Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2017, Environment and Natural Resources

Recent reports suggest the number of farmers exiting the profession is increasing while at the same time the number of individuals entering farming is steadily declining. This information has led to questions among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners as to who will grow our food in the future, where the next generation of farmers will come from, and how the viability of new farming operations can be supported. Situated in the beginning farmer experience, on-farm apprenticeships, internships, and volunteer positions have been gaining federal government support and public participation over the past three decades. The trend has created a need for social scientific examination of this type of unwaged farm labor, to which only a handful of studies have contributed thus far. This study analyzed data collected from a national survey of sustainable agriculture organizations (n=65) to examine questions related to the extent of facilitation of on-farm work experiences, values that the organizations hold related to facilitation, challenges to facilitation, and organizational characteristics associated with facilitation. A framework for organizational practice was used to develop a model of on-farm work experience facilitation, and the Community Capitals Framework was used to examine perceived values and challenges of facilitation. Findings from this study indicated that 58% of sustainable agriculture organizations facilitate on-farm work experiences. Human capital was prevalent in explaining why sustainable agriculture organizations choose to be involved in facilitating on-farm work experiences. Financial capital was prevalent in explaining why organizations choose not to be involved in on-farm work experiences. Sourcing government funding and seeking to engage disadvantaged populations were two characteristics found to be associated with organizations choosing to facilitate on-farm work experiences. Results indicate that while most facilitators percei (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kristi Lekies (Advisor); Linda Lobao (Committee Member); Jill Clark (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Studies

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2012, Agricultural and Extension Education

While the majority of Americans are three generations removed from agricultural production, there has been a renewed interest in local foods in the U.S. Farmers' markets, a commonplace where producers and growers gather on a recurring basis to sell fruits, vegetables, and other produce, have tripled domestically since the mid-1990s. Not only do farmers' markets provide fresh, locally grown produce, but they also provide a medium by which now-distant consumers can reconnect with the agricultural community. One population that has growing interest in these markets is college-aged individuals. This study is unique in that it explores the attitudes and behaviors regarding farmers' markets that one sector of the college-aged population has. The theory of planned behavior was used as framework for this study, which utilized a researcher-administered questionnaire to students at The Ohio State University's Columbus campus. Questions addressed university students' attitudes, behaviors, subjective norm behaviors, respondent background, and how respondents heard about markets. The survey, adopted from a 2004 Norwegian study, was administered to 174 students. Respondents reported positive attitudes toward farmers' markets. The majority of the respondents had been to a farmers' market at least once in their life, and the majority of respondents also plan to purchase from farmers' markets after college. Respondents from rural and non-rural areas reported similar attitudes and behaviors regarding markets; however, rural respondents were more likely to purchase foods straight from a farm or roadside stands. While friends' behaviors regarding farmers' markets and organic produce did not appear to have an impact on respondent behavior, respondents whose family purchased organic produce and attended farmers' markets were more likely to behave similarly. In accordance with several other studies, this population heard about farmers' markets primarily through word-of-mouth. Recommendati (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Emily Rhoades PhD (Advisor); Cano Jamie PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Communication

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Environment and Natural Resources

The global food system faces a daunting challenge to feed a growing human population while simultaneously minimizing the environmental impacts of food production. The boundary-spanning, social-ecological nature of this system makes it a particularly valuable arena in which to study complex governance. As a focal point for this inquiry, I suggest that novel food production technologies may be seen as wicked problems in the study of food systems governance. For instance, an emerging food production technique called cellular agriculture has gained attention as a promising alternative to animal-derived meat production that may require significantly fewer resources. While cellular agriculture holds great promise in reducing the environmental burdens involved in producing protein for human diets, it also adds a layer of complexity to food system governance. There are several substantial challenges and controversies that must be overcome to realize the potential of cellular agriculture and doing so will require designing policies that consider a wide range of diverse actors with varied, sometimes opposing, interests. The Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) provides a strong theoretical basis to understand the actors involved in policy subsystems and how they self-organize into competing coalitions based on key policy beliefs. Yet, important gaps exist in ACF literature regarding how coalitions operate in nascent policy subsystems due to the difficulty in observing “nontrivial coordination” in these early stages. Consequently, there is scant knowledge about early coalition development and agenda-setting as well as broader emergent subsystem dynamics. One valuable way to address this shortcoming is by employing the study of discourse coalitions, or groups of actors in a subsystem who are linked through shared public positions on policy debates, which can lend useful insights into which sets of actors might become advocacy coalitions and how informal groups of actors can influ (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ramiro Berardo (Advisor); Jill Clark (Committee Member); Matthew Hamilton (Committee Member) Subjects: Public Policy; Social Research; Sustainability

