Digital Commons Network^™

Agriculture And Ecosystem Services: Strategies For State And Local Governments, J.B. Ruhl

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Agriculture has long been the Rubik's Cube of environmental policy. Although agriculture is a leading cause of pollution and other environmental harms, it has been resistant to regulation and remarkably successful at requiring payment to do the right thing. This article focuses on hints of movement in a new direction for agriculture, arising out of a merger between the age-old practice of paying farmers to do what is right, the fear of losing agricultural lands to suburban development, the rising fiscal burdens to state and local jurisdictions presented by new suburban development, and the new understanding that farms may hold …

Agricultural Situation And Outlook Fall 2008, Sara Williamson, Kenneth H. Burdine

Agricultural Situation and Outlook

No abstract provided.

Non-Blackbird Avian Occurrence And Abundance In North Dakota Sunflower Fields, Dionn A. Schaaf, George M. Linz, Curt Doetkott, Mark W. Lutman, William J. Bleier

The Prairie Naturalist

Sunflower fields are well-documented as foraging habitat for fallmigrating blackbirds (Family Icteridae). There is, however, a paucity of information on the use of sunflower fields by non-blackbirds. We assessed non-blackbird use of 12 ripening sunflower fields in the Prairie Pothole Region of central North Dakota. From mid-August to mid-October 2000, we counted 4,129 individual birds, consisting of 22 families and 61 species, in the sample fields and within 5 m of the field edges. We saw the largest number of birds from 18 September to 27 September. The Family Emberizidae (sparrows) accounted for 26% of the species and 20% of …

Equine Immunity, Vaccination Guidelines, And Recommendations, Kerry Rood, Patricia Evans

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Male Out-Migration And The Women Left Behind: A Case Study Of A Small Farming Community In Southeastern Mexico, Jamie P. Mcevoy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Until recently, rural households in southeastern Mexico have survived on subsistence and chili farming. But over the last decade, male out-migration to the United States has also become a popular livelihood strategy. This case study used data from semi-structured qualitative interviews to assess the effects of male out-migration on women's lives in three areas: households' financial and material situation, issues of infidelity and women's vulnerability to abandonment, and the gendered division of labor.

Overall, this study found that male out-migration had both positive and negative effects on the women left behind. First, the financial outcomes of migration were mixed. A …

Human Dispersal Of Trichinella Spiralis In Domesticated Pigs, Benjamin Rosenthal, Giuseppe Larosa, Dante Zarlenga, Detiger Dunams, Yao Chunyu, Liu Mingyuan, Edoardo Pozio

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

To investigate the human impact on the evolutionary ecology of animal pathogens, we compared genetic diversity of severe foodborne parasites contracted by eating infected pork or wild game. In particular, we characterized Trichinella spp. from twenty-eight countries and four continents by genotyping nine microsatellite loci and sequencing one-fifth of the mitochondrial genome. All specimens of Trichinella spiralis, a swine parasite that can infect many species of wildlife, were remarkably uniform across Europe, North Africa, and the Americas. Far greater diversity characterized a comparable sample of Trichinella britovi, which parasitizes various sylvatic mammals endemic to Eurasia and North-Western Africa. A limited …

The Queen Of American Agriculture: A Biography Of Virginia Claypool Meredith, Frederick Whitford, Andrew G. Martin, Phyllis Mattheis

The Founders Series

Virginia Claypool Meredith's role in directly managing the affairs of a large and prosperous farm in east-central Indiana opened doors that were often closed to women in late nineteenth century America. Her status allowed her to campaign for the education of women, in general, and rural women, in particular. While striving to change society's expectations for women, she also gave voice to the important role of women in the home. A lifetime of dedication made Virginia Meredith "the most remarkable woman in Indiana" and the "Queen of American Agriculture." Meredith was also an integral part of the history of Purdue …

Interaction Design For Rural Agricultural Sensor Networks, K. Walker, A. Kabashi, J. Abdelnour-Nocera, K. Ngugi, J. Underwood, J. Elmirghani, M. Prodanovic

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

We describe the ongoing design of a sensor network for small family farms inrural Kenya. The sensor network is just one part of an ‘ecology of resources’ in whichhandheld devices are used to bridge the sensor network and a computer-based access point.We describe the two villages where the system is deployed and the user requirementscollected. We then describe the architecture of the sensor network and detail how it fits inwith the larger integrated system. We then detail our approach to interface and interactiondesign, and conclude by describing the next steps in the project.

