Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons^™

Empowering Ugandan Women Smallholder Farmers: Documenting Her Mighty Hands Agriculture Extension Nonprofit, Anna Mathis

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women smallholder farmers in East Africa, including Uganda, provide the majority of agriculture labor. However, women are significantly less productive than men due to extreme barriers such as their lack of decision-making rights, inability to solely own land, and familial responsibilities. The purpose of this project was to create a full integrated communications and fundraising campaign for Her Mighty Hands, an agriculture extension nonprofit whose mission is to connect Ugandan women subsistence farmers to technology and knowledge which empower them to advance their agricultural business; enabling them to improve the quality of life for themselves, their families, and communities. Photos …

An Exploration Of Learning And Teaching Methods In Agricultural Extension, Jeremy Levinson, Dave Lamie, Michael Vassalos, Chris Eck, Juang Chong, Francis P. F. Reay-Jones

The Journal of Extension

Abstract

The Train-the-Trainer approach is widely used in Cooperative Extension education to efficiently disseminate research-based information to many clientele groups, including farmers. This paper compares the traditional Train-the-Trainer model to a comprehensive Collaborative Train-the-Trainer model and discusses weaknesses of the traditional model that are addressed in the Collaborative model. Sources of information used by farmers (growers) and overall effectiveness were measured through a survey instrument created and distributed to farmers in South and North Carolina. The Collaborative Train-the-Trainer model, which emphasizes peer-to-peer interaction and feedback loops, represents an enhanced approach for conceptualizing and implementing Extension educational programs.

Wyoming Conservation Exchange: A Case Study In Grassroots Conservation Program Design, Kristiana Hansen, Sara Brodnax, Roger Coupal, Jennifer Lamb, Anne Mackinnon, Ginger Paige, Eric Peterson, Melanie Purcell

The Journal of Extension

This article describes the conception and development of a market-based conservation program in Wyoming whose purpose was threefold: to compensate landowners for good stewardship of their land and water resources; facilitate meaningful conservation; and encourage environmentally responsible energy development. The program was developed with strong stakeholder support against a backdrop of significant regulatory change. The project, called the Wyoming Conservation Exchange (WCE), represents a project-based alternative to more traditional program-based Extension efforts. This article evaluates ways in which the WCE can act as a road map—but also a cautionary tale—for similar Extension efforts in the future.

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Prosperity: Harnessing Traditional Ecological Knowledge To Revitalize Australia's Economy, Environment, And Human Wellbeing, Annabelle L. Baulch

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper explores the traditional knowledge of Australia’s Indigenous people and how it can improve Australia's environment, health, and economic prosperity to shape a more sustainable future. Indigenous Australians managed the land for thousands of years; however, being forced off the land following European colonization resulted in terrible cultural, social, and environmental disruption for Aboriginal Australians and made conservation efforts difficult. Wildfires, imported species, mining, and agriculture is steadily destroying the Australian ecosystem, contributing to climate change, species extinction, and gaps in our cultural and ancestral knowledge. Chapter One overviews Australia's environmental issues; it uses quantitative data to explore the …

Identifying Phytoremediation Performing Plant Species That Can Be Utilized In The Improvement Of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils, Ashley Clark*, Samuel Mutiti

Graduate Research Showcase

Heavy metal pollution is a problem associated with industrialization and development. Two major metals that are commonly mined and can enter the environment, which can jeopardize communities’ health, are copper (Cu) and lead (Pb). There are different options for reducing heavy metal pollution in the environment via remediation efforts, including physical, chemical, and biological methods. However, physical and chemical remediation can be costly and labor-intensive, making them unsuitable for regions that do not have the funds to utilize these practices. Biological remediation is a more cost-conservative practice that has been shown in many studies to be effective in the gradual …

The Digital Pivot: Exploring Credit Card And E-Payment Utilization In Direct-To-Consumer U.S. Agriculture, Amanda Thomsen

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines the adoption of electronic payment systems within direct-to-consumer (DTC) transactions in U.S. farmers' markets to draw broader implications for small business strategy. Through primary and secondary data sources, this paper assesses the impact of electronic payment integration on consumer behavior and market dynamics. The analysis reveals significant disparities in payment system adoption across different geographic and demographic landscapes. Regions with higher adoption of credit card systems at farmers' markets are predominantly urban and higher-income areas, suggesting a correlation between market access to technology and economic status. Consumer data further indicates that the availability of electronic payment options …

Community Development In Stann Creek, Belize, Connor O'Neill

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research attempts to understand the inner workings of community development by taking part in ongoing development projects in Belize. Through collaboration with existing government entities, we took part in meetings, surveys, and site visits to gather the data necessary for the development projects. These projects consisted of finding cost of production, collecting market research, and constructing business plans. During our time, we experienced multiple difficulties similar to those that developers consistently encounter. Ultimately, we gained valuable insight into procedures involved in community development, as well as being able to aid in ongoing development work.

