Digital Commons Network^™

The International Treaty On Plant Genetic Resources For Food And Agriculture: Friend Of The International Farmer, Steven M. Ruby

Oklahoma Journal of Law and Technology

No abstract provided.

Characteristics Of Four Agricultural Crops Established As Northern Bobwhite Brood Habitat, Denise A. Maidens, John P. Carroll

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Small plots of agricultural crops are often planted in the Southeast for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) management. Often these are viewed as primarily winter habitat, and assumed to provide summer habitat. We evaluated the macroinvertebrate and vegetative structure of millet, sorghum, wheat, and soybean plots on a cotton farm to assess their value as bobwhite brood habitat. During June and July 1999 and June, July, and August 2000, we studied 5 blocks, each planted with all 4 agricultural crops. We measured invertebrate abundance along a 15-meter transect in each plot using vacuum sampling and height/density of vegetation. Visual obstruction readings …

Eggs Or Entertainment? The Relationship Between Self Reliance And Nutrition In Malawi, Anne Barton, Tim Heaton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Malawi has the eighth smallest GDP per capita out of all the countries in the world (CIA World Factbook 2014). The large majority of Malawians rely on subsistence farming to survive in the midst of poor circumstances. The School of Agriculture for Family Independence (SAFI) equips these subsistence farmers with the necessary skills to become self reliant. Self reliance is the idea that families can support an independent lifestyle in the long term, even during unforeseen circumstances. Through training on various subjects, farmers learn the necessary skills to reach this ultimate goal. This research focused on evaluating the success of …

The Small Farmers Agricultural Cooperative Today, Miles D. Robinson, John Brown, Alice Paris, Walter A. Hill, Tasha M. Hargrove, Barrett Vaughan, Raymon Shange, Al Hooks, Demetrius Hooks, Thomas Turner, Bobby England, Audrey Zeigler

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

The Small Farmer-Tuskegee University-Walmart Project was designed to provide technical support to train at least 200 farmers on best practices in marketing produce to large companies such as Walmart. Activities included specialized training, workshops, and informational group meetings, and overall awareness of market opportunities. The specialized trainings included food safety standards and food safety certification requirements, efficient production techniques, harvesting, grading, packaging, refrigeration/cold chain requirements, transportation, fiscal responsibility, financial management, record-keeping, and insurance and product liability. As part of the process, Tuskegee University assisted with the formation of the Small Farmers Agricultural Cooperative, which is comprised of members from …

The Socioeconomic And Ecological Impact Of Cool Season Forage Production: A Case Of Black Belt Counties, Alabama, Lila B. Karki, Uma Karki

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Raising livestock during the lean season of forage production has become a great challenge for small and limited resource farmers because of a high cost involved in procuring supplementary feed. This study was conducted to assess the impact of cultivating cool-season forages on the feeding costs for meat goats and cattle. Three case studies were conducted in three Black Belt Counties of Alabama, Russell, Dallas, and Bullock. The socioeconomic and ecological impacts of developing cool-season pastures were evaluated using the before versus after assessment approach. The findings revealed that all three cooperator farmers reduced costs of procuring hay and …

Assessing The Impact Of The Small Farmer-Tuskegee University-Walmart Project On The Household Economy Of Small And Limited Resource Farmers In Alabama, Lila B. Karki, Walter A. Hill, Raymon Shange, Tasha M. Hargrove, Miles D. Robinson, Barrett Vaughan, Ntam R. Baharanyi, Gertrude Wall, George Hunter, Konnie D. Pace

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

This study focused on the impact of the Small Farmer-Tuskegee University-Walmart Project, an agribusiness opportunity for small and limited resource farmers in rural Alabama. The Project provided a package of programs that strengthened the farmers’ entrepreneurial capacity and secured a market with Walmart for contracted produce. The study applied the triangulation approach to collect field data, and conducted a case study using quantitative and qualitative tools to measure socioeconomic and environmental impacts. The results revealed that the target group benefitted enormously, as desired variables, namely, family income; technical knowledge; agribusiness entrepreneurial skill; leadership quality; factor productivity; direct, indirect, and …

