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Table Of Contents

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

H-2a Temporary Agricultural Workers On Small Farms: Case Study Observations And Lessons Learned, Barrett Vaughan, Lerosha Ford, Silvia Brashier, Miles Robinson

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

The experiences of two small farmers in their efforts to employ and retain temporary agricultural workers through the H-2A Program were documented through an illustrative case study. Interviews of the farmers were conducted regarding the measures that they had to take in preparing for, employing, housing, hosting, managing, and financing the workers. These temporary agricultural workers were sought in support of these farmers’ continued participation in an initiative to assist small and limited-resource farmers in supplying produce to a major retailer. It was concluded that there are at least four priority areas for employing H-2A workers: planning, applying, maintaining …

Using A Role-Driven Race Equity Reform Approach To Mitigate The Effects Of America's History Of Racism On Food Insecurity, Kenya N. Washington, Darryl E. Williams Jr.

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Food insecurity, or the lack of reliable access to sufficient quantities of nutritious food, affects African Americans and other minorities disproportionately. This paper examines how America’s history of racism created and sustains the Nation’s racially disparate food system. Food insecurity contributes to hunger. This paper contemplates disparities in other American systems, including education and criminal justice, as exemplars of the broader ramifications of hunger. Finally, the paper examines the potential of individual action to address problems in any system. It champions the adoption of a role-driven race equity reform strategy as a tool to confront the current food insecurity. …

An Examination Of Heir Property, The 1980 Emergency Land Fund Study, And Analysis Of Factors That Influence African American Farmers' Actions Related To Farmland, Roy W. Copeland, William K. Buchanan

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

The study focused on heir property and analyzing African American farmers continuing in farming and dealing with clouded title. It specifically assessed the main issues raised by the 1980 Emergency Land Fund’s (ELF) study. It also surveyed a sample of African American farmers on heir property and related issues. It used descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis to analyze the data. It found that 35% of respondents had a portion of their farms (50% or less) on heir property. This study reasonably confirms ELF’s findings on the percentage of African American-owned land held as heir property. Also, for farmers, …

Impact Of An Educational Program On A Year-Round Forage Production And Grazing Management System In Alabama, Lila Karki, Uma Karki

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Raising animals on supplementary feeds in the lean months is economically unfeasible due to the increasingly high price of grains and commercial feeds. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic impact of educational events on year-round pasture and grazing management. A survey was introduced through SurveyMonkey to 78 trainees to collect data on a pre-structured questionnaire. A conceptual framework of production function was applied to measure the impact of the events using a before vs. after impact assessment approach. Forty-six percent of respondents completed the survey. The results revealed that the educational events had a positive …

Barriers To Management Intensive Grazing By Southern Dairy Farmers, Mohammed Ibrahim, Nalini K. Pattanaik, Brian Cornish

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Interest in Management Intensive Grazing (MIG) [a situation where grazing animals are moved to a fresh pasture every few days in order to have access to adequate forage] practices by farmers have increased steadily over the years. Many research publications on grazing advocate the financial and environmental benefits of grazing. Understanding the challenges of MIG can be an important piece of information for a dairy farmer. A survey was conducted to determine how farmers in the southeastern region perceive the barriers to the adoption of MIG. A greater percentage of MIG southeastern farmers were satisfied or very satisfied with …

Toward Effective Rural Community Development In Black Belt Counties: Conceptual And Methodological Issues, Andrew Zekeri

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

The objectives of this paper are to (1) specify what “rural”, “community”, and “development” mean, and (2) what should be the essential steps to be taken to achieve an effective rural community development. Rural is a territorial concept, and it means an extent of dispersion of people in a local ecology. Community is a natural disposition among people who interact with one another on different matters that compromise a common life. Development is an organized intentional effort of local people to work together towards a shared goal. Community development is building the capacity of community residents to act effectively …