Factors Affecting Graduation With Honors: A Case Study In Bumpers College, Timothy Dalton Roberts

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study aims to understand the factors influencing the graduation rate with honors in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences (Bumpers College) at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville (UAF). Utilizing data from 2004 to 2014 provided by the Office of Strategic Analytics & Insights at UAF, this research investigates several demographic and academic variables to potentially identify predictors of successfully graduating from the Bumpers Honors Program. The methodology involved cleaning the data, statistical analyses including T-test and Chi-square tests, and logit regression models to determine significant factors impacting graduating with honors.

After chi-square and t-tests and …

Understanding The Impact Of Food Insecurity Among First Generation College Students On The University Of Arkansas Campus, Madison Price

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to: 1) better understand food insecurity among first generation college students and how it might differ from that of other college students, and 2) gather opinions from students that may serve as solutions to alleviate food insecurity. This study was conducted with a mixed-methods survey that included both open-ended and close-ended questions. This study had six detailed parts, including research design, population sampling, instrumentation, data collection, data analysis, and finally, the results. All of these unique phases allowed for first generation students’ voices to be heard and to help meet their needs on the …

U.S. Dairy Farmer Perceptions And Actions Around Climate Change, Meredith T. Niles, Zachary Goldstein, Lauren Hunt, Rebecca C. Mitchell, Sarah Tabor

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

In the spring of 2023, a national survey of United States dairy farmers was conducted to understand how producers are thinking about and approaching changing climate and weather, with a focus on animal, manure management, and land use strategies that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.. A total of 920 dairy farmers, approximately 1 in every 29, responded to this survey. This report summarizes the findings of this survey.

Implementing A Dairy Industry In Mauritius, Lainey Deitrick

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Over the Summer, I interned at the University of Mauritius and the Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security from May 18th to July 15th, 2022, researching issues with Mauritius’s food security and helping to create solutions to their economic problems. My project covered all Mauritius’s agricultural imports, but it had an emphasis on their dairy industry. While in Mauritius, I conducted research on food security among Mauritians, and a feasibility study on if residents would be open to drinking more fresh milk, which is a market the country is exploring to replace sugar cane. My data analysis will be …

Surveys Assessing Food Security And Willingness To Buy Dairy Products In Mauritius Conducted Summer 2022, Abigail Burch

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the summer of 2022, I worked on a team of University of Arkansas and University of Mauritius students to administer surveys regarding the consumption of dairy milk and the impact of COVID-19 on food security in the island nation of Mauritius. This project was created by both universities in conjunction with the Mauritian Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security.

Drip Irrigation And Water Conservation In Onions; An Economic Analysis, Jenny De Boer

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Water diversions for irrigated agriculture have contributed to increased water stress in drought prone areas across the globe. Previous research finds that farmers increase irrigation intensity per unit of product grown, increase total area under irrigation, and switch to more water intensive crops to increase yields and compensate for the cost of drip irrigation installation. Other studies have shown that drip irrigation can produce yields that parity surface irrigated yields or even surpass them using less water and increasing profits. Ultimately this plot trial showed drip irrigated onion yields were 6.31% greater than surface irrigated onion yields using an average …

Exploring The Intersection Between West Virginia Farmland Protection Boards, Landowners, And The West Virginia Agrarian Commons, Samuel W. Bayne, Joshua Lohnes

Undergraduate Scholarship

New Roots Community Farm (NRCF) came to life through the purchase of a piece of land by the Fayette County Farmland Protection Board in a buy-protect-sell model. NRCF then partnered with The Agrarian Land Trust, a New England based organization experimenting with land commons models across the United States, to purchase the property and create the West Virginia Agrarian Commons (WVAC), an entity that could advance land access for the next generation farmers in WV. The experience of NRCF and the WVAC and the vision for its operation and extension of the buy-protect-sell model in partnership with county farmland protection …

