Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons^™

Online Shoppers Spending On Fresh Produce; Do Those On Government Assistance Spend Less?, Wyatt Tucker Lucas

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study applies an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model to explain differences in the amount that online shoppers might spend per month on fresh produce, given specific consumer characteristics. It also uses a multinomial logit model to determine the relative probability of online shoppers spending more or less, given specific consumer characteristics. The independent variable of interest in both models is whether or not the respondent is a recipient of a government assistance food program. These analyses used data from a stratified random sample of 1,205 online shoppers residing in the southern region of the United States. “Online shoppers” in …

Improving Sustainability Using Cover Crop Grazing To Improve Soil Health And Fertility While Increasing Grain And Livestock Production, Kylie Paige Ewing

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Cover crops have become an increasingly popular option for alleviating agronomic and environmental concerns, such as erosion. Dual utilization can increase forage use efficiency and increase immediate economic return but understanding the impact on soil health and grain production may affect viability of this strategy. In a two year study conducted in Bowling Green, Kentucky, soil health was analyzed comparing three treatments: grazed wheat (Triticum aestivum; WGR) to un-grazed wheat (W) and grazed tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea; TF). Sixteen cow calf pairs were randomly allocated to grazed wheat or tall fescue for two weeks. Soil samples were analyzed following grazing …

Ohio River Survey (Fa 656), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 656. Kentucky Folklife Program project titled: “Ohio River Survey,” which includes interviews, tape logs, photographs and other documentation of folklife along the Ohio River in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. Interviews may include a description of belief, traditional occupation, practice, craft, or tool, informant’s name, age, birth date, and address.

Vaughn, William (Fa 1152), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1152. Student paper titled “The Old and New [Contrast of Traditional and Modern Farm Machinery]” in which William R. Vaughn identifies manual and mechanized farm equipmentand details the differences between the pieces. Vaughn collected information from equipment salesmen and rural farmers. Also included in the paper are black and white photographs of recognizable machines such as plows, wagons, rakes, and cultivators.

Seaborne, Roy, Jr. (Fa 1151), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1151. Student paper titled “Old Farm Machinery and Methods” in which Roy Seaborne, Jr. explores the types of tools farmers, both traditional and contemporary, use to plant, harvest, anddistribute their crops. Information was gathered by Seaborne from farmers in Pike and Taylor counties in Kentucky. The paper also includes black and white photographs of various machinery along with brief descriptions of how the equipment is utilized.

An Environmentalist View Of Kentucky And Its Natural “Suitors” By Literary Analysis, Samuel C. Kessler

Sierpinski’s Square

An Environmentalist view of Kentucky and its Natural “Suitors” by Literary Analysis

Abstract

In the book “Divine Right’s Trip”, by Gurney Norman, the author provides a more modern, psychedelic-age epic, where the traditional theme of homecoming, often witnessed in Greek epics like the Odyssey, makes a connection with environmentalism. One reason for the unique combination of these themes is the effect created by a specific appeal for environmental support accompanied with the return of the main character, Divine Right (D.R.), to his small hometown in Eastern Kentucky where coal mining remains the prevalent employer. Upon his homecoming to Kentucky, D.R …

Conaster, Victoria (Fa 377), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 377. Interview with Joe H. Page conducted by Victoria Conaster on 3 April 1993. Page, a resident of Lewisburg, discusses his childhood memories of growing up on a tenant farm. Topics covered include tobacco harvests and sales, pest control, traditional farm lore, home remedies and religious life.

Nutritional And Behavioral Repercussions Of Food Insecurity And The Impact Of Nutrition Education, Kelly Burgess

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Food insecurity occurs when an individual does not have consistent access to fresh, nutritious food in safe, socially acceptable, and affordable ways. This is a significant challenge facing Kentuckians, with one in six adults and one in four children experiencing some degree of food insecurity. The present study examines the effectiveness of customized nutrition education in improving 1) nutrition-related behaviors associated with food insecurity and 2) management of household food supply in food-insecure individuals with and without children. Participants were recruited through HOTEL INC, and one was from a household without children and one with children. A pre-assessment survey evaluated …

Natural Gardening, Lisa Karen Miller

DLPS Faculty Publications

This presentation features methods of natural and organic gardening that preclude the use of harmful pesticides and herbicides.

