this is not fully understood. DNA methylation, an epigenetic mechanism, and transposable elements, which are mobile genetic elements within genomes, may each play a role in shaping the way insects rapidly evolve in response to exposure to insecticides. Understanding the role of transposable elements and DNA …

Farm Fresh Food Boxes, Lauren Greco

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

In response to trends that challenge food access, farmer livelihoods and public health, several market and social institutions have pursued the development of alternative food systems (AFS). These attempt to support the production and distribution of foods with important qualities, such as attention to specific growing practices, higher worker standards, superior product quality and taste, support for environmental health and farmer well-being (Valchuis et al. 2015). While there has been some success in these efforts, as evidenced by the growth of farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture programs, and farm-to-institution relationships, growth in direct to consumer markets has flattened in recent …

Examining Vermont Agricultural Producers’ Willingness To Pay For Extension One-On-One Business Planning Services And Future Programming Considerations, Anthony Kitsos

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

ABSTRACT

Extension agricultural business programs have provided enhanced individualized services to Vermont’s agricultural producers by using a variety of external funding sources combined with base departmental funds. These farm business programs are uniquely positioned to deliver one-on-one outreach education and information that not only has a direct benefit to private farm business owners but indirectly serves the public good by enhancing farm business viability. Meanwhile, there is an ongoing cultural shift among Extension professionals and farm owners who acknowledge that Extension programs cannot be sustained at low or no cost to participants. Funding for Extension programming has been declining for …