Suggestions For Layout Adjustment Of China's Agricultural Regions During Fifteenth Five-Year Plan Period, Yong Xu, Hua Yang, Jian Duan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Adjusting and optimizing the strategic paradigm of China’s agricultural regions in the new era is of great significance to the implementation of the “Greater Food” concept and the building of a strong agriculture. This study takes the layout adjustment of China’s agricultural regions during the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan period as its theme, and firstly summarizes the problems that exist in the main agricultural production regions and the layout changes in grain production bases. Then, in conjunction with the new requirements of the national strategies, the functional types of agricultural regions are refined, the different function positions are clarified, the adjusting …

Wildlife Trafficking And Illegal Trade In Endangered Species, Caden J. Kump

ATU Research Symposium

There has been a long endeavor with illegal trade and trafficking involving endangered species. There are ways to fix it if we put more focus into the type of punishments or boons to give to the people who do it right. There are numerous ways to fix this like better surveillance or rewards/encouragement for the people who do it by the book where it outweighs doing it illegally. Using surveillance has helped locating and identifying the lawbreakers for people like game wardens. Giving rewards or encouragement has also kept people at bay from committing these crimes because now they can …

High And Dry - Contextualizing Domestic Root Cellar Drains In Southern Ontario, Anatolijs Venovcevs

Northeast Historical Archaeology

The subterranean root cellar is the quintessential feature of rural nineteenth-century archaeological sites in Ontario and much archaeological, historical, and architectural research on rural farmsteads has focused on defining and understanding these structures. However, this work has neglected an important component of this feature – the root cellar drain. This paper contextualizes these features within their broader nineteenth-century ideals of drainage and goes on to tackle the topic with the use of statistical analysis on the associated geographical, social, and economic attributes. The discussion presents opportunities that are present from the vast quantities of historical sites that have been excavated …

Seed Value Chain Analysis: Enhancing Culturally Meaningful Seed Access By Harmonizing Seed Companies, Seed Growers, And Farmers/Gardeners In The Northeastern United States, Claire Fischer

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

Seeds are often valued solely as agricultural inputs, which diminishes the other benefits they provide such as cultural connections between people and the food they consume. Because seeds are primarily valued for their ability to enhance productivity and profit, a limited supply of culturally meaningful (CM) seeds exist in the US, creating barriers for individuals and communities - and particularly ones of color - seeking to connect to their traditional foodways. The Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance (UCFA), a collective of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) seed growers and distributors, is working to construct a seed value chains (SVC) …

Unveiling The Power Of Tourism Research: Navigating Insights From Montana For 2024 And Beyond, Melissa Weddell, Kara Grau, Matthew Pettigrew

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

ITRR presentation from the 2024 Governor's Conference on Tourism

The Montana Travel Industry - 2023 Summary, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

2023 summary infographic of the Montana travel and recreation industry.

Food Insecurity Among The Aging Population, Mojisola Alli

Capstone Research Posters

Food security in any given economy is vital for country’s growth and development. The main goal of this study is to determine food insecurity status among the aging population and its influential factors in Canada. Poverty, demographic trends, community and social support, and health status and costs were causes linked to food insecurity. The study used a qualitative research design , obtaining primary data from the participants. Semi-structured questionnaires with four questions were used to explore the status of food insecurity on the aging population. Next, the data was analysed using qualitative coding, identifying the emerging themes and potential patterns. …

Montana Residents' Attitudes Towards Tourism - 2023, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz, Matthew Pettigrew

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

A summary of Montana residents' attitudes towards tourism from the 2023 season. Overall, results from this study show that Montana residents hold a generally positive attitude towards tourism in the state. Residents are aware of the economic benefit that tourism provides to their communities, and agree that the overall benefits outweigh the negative impacts. Perceptions of crowding at the statewide and community level appear to be easing from previous years.