Overcoming Barriers To Local Food Access: A Case Study, Brittany Ryan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis focuses on the idea that food insecurity and access are real issues in the lives of many Americans. Simply stated, food insecurity is when a person does not have enough food to eat or does now know where his/her next meal is coming from. More importantly when looking at food insecurity is the realization that healthy, local food access is even more prevalent an issue – with increasingly more under-resourced individuals and families being food insecure and unhealthy at the same time. This thesis includes a literature review on diet and nutrition in the United States, a chapter …

Empirical Methods-A Review: With An Introduction To Data Mining And Machine Learning, Matt Bogard

Economics Faculty Publications

This presentation was part of a staff workshop focused on empirical methods and applied research. This includes a basic overview of regression with matrix algebra, maximum likelihood, inference, and model assumptions. Distinctions are made between paradigms related to classical statistical methods and algorithmic approaches. The presentation concludes with a brief discussion of generalization error, data partitioning, decision trees, and neural networks.

Ua37/29 Gary Ransdell - Federal Reserve Board - Ben Bernanke Town Hall Meeting, St. Louis Federal Reserve Board

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Email sent to members of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Board of Ben Bernanke's town hall meeting with educators.

Monopoly, Regulation, And Innovation, Matt Bogard

Economics Faculty Publications

Recently the Justice department has started investigations into alleged anti-trust violations by Monsanto. This has helped fuel a lot of already hyped discontent with one of the world’s leaders in innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture. This article discusses how the regulatory environment could possibly have contributed to more concentration and power in the biotech industry. Increasing regulation would likely have the opposite effect of creating a level playing field in the agriculture industry. From AgWeb, March 27,2010 http://www.agweb.com/blog/Economic_Sense_190/Monopoly_Regulation__and_Innovation_10771/

Mathematical Themes In Economics, Machine Learning, And Bioinformatics, Matt Bogard

Economics Faculty Publications

Graduate students in economics are often introduced to some very useful mathematical tools that many outside the discipline may not associate with training in economics. This essay looks at some of these tools and concepts, including constrained optimization, separating hyperplanes, supporting hyperplanes, and ‘duality.’ Applications of these tools are explored including topics from machine learning and bioinformatics.

Sustainable Agriculture Bibliography, Matt Bogard

Agriculture Department Seminar Series

An annotated bibliography related to the sustainability of biotechnology and pharmaceutical technologies used in modern agriculture.

Using Conservative And Biological Tracers To Better Understand The Transport Of Agricultural Contaminants From Soil Water Through The Epikarstic Zone, Brian Ham

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Agriculture contamination is very common in karst systems due to the vulnerability of these aquifers. Animal waste is often spread across crop land to enrich the soil with nitrates and phosphates. Herbicides and pesticides are also applied to the crops. The transport of these pollutants through the soil and epikarst is a difficult process to monitor due to the complex, heterogeneous behavior of the groundwater as it makes its way down to the aquifer below.

An experimental site at Crumps Cave lended a unique opportunity to monitor the vadose zone at a waterfall in the cave below. A previous dye …

Why Study Applied/Agricultural Economics, Matt Bogard

Agriculture Department Seminar Series

Agricultural Economics is a very applied field covering many topics beyond those stereotypically thought of as pertaining to agriculture. These may include finance and risk management, environmental and natural resource economics, game theory, or public policy analysis to name a few.

Water Quality Impacts From Agricultural Land-Use In The Karst Groundwater Basin Of Qingmuguan, Chongqing, China, Ted W. Baker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Karst regions are composed of soluble rock, often limestone, which leads to the formation of fissures, sinkholes and water flow conduits such as caves. Pollutants in karst waters tend to be quickly directed and concentrated into these subsurface conduits. As a result of this and other factors, water resources are especially sensitive to contamination and pollution in karst areas. Pollutant concentrations going into fluvial systems travelling through the subsurface in karst areas are often very similar to the concentrations arriving at outlets such as springs. Areas connected by karst conduit flows must be distinctly determined and special attention should be …

An Analysis Of Illegal Bushmeat Availability In Local Restaurants Located In Voi, Kenya, Bridget A. Sutton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The illegal bushmeat harvest has been identified as a reason for declining wildlife populations throughout much of Africa. For many years the trade was thought to exist primarily in Western Africa. The illegal use of bushmeat in Eastern Africa, including Kenya, went undocumented and unstudied. In 2004, the Born Free Foundation published a study which claimed illegal sale of wild game was substantial in butcheries throughout Nairobi, Kenya. In an effort to determine other markets of the commercial trade, the goal of this study was to analyze local restaurants in Voi, Kenya for illegal bushmeat sale. The town of Voi …

Jenkins, James - Letter To (Sc 1562), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1562. Business letter from R.H. Short, New Orleans, to James Jenkins, Bowling Green, Kentucky, which discusses the sale of agricultural commodities. Includes a wholesale price list from New Orleans. Typescript is also included.