Traditional Natural Resource Use And Development In Northeast Thailand, Christie Moulton

Senior Honors Projects

This paper explores the effects of development projects on traditional natural resource use in three communities in Northeast Thailand, a region known as Isan. I interviewed villagers in each community and asked them to describe their environmental perceptions, management practices and livelihood strategies. Participants described several subsistence livelihoods that have traditionally been present in Isan. These include rice farming, fishing, community forestry, and wetland use. Residents from the three communities all described various cultural activities, knowledge systems, and religious ceremonies that are closely tied to their local resources. Raising silk worms, making clay pots, and performing rituals for a spirit …

Promoting Locally Grown Foods In Schools Through Developed Classroom Curriculum And Foodservice Educational Tools, Meredith F. Carter

Senior Honors Projects

The Massachusetts’ Farm-to-School Project has worked for years to bring local farmers and school districts together. Focused on improving the markets and economic stability of farmers, while also improving the quality of foods available to students, the project implemented the first annual “Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week” during the week of September 24, 2007. As part of Harvest Week, selected schools in Massachusetts purchased and served foods grown and made by local farmers. Marketing materials were used in the participating school cafeterias, and classroom education regarding local agriculture, nutrition, and sustainability was provided. Harvest Week had the potential to improve …

Origins Of The Y Genome In Elymus, Pungu Okito

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Triticeae tribe DUMORTER in the grass family (Poaceae) includes the most important cereal crops such as wheat, barley, and rye. They are also economically important forage grasses. Elymus is the largest and most complex genus with approximately 150 species occurring worldwide. Asia is an important centre for the origin and diversity of perennial species in the Triticeae tribe, and more than half of the Elymus are known to occur in the Asia. Cytologically, Elymus species have a genomic formula of StH, StP, StY, StStY, StHY, StPY, and StWY. About 40% of Elymus …

Granivores And Restoration: Implications Of Invasion And Considerations Of Context-Dependent Seed Removal, Steven M. Ostoja

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Granivores are important components of sagebrush communities in western North America. These same regions are being altered by the invasion of the exotic annual Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) that alters physical and biological dynamics in ways that appear to promote its persistence. This research directly relates to the restoration of B. tectorum-dominated systems in two inter-related ways. First, because these landscapes have large quantities of seeds applied during restoration, it is important to determine the major granivore communities in intact sagebrush communities and in nearby cheatgrass-dominated communities. Second, it is important to develop an understanding of patterns of seed harvest …

Simulated Browsing Impacts On Aspen Suckers' Density, Growth, And Nutritional Responses, Koketso Tshireletso

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Heavy and repeated ungulate browsing on reproductive suckers has limited trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) regeneration on many Western landscapes. However, little is known about the specific effects of season and intensity of browsing. My objectives were to determine the effects of season and intensity of clipping (simulated browsing) on suckers’ (1) density and growth characteristics, and (2) nutritional quality and quantity.

Three randomly selected stands were clear-felled in mid-July, 2005, and fenced. Simulated browsing treatments of 0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% removal of current year’s growth were randomly applied in early, mid-, and late summers of 2006 and …

Livestock Foraging Behavior In Response To Interactions Among Alkaloids, Tannins, And Saponins, Tiffanny Lyman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Plant secondary compounds abound in every plant mother nature has to offer. From common garden vegetables to poisonous plants, there are secondary compounds in every plant any animal, as well as we, chooses to eat. In the past, secondary compounds were mostly considered waste products of plant metabolism, but over the last several decades research has shown that these compounds play an active role in plant and animal behavior, health, and productivity. Though often seen only in terms of their negative impacts on intake and production, we are becoming increasingly aware of their beneficial roles in plant, animal, and human …