Revaluating Whole Measures Of Community Food Security In Unity State, South Sudan, Bijiek G. Jieknyal, Lorien E. Macauley

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Conflict in the newly formed South Sudan has had devastating effects on the nation’s food security. Many food security metrics overlook factors of agriculture, such as seasonality, access to agricultural inputs; or the effects of displacement of small farm holders due to conflict. In light of these complexities, constructs were adapted from Whole Measures for Community Food Systems (WMCFS), and evaluated for their appropriateness in articulating the food situation in Unity State, South Sudan. This study used a pilot study approach, triangulating publicly available, qualitative and quantitative datasets from the Famine Early Warning System Network, United Nations, Government of …

The Small Farmer-Tuskegee University-Walmart Project: Observations Of The Steps Within Commercial Supply, Barrett Vaughan, Miles D. Robinson, Audrey Zeigler, George X. Hunter, Gertrude Wall, John Brown

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Observations of the various efforts necessary in an initiative, the Small Farmer-Tuskegee University-Walmart Project, to assist small farmers to comply with produce industry standards and supply produce to a major retailer over a six-year period were documented through an illustrative case study. The observations were taken from meetings with commercial buyers and farmers, site visits to processing centers and corporate farms, conference calls, and, mainly, from the authors’ “hands-on” participation with the functioning and preservation of this initiative. Consequently, these observations were organized into a framework of criteria that must be successively satisfied to be able to supply produce …

Working Bodies: A Photo Essay On Tulare County Citrus Workers, Isamar Hernandez-Ramos

Agricultural Education and Communication

Many a times, when people think about their food, they think about origins. Where did it come from? Was it hygienic? Were the animals treated humanely? They seldom include the workers in their thought process, though the workers of the Ag industry provide what is arguably a vital part of the Ag industry. They do back-breaking labor in often lethal conditions for little pay (NFWM). The families of these workers often suffer economically, physically, and emotionally. In Tulare County, one of the top Agricultural counties in the country, the agricultural worker is often below the poverty line (Taylor, 2015). They …

Students’ Perceptions Of Using A Course Management System To Supplement Traditional Advising, Kelsey L. Hall, Rebecca G. Lawver, Kenna Mcmurray, John L. Hawley

Applied Sciences, Technology and Education Faculty Publications

Few universities have adapted their course man­agement systems to serve as an advising tool. The purpose of this qualitative study was to use focus group interviews to explore undergraduate students’ experi­ences and perceptions of using Canvas, a course man­agement system, to supplement face-to-face advising in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences at Utah State University. Forty students representing all college academic departments participated in eight focus groups. Most participants indicated they were unaware of Canvas’s advising features, thinking the tool was pri­marily used to send announcements and respond to stu­dents’ e-mails. Participants enjoyed receiving announce­ments about club activities, internships, …

Cost Of Feed Per Pound Of Gain In Cal Poly's Dairy Calves, Kayle Anna Phelan

Agricultural Education and Communication

California is ranked one of the top five states in the United States for dairy production. It produces approximately 40 billion pounds of milk per year for US production. California’s dairy industry is not only the largest milk producer in the nation, but it is also the most financially prominent in the agricultural industry. This industry lead is purely because of its careful management practices. The way calves are raised depend on the resources used, the natural environment present, and the operation of the dairy farm. Essentially, there are numerous ways to care for a cow and calf. However, the …

1884 - Report Of The California State Agricultural Society For 1883

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

1884 report on various subjects pertaining to the California State Agricultural Society in 1883, copies of some of the bulletins issued by the Society during the year, and a review of the physical conditions and characteristics of most of the counties of the State, with statistics showing the farm acreage, the assessable wealth, and industrial resources for those counties.