Ua23 Western Kentucky University Regional Assessment & Strategic Plan, Paul N. Markham

ALIVE Center Publications

The Regional Stewardship Program is a new initiative that seeks to promote regional and statewide economic development, livable communities, social inclusion, creative governance, and civic participation through public engagement activities initiated by comprehensive university faculty and staff. Its purpose is to link the resources and knowledge of our universities to the needs and challenges of their respective regions. Kentucky is the first state in the nation to launch a statewide stewardship program.

Levels Of Burnout And Job Satisfaction In Large-Scale Agribusiness, Hugh Patrick Bosley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

LEVELS OF BURNOUT AND JOB SATISFACTION IN LARGE-SCALE AGRIBUSINESS Hugh Patrick Bosley August, 2004 39 pages Directed by: Richard Miller, Reagan Brown, and Steve Haggbloom Department of Psychology Western Kentucky University Abstract This research examined organizational sources and levels of Burnout and Job Satisfaction of a large scale agribusiness (n=300) by administering the Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey, the Hoppock Job Satisfaction Blank, the Areas of Work Life Survey, and demographic questions. This study provided normative sample data for the agribusiness sector, found a good degree of fit between the agribusiness sample data and existing industry norms, and determined …

Ethanol - One Solution To Kentucky's Dependence On The Tobacco Economy, Jenna Stutts Medlin

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Most farmers in the state of Kentucky have long been economically dependent on the lucrative tobacco crop, but the tobacco industry is showing the signs of deterioration. Many agricultural researchers suggest that the economic rewards derived from tobacco production will further decline as a result of legislative, economic, and social pressures. An agricultural alternative for traditional tobacco farmers is corn production, specifically corn production for ethanol plants.

“We Have Raffeled For The Elephant & Won!”: The Wool Industry At South Union, Kentucky, Donna C. Parker, Jonathan J. Jeffrey

SCL Faculty and Staff Publications

Wool, next to cotton, is perhaps the most important of all textile fibers. Like most of their contemporaries, the Shakers of South Union, Kentucky, recognized the ease with which wool fibers were spun into yarn and the advantages of sturdy wool clothing. South Union’s textile industry grew from a simple carding mill to a full-fledged woolen factory with a 240-spindle spinning jack and 4 power looms. From its genesis in 1815 to its abrupt demised in 1868, the sect’s woolen industry provides a paradigm for the study of the United States’ textile industrialization.

A Thread Of Evidence: Shaker Textiles At South Union, Kentucky, Jonathan Jeffrey, Donna C. Parker

SCL Faculty and Staff Publications

Textile production was one of the many routine tasks performed in the early American home. Those who joined communal groups, like the Shaker converts at South Union, Kentucky, brought to the colony knowledge of these activities. Shakers manufactured fabric – linen, silk, and woolens – in about the same manner as most of their contemporaries, only on a larger scale. Though few of their contemporaries left documentation regarding the tedious tasks involved in textile production, the South Union Shaker community, located in Logan County, kept intimate accounts of daily activities through journals, diaries, day books, and correspondence which included records …

The Fresh-Water Mussel Industry Of The Lower Tennessee River: Ecology & Future, Randall Grace

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The fresh-water mussel industry of the Tennessee River is nearing an end. Overharvesting, habitat alterations, and pollution are the major contributors to the depletion of the mussel resource, upon which the shell industry is based. A history of unconcern by shell harvesters and weak conservation enforcement by governmental agencies, has left the major waterways of the United States nearly void of commercial clams. The lower Tennessee River presently supplies the mussel industry with nearly all the important species of mollusks. If this industry is to be maintained in the United States, ways to preserve and propagate the mussel population must …

The Banana Regions Of East Africa: The Regional Distribution & Cultural Significance Of A Traditional Food Crop, Henry Randiga

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The study of bananas in East Africa by geographers has been neglected. Some study has been made by agriculturists and anthropologists on a small scale. The anthropologist have concentrated their work more on ethnic groups than on the spatial pattern of the crop as such. In none of the studies has distribution been correlated with the Bantu people in East Africa. For a long time the banana has been a staple food la the region. The present study points out that in spite of the many changes which have occurred the banana continues to serve as the staple food crop …