Agriculture Commons^™

Nexus Of Food Security Versus Armed Conflict In The Context Of Climate Change In Mali, Moussa Macalou, Youssouf Diabate, Abdoulaye Nientao, Adama B. Coulibaly

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The nexus between food security and armed conflict, with particular focus on developing countries, has been analyzed by a few studies in the literature. Every country under armed conflict is obligated to solve related food security issues. Therefore, the overall objective of this study was to analyze the nexus between households’ food security and armed conflicts in the context of climate change in Mali. To achieve this objective, first, the study used an ordinary least squares model to determine the factors influencing households’ food security. Second, it used an ordered logit model to determine the factors influencing armed conflict. Apart …

Advancing The Alabama Black Belt Food Corridor: A Stakeholder-Driven Approach Through The Alabama Black Belt Food Systems Alliance, Kristin Woods, Tana Shealey

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

A convergence of factors led to the need to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to empower small-scale farmers in the Alabama Black Belt Region to safely scale up operations and access new markets. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is renewed interest from government, producers, and consumers in strengthening local and regional food systems. This has led to a greater number of wholesale and retail market opportunities for farmers in the region. A newly formed Alabama Black Belt Food Systems Alliance (ABBFSA) endeavored to gather stakeholders to advance the Black Belt Food Corridor (BBFC) food system. …

Environmental Inequities In Conservation Policies And Practices: A Brief Overview, Monyai Chavers

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Conservation science and practice mirror racist notions of colonialism, prolonging a cycle in which policies and programs disregard land access. Many conservation leaders operate from a culture of land exclusion, focusing on nature to generate wealth, deeming the number of individuals removed from the commons as progress. By the turn of the 21^st Century, government conservation policies compensated private actors and groups for voluntarily adopting market-based mechanisms aimed at land conservation. Despite the emergence of various conservation programs, the data show that White Americans primarily benefit from federal conservation payments. However, the fragmentation of Black land ownership allows the …

Comparison Of Heavy Metal Accumulation In Soil And Wood Core Within Tallassee And Tuskegee, Alabama, Alicia R. Wilson, Brianna Smith, Latricia Miller, Rashidah Farid

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Heavy metals are natural components of the environment and can be relatively non-impactful in low concentrations. However, high concentrations of heavy metal toxicity can result in air, water, and soil contamination that adversely impacts environmental, human, and wildlife health. This study focuses on detecting the presence of heavy metals in soil, Loblolly Pine tree bark, and wood core samples from sites near a landfill in the Tallassee, Alabama, community and a post-agricultural site in Tuskegee, Alabama. It has been hypothesized that heavy metals are present in soil, tree bark, and the tree’s wood core from sampling sites. Samples were taken …

Impact Of In-Depth Adoption Of System Of Rice Intensification On Food Security Of Smallholder Farm Households In Mali, Moussa Macalou, John Baptist D. Jatoe

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The system of rice intensification (SRI) was implemented in Mali to boost rice productivity. The objectives of this paper are to identify the constraints faced by SRI adopters, estimate the food security index, and assess the impact of in-depth adoption of SRI on smallholder farm households’ food security. The study uses Kendall’s ranking to rank the six main constraints identified from the literature. The study uses the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale to estimate households’ food security index. Using primary data collected on rice farm households, the study combines the multivalued treatment effect inverse probability weighted regression adjustment and the …

Evaluation Of Two Varieties Of Okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus (L. Moench) Growth In A Wiregrass Tunnel House And Field, James E. Currington Sr, Victor Khan, Billie Grant, George X. Hunter, Raymon Shange, Cassandra Searight, Edward Sparks, Jeffery Moore, James E. Currington Iii

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

“Clemson Spineless” and “Jambalaya” okra were grown in a Tunnel House and field to compare yield and other growth parameters. A split-plot design with three replications/treatment was used; the Tunnel House and field were main plots, and varieties split plot. Plant height was significantly taller, and pod harvesting began two weeks earlier in the Tunnel House. Yield showed no significant differences between varieties, and Tunnel House vs. field-produced okra. However, “Clemson Spineless” produced 9% higher pod yield in the Tunnel House than “Jambalaya,” which had 23% higher field yield than “Clemson Spineless.” An enterprise budget analysis showed that Tunnel House …

Abridged Submission Guidelines

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Creating A Food Business Model: Case Study Of Traditional Drinks Made From Roselle, Millet, And Corn, Josephine Nyame

College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to develop a comprehensive process flow for establishing a small food business, using traditional drinks made from millet, roselle, and corn as a case study. The specific objectives were to (1) identify the steps involved in developing a food product, (2) perform a sensory evaluation of the developed drinks, and (3) develop a prototype business plan to commercialize the most preferred drink. This study adopted a case study approach of a food business in producing traditional beverages. Consumer preferences were evaluated through sensory evaluation of the formulated roselle, millet, and corn drink recipes. Consumer evaluation data were …

An Evaluation Of Record Keeping And Related Skills Training For Small Farm Producers In The Alabama Black Belt, Ashmita Nath

College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to evaluate record keeping and related skills training for small farm producers in the Alabama Black Belt. The specific objectives were to (1) examine socioeconomic characteristics, and (2) describe and assess the extent to which participants view training and how they have used the knowledge they acquired by participating in the sessions. The data used for the study were derived from a group of small farm producers in the Alabama Black Belt using convenience sampling. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s correlation analysis.