Food For Thought: Analyzing The Impacts Of Livestock Factory Farming In The United States, Mallory Russo

Student Theses 2015-Present

The practice of large scale factory farming in the United States has raised moral and ethical questions since its establishment in the mid twentieth century. Though a relatively modern development in the field of agribusiness, factory farming has already accounted for drastic damage to both public and environmental health. Factory farming requires the unsustainable use of resources, gives off toxic waste, and poses a serious threat to public health. This paper aims the further analyze those damages, as well as investigate the lack of transparency and political corruption carried out by factory farm industry leaders. Major factory farming companies have …

Zoning And Land Use Controls: Beyond Agriculture, Lisa M. Feldstein

Maine Law Review

If one were playing a word association game and were asked what comes to mind when the terms “food” and “land use” are given, chances are high that the response would be “agriculture.” Yet every stage in the food system, from being grown or raised through being consumed, is place-based. Put differently, everything that happens with our food system involves land use in some way. Even the acquisition of aquatically sourced foods requires a journey that begins from the shore, and yet it is rare to consider the profound ways in which our every interaction with food system utilizes or …

Eating Is Not Political Action, Joshua Ulan Galperin, Graham Downey, D. Lee Miller

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Food and environment are cultural stalwarts. Picture the red barn and solitary farmer toiling over fruited plains; or purple mountains majesty reflected in pristine waters. Agriculture and environment are core, distinct, American mythologies that we know are more intertwined than our stories reveal.

To create policy at the interface of such centrally important and overlapping American ideals, there are two options. Passive governance fosters markets in which participants make individual choices that aggregate into inadvertent collective action. In contrast, assertive governance allows the public, mediated through elected officials, to enact intentional, goal oriented policy.

American mythologies of food and environment …

Towards A Cost-Effective Biorefinery : Production Of Activated Carbons From Residual Biomass For Energy Storage Devices., Zachary Dean Herde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomass processing for industrial products and biofuels has gained an increasing presence as society looks to using sustainable resources for manufacturing and renewable fuels for energy. However, these sustainably produced materials and products cannot gain a competitive edge because of the manufacturing expenses that are a result of high process temperatures and pressures. In order to lower these costs, theoretical modeling has described a value-added co-product strategy as one of the best ways to combat high bioprocessing prices. Biomass has been shown to make effective carbons for energy storage devices such as supercapacitors and batteries. These carbons, with the right …

Feeding A Population: Agricultural Education Priorities In Haitian History, Kathleen A. Tobin

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

The nation of Haiti has experienced a long history of poverty and of tests to its economic development. Among its priorities has been the establishment of an effective educational system. While educational standards remain high, the area of agricultural education—necessary for Haiti’s economy as well as nutritional subsistence—has met with unique challenges. This paper examines analyses and programming policies of the past in order to illuminate contemporary circumstances.

2003, April – Land Use History And Mapping In California’S Central Coast Region; Report No. Wi-2003-03; Newman, W. B, Watson, F.G.R,

Miscellaneous Monterey and San Luis Obispo County Documents and Reports

Land use change has a long history in the region, which once held the State Capitol at Monterey. The region been transformed several times, following the introduction of Europeans and their grain crops in the 1800s, the development of groundwater-based irrigation in the late 1920s, and the expansion of vineyards and urban areas in more recent years.

Land management must be aware of the history of the land, and of its current spatial state. The early chapters of this report review the major land use systems of the region and their history. The latter chapter presents a new remotely sensed …

Aquaponics As A Sustainable Alternative To New Land Reclamation And Conventional Agriculture In Egypt, Hisham Ahmed Samy El Essawy

Theses and Dissertations

Agriculture in Egypt is facing dramatic changes that affect its productivity, and accordingly the Egyptian economy. Egypt started in the 1930s, expanding agricultural land through land reclamation projects. Many of these projects did not perform as expected or planned due to lack of water and other challenges. While land reclamation and conventional agriculture techniques have a lot of technical, social, and economical problems in Egypt; soilless agriculture and aquaponics are being successfully used in other regions for urban food production as a sustainable solution. Aquaponics is a technique that integrates fish and crop productions by bringing aquaculture with hydroponics (soilless …

Cultivate Fall/Winter 2017, Utah State University

Cultivate Magazine

No abstract provided.

Export Demand Estimation For U.S. Corn And Soybeans To Major Destinations, Sayed Y. Saghaian

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

The United States is the leading producer and exporter of corn and soybeans in the world. The United States exports 20% of the world’s corn and 30% of soybeans in a typical year (USDA, ERS). The U.S., being the top producer and exporter of these commodities, is also confronting major rivals such as Argentina, Brazil, and Ukraine, which are increasing their exports and causing the U.S. to lose some of its market share. In order to stop this decline in market share, the U.S. can adopt and implement different policies to manage resources and employ advanced technology more effectively.