Abridged Submission Guidelines

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Insect Population Dynamics, Varietal Preference And Performance Of Organic Bio-Pesticides, Anitha Chitturi, Jeanine Davis, Margaret Bloomquist, Franklin Quarcoo, Kokoasse Kpomblekou-A, Desmond Mortley

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Organic farming prohibits use of synthetic agrochemicals and encourages use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods. States in the Southeastern US generally lag behind the rest of the country in organic vegetable production partly because of high insect pressures that make it difficult to grow vegetables without pesticides. This study on summer squash (Cucurbita pepo), grown using organic management practices, was conducted at a research station located in Mills River, North Carolina. The objectives of the study were to assess insect population dynamics and to evaluate performance of three OMRI-approved bio-pesticides: Azadirachtin, Pyrethrin and Spinosad against major …

A Retrospective Study Of Epa's Record Of Decision Report On The Woolfolk Arsenic And Lead Contamination In Fort Valley, Georgia, Ovigueroye L. Ojarikre, Oreta Samples, Jacques Surrency

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination is a major anthropogenic challenge in communities with heavy presence of chemical industries. Most of the contamination is due to the improper disposal of chemical waste. The study involved the evaluation of the levels of arsenic and lead regarding remediation activities carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It compared the results of the EPA’s 1993 soil analysis of arsenic and lead, and a subsequent soil analysis of the same mapped areas. It also covered the evaluation of the level of arsenic dust in the attics of residential properties and evaluation of the EPA’s record …

Production Period Of Different Browse Species Suitable For Grazing Small Ruminants, Bidur Paneru, Uma Karki, Shailes Bhattrai, Nevershi Ellis

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Browse (shrubs, trees, and vines) species are important sources of feed for small ruminants in Alabama and many other states of the U.S. Information on the production period of these species is important to prepare a year-round grazing plan to utilize them well. The objective of the study was to determine the leaf-shedding time of common browse species suitable for small ruminants. This study was conducted at the Atkins Agroforestry and Browse Research and Demonstration Site of Tuskegee University, Alabama. Ten samples of each browse species were tagged, and leaf-yellowing and leaf-fall data collected using photoplots every 14 days …

Swagriculture: A Qualitative Examination Of Women’S Participation In Samoa’S Agriculture Industry As Farmers And Growers, Charlotte Crandall

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study is an examination of how women participate in agriculture in Samoa as farmers and growers, what hardships women encounter and how they overcome these, and the organizations that influence people’s experiences. Censuses have historically undercounted the number of women in agriculture in developing countries, largely due to rigid international definitions of what counts as labor, which overlook cultural nuances, and this study aims to fill this gap in research. Data was collected through nine Talanoa-inspired interviews with women involved with farming or growing in Samoa, and overarching themes were analyzed. The themes have been grouped by the specific …

The Difference Between Maximum Profit And Maximum Production, Matthew Stockton

Cornhusker Economics

Nitrogen fertilizer (N) is commonly used as a production input to increase crop yields. It is included as one of the six Testing Ag Performance Solutions (UNL TAPS) program decision choices and contributes much to productivity as well as costs. Its use however is not without controversy. The over-application of N gets into the groundwater and nearby waterways becoming a pollutant. Excessive use does little or nothing to increase revenue but can inflate costs, thereby reducing profit. For these reasons and others, using the right amount of N has become a popular and important topic among those that use and/or …

Wasatch Front Preventative Capital Study, Arthur Caplan, Ramjee Acharya

Browse all Datasets

We address the issue of optimal investment in “preventative capital” to mitigate episodic, mobile-source air pollution events in Utah’s Wasatch Front region. We calibrate Berry et al.'s (2015) endogenous-risk model using a unique dataset related to the region’s "red air day" episodes occurring over the past decade. Our analysis demonstrates that, under a wide range of circumstances, the optimal steady-state level of preventative capital stock – raised through the issuance of a municipal “clean air bond” that can be used to fund more aggressive mitigation efforts – meets the standard for PM2.5 concentrations with positive social net benefits. We estimate …