Health And Healthcare: Designing For The Social Determinants Of Health And Blue Zones In North Nashville, Rebecca Tonguis, Honor Thomas, Olivia Hobbs

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Owned by North Nashville’s First Community Church, a now empty site in the Osage-North Fisk neighborhood of North Nashville has been identified as a potential site for a new location of The Store, in addition to a community-centric architectural development based on the social determinants of health and informed by the principles behind Blue Zones, the locations with the highest lifespans in the world. Opened by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, The Store is a free grocery store that “allow[s] people to shop for their basic needs in a way that protects dignity and fosters hope”, for which North Nashville …

2023 Estimates - Nonresident Visitation, Expenditures, And Economic Contribution, Kara Grau

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report is a collection of estimates of 2023 nonresident visitation to Montana, expenditures by nonresident travelers in the state, and the contribution to Montana's economy of that traveler spending. Included are estimates by full year, quarter, trip purposed, and other visitor segments.

Promoting Financial Inclusivity, A Route To Economic Growth: An Empirical Analysis From Sub-Saharan African Countries, Sulayman Jallow, Pradipta Kumar Sahoo, Bamadev Mahapatra

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

The present study deep dives into the relationship between financial inclusion and per capita income growth of 42 sub-Saharan African countries from 2007 to 2020. With the help of the generalized method of moments (GMM) modeling framework, the study discloses that a rise in the number of bank branches, automated teller machines, and savings stimulates per capita economic growth. Conversely, an elevated number of credit provisions to the private sector and high growth of population hinder per capita economic growth. The policy recommendation is for banking authorities to expand their services to underserved areas, raise interest rates on deposits, and …

Analisis Deskriptif Strategi Komunikasi Politik Dengan Platform Digital (Studi Pada Paslon Ganjar Pranowo Dan Mahfud Md Pada Pemilu Republik Indonesia Tahun 2024), Futihat Nurul Karimah

Jurnal Sosial Humaniora Terapan

This research aims to analyze the political communication strategies carried out by the candidate pair Ganjar Pranowo and Mahfud MD through digital platforms, namely social media in the period 13-19 November 2023.

The use of social media in the digital era is becoming increasingly massive, in a political context, social media can used as a political communication medium to convey political messages. In this research, a descriptive analysis was carried out to understand the effectiveness of the political communication strategy of the Ganjar - Mahfud candidate pair, which focused on the public response to the political communication strategy carried out …

2022 Census Of Agriculture: Nebraska Highlights, Kathleen Brooks, Bradley Lubben

Cornhusker Economics

In February 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service published data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture. This data is collected every five years. The current article highlights a few of the Nebraska numbers. Two significant highlights from the data are the total number of farms and the total value of production. U.S. farm numbers declined modestly in the U.S. from 2.04 million in 2017 to 1.90 million in 2022. The total value of production for U.S. farms and ranches increased substantially from $388.5 billion in 2017 to $543.1 billion in 2022. Crop production accounted for …

Embracing Diversity In Agricultural Economics, Timothy L. Meyer

Cornhusker Economics

To steal an overused cliché, “There’s room in the tent for everyone.” Over the 2023 academic year, I have reiterated this message to all my students, with one addition. Not only is there room for everyone, but all are invited AND welcome. Food is something we all have in common, no matter the background. I think this is why producers in the state of Nebraska feel as strongly as they do about the food they produce; it is life-giving and should be taken seriously. Nebraska Agriculture is part of what makes our state great, and that is not a secret …

A Path To Food Self-Provisioning And Experiences From Learning New Skills: An Autoethnographic Depiction, Toni Ruuska

The Qualitative Report

In this autoethnographic depiction, I tell a story of change and renewal. In the narrative, I present a story of personal choices and epiphanies that have changed the course of my life. At the turning point, I portray the process of learning new skills regarding food self-provisioning. I come from a privileged, but de-skilled, middle-class suburban background, and the past four years has been a diverse journey of insecurity, alienation, and fatigue, but also of learning, empowerment, and self-realization. From a person with limited skills, to an at least somewhat skilled food neo-self-provisioner, I have partaken in a process of …

Dietary Shifts And The Need For Increased Sustainability Approaches In The Global Aquaculture Seafood System, Darien D. Mizuta

VIMS Articles

Recent shifts in the global dietary preferences have indicated the fast-growing choice for plant-based, or meat-reduced diets. Among the motivations for such choices, which are increasingly advocated by nations and environmental institutions, is the major concern with global environmental sustainability and impacts of food production systems. Incontestably, the animal food source industry is extremely diverse, and seafood production through the aquaculture value chain remains unfamiliar to key stakeholders possibly leading to an uncomprehensive view and often biased perception of the farming industry within the environmental context. Accordingly, I discuss the importance of seafood production systems, such as the fastest seafood …