Bravura, Mass Communication Department-Winona State University

Bravura

Bravura was produced by Winona State University Mass Communication students as part the senior practical application course for journalists and photojournalists. This issue of Bravura explored food. Managing Editor: Paul Solberg; Assignment Editor: Janelle McDonald; News Editor: Ruth DeFoster;Photo Editor: Andrew Link; Layout Editro: Samuel Keane-Rudolph; Online Editor: Courtney Pate; Copy Editor: Matt Huss; Reporters: Jessica Higgins, Kristin Johnson, Ryan Kiesewetter, Chandler MacLean, Stephanie Magnuson, Joel Shirek; Photographers: Bekka Buck, Cassie Busse, Tracy Ebmeyer, Evan Gedlinske, Taylor Martinson, Kaylyn Messer, Travis Roush, Johanna Woodside, Sara Word; Advisor: Dave Skolda

On Changes In Rural China: The Rise Of Agrarian Capitalism And Dissolution Of The Peasantry In Contemporary China, Forrest Zhang, John A. Donaldson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

For decades, Mr. Hong and his family have toiled the ground of Dounan Village, an area of Yunnan Province that became well-known throughout China for the quality of its fresh vegetables. While Hong and his neighbors have, since the early 1980s, concentrated on the small plot of land that the state allocated to them, in recent years, Dounan village has begun producing vegetables in large enough scale to market to distant, wealthy coastal areas, bringing new-found prosperity to the area. After gaining experience producing vegetables both on the plot that the government allocated to his family, and on his neighbors’ …

Agriculture And Natural Resources Challenges And Opportunities, Clyde E. Chesney

Extension Publications

No abstract provided.

Hidalgo Irrigation Pumphouse : Preserving Hidalgo Heritage, Lauraine Miller, Hidalgo Chamber Of Commerce

Spring Workshop May 2020

Physical item available at the UTRGV Special Collections & Archives Edinburg Campus. Link to record.

G08-1847 Economic Indexes For Beef Sire Selection, Matthew L. Spangler

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Selecting a beef sire can be made easier with economic indexes. This 2008 NebGuide illustrates the various beef sire selection indexes available.

Sustainability In A Time Of Climate Change: Developing An Intensive Research Framework For The Platte River Basin And The High Plains Proceedings From The 2008 Climate Change Workshop, Monica Norby, Ashley Washburn

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Proceedings from the 2008 Climate change Workshop, Nebraska Sandhills, May 19-22, 2008. Hosted by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the U.S. Geological Survey

Ua1c7 Departmental Photos, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Images showing everyday activities of university departments.

Riparian Buffer Design Guidelines For Water Quality And Wildlife Habitat Functions On Agricultural Landscapes In The Intermountain West, Craig W. Johnson, Susan Buffler

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Intermountain West planners, designers, and resource managers are looking for science-based procedures for determining buffer widths and management techniques that will optimize the benefits riparian ecosystems provide. This study reviewed the riparian buffer literature, including protocols used to determine optimum buffer widths for water quality and wildlife habitat functions. We selected an existing protocol for determining buffer widths for water quality functions that could be readily adapted for use in this region. The protocol is based on the best available science, uses existing or easily obtained data, and is practical for in-field applications. The protocol was modified to accommodate Intermountain …

Chlorothalonil Exposure And Cancer Incidence Among Pesticideapplicator Participants In The Agricultural Health Study, Alicia M. Mozzachio, Jennifer A. Rusiecki, Jane A. Hoppin, Rajeev Mahajan, Rahulkumar Patel, Laura Beane-Freeman, Michael Cr Alavanja

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Background: Chlorothalonil is a broad spectrum, non-systemic fungicide widely used to control diseases affecting over 50 fruit, vegetable, and agricultural crops. Despite its extensive use for over 30 years, little is known about the potential human carcinogenicity associated with the routine application of chlorothalonil. Rodent studies have shown evidence of renal tubular carcinomas and adenomas. We explored cancer incidence with chlorothalonil exposure using data from the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective cohort of licensed pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina.
Methods: Licensed private and commercial pesticide applicators were recruited into this study from 1993 to 1997. Detailed information regarding …

Wheat Invest. A Compelling Business Case For Investment In The Western Australian Wheat Industry, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

Western Australia (WA) is an ideal location for wheat production. It has competitive advantages including:

• A proven track record in wheat production accounting for approximately 50 per cent of Australia's production. Based on a five year average from 2003/04 to 2007/08*, WA produces around 7.7 million tonnes of wheat per year.