In …

Cultivate Spring/Summer 2017, Utah State University

Cultivate Magazine

No abstract provided.

Farming And Eating, Margot J. Pollans

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

This essay argues that the “us versus them” rhetoric that dominates food and agriculture policy today drives a wedge between farmers and food consumers. Together, farmers and food consumers could form a powerful coalition to challenge the true obstacle to sustainable and equitable food production: concentration of market and political power elsewhere along the food chain.

Technological Modernization And Its Impact On Agriculture, Fisheries And Fossil Fuel Utilization In The Asia Pacific Countries With Emphasis On Sustainability Perspective, Rajee Olaganathan, Kathleen Quigley

Publications

Modernization is a process that moves towards efficiency. This affects most of the fields such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry, urban planning, policy, fossil fuel usage, manufacturing, technology, economic growth etc. This process plays a major role in moving forward making things faster, better and basically more efficient. The effects of modernization on all these fields bring about the major changes to aspects such as social, economic and the environment. The level of operation has increased from a domestic level; small family scale business to large commercial levels. As the level of operation increased, the utilization of natural resources increased gradually …

Cultivating Ecological Literacy And Rethinking Our Connections To Nature, Sean Fretwell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation I explore the complex, often contested, relationships between humankind and nature. I consider the changing state of these relationships as they are influenced by factors rooted in science, technology, and economics. I also examine these relationships as they relate to human activities with agriculture. Considering the present state of environmental crisis and the abundance of evidence indicating the deleterious activities of humankind as primary causes for the many global calamities, I argue for revising industrially-driven ideologies; particularly those driven by the economic paradigm of capitalism and self-interest. Additionally, I submit that a return to kinship with nature …

Impact Of Push-Pull Technology On The Nutritional Status Of Farmers' Children In Western Kenya, Nicholas O. Ogot, J. O. Pittchar, C. A.O. Midega, Z. R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This study examined the impact of push-pull technology (PPT) on the nutritional status of children aged 1-12 years. Non-push-pull (NPPT) farmers were used as a control group to establish a comparative model for this study. It determined household production, consumption, and surpluses, comparing the PPT adopters to the nonadopters; found out the incomes and food expenditures from farm products; found out the household dietary diversity scores; and finally found the nutritional status of the two household groups. A six faceted household-level metrics was employed. A sample of 216 households that registered 326 children was derived. This study was conducted in …

Livestock-Livelihood Linkages In Uganda: The Benefits For Women And Rural Households?, Elizabeth Ransom, Carmen Bain, Iim Halimatusa'diyah

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Livestock are an important component of rural households and gendered livelihood practices throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Widespread within the development literature is the belief in the livestock ladder, with poorer households often owning small stock and wealthier households owning large stock, with the assumption that poor households can utilize livestock to build their asset base and overtime this would allow poorer households to expand from small stock to large stock, in so doing climb the livestock ladder. There is also an assumption in the literature that women are more likely to oversee small stock. In addition, some well-known agricultural development programs …

Effects Of Agricultural Practices On Soil Communities And Their Associated Ecosystem Services, Lesley W. Atwood

Doctoral Dissertations

To maximize crop yields, commodity crop production systems typically rely on inputs of fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation; simplification of crop rotations (e.g., monocultures); and strategic use of soil disturbance (e.g., tillage, cultivation, etc.). While these practices are intended to optimize the soil conditions for crop development and reduce spatial and temporal variability in crop yield, they also impact soil biological diversity and the important agroecosystem services soil communities provide. Identification of management practices that are less prone to causing undesirable changes in the soil food web community are central to improving the sustainability of our agricultural systems. In this dissertation, …

Moving In Opposite Directions? Exploring Trends In Consumer Demand And Agricultural Production, Susan A. Schneider

Mitchell Hamline Law Review

No abstract provided.

Pasture To Package: Ensuring Food Safety Compliance And Animal Welfare Integrity In Grass-Fed Beef Production, Lauren Manning

Mitchell Hamline Law Review

No abstract provided.