The Role Of Farm Size In Crop Insurance, Sankalp Sharma, Cory Walters

Cornhusker Economics

The role of farm size in crop insurance has been a reoccurring U.S. political issue with multiple attempts at legislation proposing to limit premium subsidies to large producers. For instance, in 2015 bill S.2244, amongst other items, proposed to cap crop insurance premium subsidies at $40,000 per year1. The most recent attempt was made by the current administration in mid-2017, where they introduced the same premium subsidy cap of $40,000 per year. The first mention of the $40,000 figure emerged from a report sanctioned by the Government Accountability Office in 2012 (GAO-14-700, 2014)2. Eventually no premium subsidy caps were included …

Stakeholders’ Perceptions Of Geographical Criteria For Loblolly Pine Management For Bioenergy Production In Virginia, Meghann Smith, Gia Nguyen, Taylor Wieczerak, Bernabas Wolde, Pankaj Lal, John Munsell

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study analyzed the perceptions of four stakeholder groups (forest landowners, private forest consultants, forest management researchers or educators, and federal or state agency foresters), regarding their management practices and preferred geographic growing conditions of loblolly pine in Virginia by combining AHP (analytical hierarchy process) and regression modeling. By ranking the importance of different geographical conditions for managing loblolly pine, we aimed to identify ways to support loblolly growth as a potential feedstock for biofuel generation. We achieved this through collecting survey responses from 43 stakeholders during the 2019 Virginia Forestry Summit. The results showed that the landowner, researcher/educator, and …

Potential Economic Impact Of The Goshen/Gering-Ft. Laramie Tunnel Collapse, Jessica J. Groskopf

Cornhusker Economics

Goshen and Scotts Bluff Counties reside in the High Plains and receive less than 16 inches of average annual precipitation. This low precipitation makes surface-water irrigation a critical component of modern agriculture in this area. Farmers in these counties produce irrigated alfalfa hay, corn, sugar beets, and dry edible beans, as well as other hay and crops.

Surface-water refers to water derived from melted snow that is delivered through a series of dams and canals from the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming along the North Platte River. This infrastructure, often referred to as “The North Platte Project,” was built by …

Ag Lenders Panel Provides Insight Into Beef Systems Initiative, Jay Parsons, D. D. Redfearn, Mary E. Drewnoski

Cornhusker Economics

In 2017, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agricultural and Natural Resources (IANR) and Nebraska Extension made a commitment to implement a multidisciplinary Beef Systems Initiative (BSI). The BSI is administered by the Center for Grassland Studies and is comprised of six projects designed to develop and support the implementation of beef production systems that optimize feed resource use, natural resource conservation, and producer success in Nebraska through improved management of perennial grasslands and systems of integrated crop-beef cattle production. In addition to the BSI, a parallel project funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) is studying …

Managing Farm/Ranch Transfer To Next Generation, Allan Vyhnalek

Cornhusker Economics

The first step to have the next generation come back to the farm or ranch is to get them there. The next step is to keep them there. This requires thought about how to transfer management and ownership of the operation over a period of time. Four phases of transfer have been identified and are discussed in this article.

The first phase is Testing. Before transferring management and ownership, the current owner needs to feel like the younger generation is ‘tested’ or able to effectively help with the operation. One older farmer said to me, “I think my sons want …

Precision Agriculture Gis Technologies For Mississippi, 1st. Edition, Amelia A.A. Fox

CALS Publications

Precision agriculture is meant to improve on-farm efficiency in hopes of ultimately increasing profitability while also protecting the environment. However, this difficult process almost always includes the proper management and interpretation of data. Therefore, it is imperative that those individuals involved in making such decisions are educated on these processes. In a data-driven world, this textbook is a great resource for those wanting to learn how to utilize their data in hopes of making better informed on-farm decisions.