The results showed that most of the participants …

Sustaining The Legacies Of Black Farmers, John Myers, James Burch, Demetrius Hooks

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The experience of Black farmers in the Southern United States is shaped by a legacy of racial inequity and unfavorable public policies that have all but ensured unequal access to fundamental resources such as land, labor, and capital. Rural poverty and land loss through heir property have encumbered access to these resources. Within this context of disenfranchised generations of history, this article contributes to examining and understanding the experiences of Black farmers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It seeks to amplify the voices of Black farmers as a step toward providing context for a more inclusive and meaningful …

Preface

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Guest Editors’ Comments

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Fringe Farming: A Family’S Transition Into Fiber Through Seasons Of Change, Keisha Cameron

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The intersection of fiber production and Black agrarian arts has deep historical roots. Small-scale and peri-urban farmers find themselves against the borders of urban and industrial agriculture. Also, the COVID-19 global pandemic was a tipping point for many small farmers. It brought the importance of sustainable agriculture into a clearer view. Today, a growing movement of small producers is working to bring local fiber and textile production back into the agricultural lexicon. This article tracks the evolution of High Hog Farm and returning-generation Black family farmers and their transition into natural fiber and dye production. This focus is associated with …

Black Women Farming Sustainably: Carrying Their Legacy In The Deep South Through Crisis And Beyond, Natilee M. Kyle, Yawah Awolowo, Felicia Bell, Sheila Martin, Ruth Bacayana

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

An African proverb underscores the role of women in communities: If you teach a man, you educate an individual, but if you teach a woman, you educate a nation. Women play a crucial role in maintaining family farms and community ecosystems in the Deep South. This case study explores the history and roles of two Southern Black women farmers. The study seeks to amplify women’s voices by examining the cultural context from which they operated, the families and generations they influenced, and the obstacles they navigated while operating in a male-dominated industry. Their collective experiences highlight the need for shared …

Meeting Farmer-Member Challenges During The Covid-19 Pandemic Through Direct-Resourcing And Agroecological Work Brigades, Noah R. Mcdonald

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The Southeastern African American Farmers Organic Network (SAAFON) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Black farming and rural lifeways in the Southeast and U.S. Virgin Islands. The COVID-19 pandemic created unique challenges for SAAFON’s members, exacerbating the existing structural conditions that make farming challenging for Black farmers. These conditions include climate-related disasters, economic disparities, lack of political investment, racism, and related discrimination. In this paper, the author presents the activities that SAAFON has undertaken to address the impact of the pandemic on its members. It provided funding for its members and launched a series of farmer brigades to build …

In Times Of Need The Land Always Provides, And Being Queer Don’T Hurt, Alsie Parks, Lindsey Lunsford

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

In uncertain times, Black and Brown folks look to each other for mutual aid because they cannot rely on societal structures and governments to support their communities. The necessity of self-reliance is especially true for those located in rural areas. This paper engages the theme of queerness as a lens to explore Black survival strategies used regarding the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper further explores the narrative of Alsie Parks, a Black Southern agrarian native, and her non-nuclear family as they embraced non-traditional ways of being, land-based practices, and the importance of crafting kinship to find both nourishment …

The Federation Of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund: An Advocate For Equity In Disaster Relief Programs, Chawnn Redden

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund has a history of assisting predominantly Black farmers and rural communities, especially the rural South. It also supports farmers during disasters and advocates for equitable distribution of resources, especially from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Black farmers. For instance, the Federation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic provides evidence of how the impact of disasters in the rural South can be mitigated if Black farmers are an integral part of the relief process. This paper provides a history of the role the Federation has played in several disasters, including hurricanes as well as …

Abridged Submission Guidelines

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Supplement Type Influenced The Performance And Resiliency Against Gastrointestinal Parasites Of Nursing Lambs Raised In Woodlands, Santoshi Chaudhary, Uma Karki, Bhuwan Shrestha, Sadikshya Lamsal, Lila B. Karki

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Nutrition supplementation can be one of the integrated approaches to reduce gastrointestinal parasite (GIP) infestation. The study objective was to evaluate the impact of supplement type on the performance and resiliency against GIP of nursing lambs raised in woodlands. Katahdin-St. Croix cross lambs (23) with their mothers (18) were divided into two groups; they were rotationally stocked in separate sets of woodland plots and provided with ad libitum hay. Group-1 animals were supplemented with corn, and Group-2 with soybean (0.5% of live weight). Live weight, FAMACHA score, and body condition score were measured on Day 1, fortnightly, and at the …

Socioeconomic And Environmental Impacts Of The Fall Armyworm And The Striga Weed At Three Stages Of The Maize (Corn) Value Chains In Kenya: A Review, Phelix Omondi, Fredrick Aila, Benjamin Ombok, Nelson Obange, Matthew Dida, Caleb Nindo