• Over the past five years, the top 25 per cent of farmers averaged 10 per cent return on capital excluding changes in land value.

• Export focussed due to WA's small population. 90 per cent of WA's wheat is exported

• Abundant land at competitive prices and …

Animal Ethics And The Law, Bernard Rollin

Michigan Law Review First Impressions

Everyone reading this Article is doubtless aware of the woeful lack of legal protection for farm animals in the United States. Not only do the laws fail to assure even a minimally decent life for the majority of these animals, they do not provide protection against the most egregious treatment. As both a philosopher who has helped articulate new emerging societal ethics for animals, and as one who has successfully developed laws embodying that ethic—notably the 1985 federal laws protecting laboratory animals—I will stress the direction we need to move in the future to enfranchise farm animals. I have seen …

The Environmental Effects Of Cruelty To Agricultural Animals, Kyle H. Landis-Marinello

Michigan Law Review First Impressions

Laws criminalizing animal abuse should apply to the agricultural industry. When we exempt the agricultural industry from these laws, factory farms increase production to unnaturally high levels. This increased production causes devastating environmental effects, such as climate change, water shortages, and the loss of topsoil. In light of these effects, the law needs to do much more to regulate the agricultural industry, and the first step should be to criminalize cruelty to agricultural animals. This would force the industry to slow down production to more natural levels that are much less harmful to the environment.

"It's The Right Thing To Do": Why The Animal Agriculture Industry Should Not Oppose Science-Based Regulations Protecting The Welfare Of Animals Raised For Food, Angela J. Geiman

Michigan Law Review First Impressions

Since the beginning of history, people have used farm animals to assist with their work and to provide a source of food. These agricultural pursuits were not questioned; rather, they were a widely-accepted way of life. In fact, many people still say that the very purpose of livestock on this Earth is to provide these resources for mankind. As for the proper way to treat our livestock, we commonly hear farmers and livestock producers make comments like, “If we take care of the animals, they will take care of us,” and, “We treat our animals well because that’s just good …

An Argument For The Basic Legal Rights Of Farmed Animals, Steven M. Wise

Michigan Law Review First Impressions

The most abused beings in the United States are those whom we raise and kill for food. The numbers of dead are staggering. Most are victims of the severe and almost entirely unregulated practices that Americans permit on their factory farms. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, in 2007, a total of 10.4 billion land-based animals were killed by the American food industry. These included 9.4 billion broiler chickens, 450 million laying hens, 317 million turkeys, 121 million pigs, 39 million bovines, 28 million ducks, 10 million rabbits, and 4 million sheep and goats—fifty …

Animal Cruelty Laws And Factory Farming, Joseph Vining

Michigan Law Review First Impressions

“Should laws criminalizing animal abuse apply to animals raised for food?” The answer is yes, and yes especially because farm animals are generally now under the control of business corporations. State and federal criminal law have proved critical in modifying corporate policy and practice in other areas, a current example being worker safety. Criminal liability today would include criminal liability of the corporate entity itself, and would thus also introduce the most effective regulation of individual handling of farm animals—regulation by the corporation, which has methods and resources public agencies cannot match. We have a background public policy of humane …

One Bad Day: Thoughts On The Difference Between Animal Rights And Animal Welfare, Neil D. Hamilton

Michigan Law Review First Impressions

The lawsuit pitting the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals against the New Jersey Department of Agriculture brings into sharp focus the issue of animal rights versus animal welfare that has been dividing animal activists, farmers, and society for decades. On one side are proponents of animal rights—a set of rights articulated by humans but granted to animals to govern how we treat them. For many believers this includes the right not to be owned and certainly not to be eaten. On the other side are proponents of animal welfare—also a set of human derived standards …