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Global food security faces increasing threats from climate change, leading to diseases, pests, drought, water salinity, and rising temperatures. The study broadly addresses global food security challenges, focusing on two pests. The purpose of the study was to assess the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of the fall armyworm and the Striga weed at three stages of maize (corn) value chains in Kenya. The methodology used encompassed a desk review of relevant research and current literature. The results indicated that the Fall Armyworm (FAW) and the Striga weed significantly impact maize (corn) production. The FAW and the Striga weed cause losses …

Relationships Regarding Incentives, Recordkeeping Propensity, And Selected Factors Of Small Producers In The Alabama Black Belt And Surrounding Counties, David Nii O. Tackie, Youssouf Diabate, Franklin Quarcoo, Nar Gurung, George Hunter, Pamela Madzima, Nora Gogo-Kumi, Mamnenge Gbim-Gbande, Eunice K. Waweru

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The study assessed the relationships regarding incentives, recordkeeping propensity, and selected factors of small producers. The data were collected from a selected group of small producers and were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that a majority were part-time producers, males, Blacks, and older. They had below a four-year college education and an annual household income of less than $40,000. The correlation analyses revealed that farming status and recordkeeping propensity had statistically significant relationships with the incentives. Despite this, the relationships were negative for farming status and positive for recordkeeping propensity. The findings suggest that some demographic characteristics may …

The Significance Of Urban Gardening On The Household Economy: A Case Of Minority Urban Gardeners, Lila B. Karki, Prem B. Bhandari

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Urban gardening (UG) is an emerging approach to increase the consumption of fresh produce in the homestead. The objective of this exploratory case study was to enhance the technical and economic efficiency of small, socially disadvantaged, and minority (SSDM) urban gardeners in Maryland. Twenty-two SSDM producers engaged in UG participated in the study. The findings showed that farmers were operating rationally, and cultivating diversified specialty, medicinal, and ethnic crops, with an average of twenty specialty/ethnic crops on 1.2 acres. The farmers reported six primary reasons for sustaining urban gardening: family consumption (79%), outdoor and physical activity (79%), supplemental household income …

Abridged Submission Guidelines

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Leveraging International Experiential Learning Opportunities In Food And Agricultural Science Programs, Alberta N.A. Aryee, Nii Adjetey Tawiah, Eunice Bonsi

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Global experiential learning and engagement facilitate learning opportunities to better understand the processes that shape global agricultural and food culture systems. This study had two objectives; the first was to integrate experiential learning, through partnerships with selected universities and institutions abroad, into students’ education. The second was to enhance faculty and students’ global learning, discovery, and engagement experiences. Seven students from Tuskegee University, and two students from Delaware State University, were provided an opportunity to visit three universities overseas, where they engaged in classroom discussions and other experiences. They participated in activities at other institutions, such as the Food Research …

The Impact Of Training In Financial Basics On Small Farm Producers’ Knowledge In Selected Alabama Black Belt Counties, Eunice K. Waweru

College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences Graduate Theses and Dissertations

THE IMPACT OF TRAINING IN FINANCIAL BASICS ON SMALL FARM PRODUCERS’ KNOWLEDGE IN SELECTED ALABAMA BLACK BELT COUNTIES

By

Eunice K. Waweru

The author expresses her sincere gratitude to her major advisor, Dr. David Nii. O. Tackie. His encouragement, expertise, guidance, wisdom, patience, and unwavering support has been instrumental in shaping her thesis. His feedback and constructive criticisms have been of tremendous help and has helped her refine her ideas and improve the quality of her thesis. She is forever grateful for his mentorship and the opportunities he has provided her during her academic journey. Also, she is grateful to …

An Analysis Of The Status Of Small Producers In Selected Alabama Black Belt And Surrounding Counties, Mamnenge Gbim-Gbande

College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences Graduate Theses and Dissertations

AN ANALYSIS OF THE STATUS OF SMALL PRODUCERS IN SELECTED ALABAMA BLACK BELT AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES

by

Mamnenge Gbim-Gbande

The purpose of this study was to analyze the status of small producers in selected Alabama Black Belt and surrounding counties. The specific objectives were to (1) describe demographic information, (2) examine farm, economic, marketing, and other information, and (3) examine relationships between specific demographic information and farm, economic, marketing, and other information. The data were obtained from a convenience sample of 24 producers, and were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and correlation analysis. The results showed that there were more part-time …

Table Of Contents

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Effect Of Woodchips On Soil Matric Potential, Temperature, Weed Biomass, And Yield Of Selected Crops, Leonard Githinji, Patrick Johnson

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Organic mulches are very popular for weed control in sustainable agricultural systems where the application of synthetic herbicides is restricted. A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of organic mulch in controlling weeds, enhancing soil matric potential, and soil temperature. Blended hardwood mulch was applied to the soil surface at a thickness of 10 cm. The experimental design was laid out as a completely randomized design with two treatments, viz., mulch and no-mulch, replicated 5 times. Data were collected during the growing period for weed biomass, soil matric potential, soil temperature, and yield of selected crops. Results from a …