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2024, Environmental Studies

Inspired by the community of farmers and food producers that surrounded her, Stitchick decided to utilize her love of creative writing and film photography to deliver the stories of multiple women farmers in Athens County to the broader community. She begins by contextualizing the hegemonic systems of patriarchy that pose unique challenges and obstacles to women in agriculture. With this contextual framework in mind she aims to both inform and inspire her readers with the anthology of livelihoods she has crafted; women in agriculture are disadvantaged, yet they are pushing back, finding themselves on the forefront of agricultural innovation. This communication is also important to Stitchick in terms of reconnecting consumers to the food system that feeds them, and celebrating the hard work that goes into producing the food we eat. In her journey back to the beginnings of the food system, she found four incredible women who are not only making impressive strides within the historically male-dominated industry of agriculture, but are also simultaneously regenerating the soil, sequestering carbon dioxide, building cop resilience, and nourishing the community that surrounds them with the fruits of their labor. This anthology is a love letter to women, to Appalachia, to the unyielding whimsy of goats, the unbridled fury of geese, and to the sustainable future we can build together, one seed in the soil at a time.

Committee: Edna Wangui (Advisor) Subjects: Agriculture; Environmental Studies; Gender Studies; Womens Studies

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2024, Environmental Studies

Educated students and community members become informed consumers that can reshape our food system. The OHIO Student Farm works to educate students on sustainable agriculture practices and provides hands-on learning opportunities. This thesis explores the benefits of local food systems in addition to regenerative and sustainable agriculture practices. Not all students are aware of the benefits of supporting sustainable local farms and that OHIO has a student farm. To increase awareness and connect students to regeneratively and locally grown food, I restarted the OHIO Student Farm's farmers market in Baker University Center. Based on the data from the survey I conducted of the market attendees, this market increased access to local produce for students, faculty, staff, and community members and educated them on the benefits of purchasing locally and supporting farms that use regenerative practices. In addition to surveying the market attendees, I also surveyed past students of the Sustainable Agriculture course that takes place on the OHIO Student Farm. The results showed how valuable hands-on learning is when it comes to getting students engaged in environmental issues like sustainable food. In addition to reestablishing the market, I also started the Student Farmers student organization to connect students that are interested in sustainable and local food with the OHIO Student Farm and local food organizations. As a result of this project and research, more students have been connected with the OHIO Student Farm, have increased access to fresh produce, and are more knowledgeable about how they can build a more sustainable food system.

Committee: David Rosenthal (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Studies; Health; Plant Pathology; Soil Sciences; Sustainability

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2023, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

In the United States, a majority of the nutrients applied to crops come from unsustainable sources that have human and environmental health consequences. Alternative sources of nutrients that are more sustainable with fewer negative impacts are needed to improve current food systems. Hydrothermal carbonization is a technology that could be used to transform organic wastes into agriculturally useful materials. Hydrochar, the end product of hydrothermal carbonization, is a nutrient rich product that has the potential to be a slow-release fertilizer. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of septage derived hydrochar fertilization on soil responses, plant responses, and soil GHG responses and to evaluate the potential nutrient availability in wastes for Ohio. A pot study was completed to evaluate the response of kale to hydrochar fertilization at two different application rates (10g N-eq hydrochar m-2 (H10), 20 g N-eq hydrochar m-2 (H20)) compared to synthetic fertilizer with N and P (dosage equivalent to the 10g N-eq hydrochar m-2 group) sourced from urea and triple super phosphate in two different soil types. Soil responses were evaluated at the end of the growing period. A soil incubation experiment was done over six months to evaluate the changes in soil GHG responses over time after hydrochar additions (10g N-eq of hydrochar applied) in three soil types. Kale biomass significantly increased with increasing hydrochar doses, with the highest percent differences being 96% and 84% in the H10 and H20 groups respectively of the field soil type. All plant and soil responses were positively impacted by hydrochar or hydrochar had no significant effect. Soil GHG responses were not different from the control by month three of the incubation, and only CO2 emissions were ever significantly different from the control. The nutrients in waste inventory revealed that 17% of Ohio's agricultural N demand and 24% of Ohio's agricultural P demand c (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sarah Davis (Advisor); Damilola Daramola (Committee Member); Jared DeForest (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies

Master of Fine Arts, Miami University, 2022, English

This thesis is a selection of chapters from We Are Earth, a book-length work of creative nonfiction focused on regenerative agriculture—farming with nature and not against it. The narrative follows my travels to meet regenerative farmers across the United States and around the world. These farmers employ practices and philosophies acknowledging that humans are a part of an intertwined and complicated system that we cannot tame or manipulate. They see regenerative farming as a solution, which builds soil, promotes ecological diversity, provides people with meaningful lives and livelihoods, and sequesters carbon—maybe even enough to combat climate change. Agriculture is both political and environmental. It's a local and global act. To capture these dualities, the book is a mix of journalism, travel narrative, and memoir. By weaving the local with the global, I intend to show the reader how their daily lives, eating habits, and relationship with nature connect to issues of environmental and social justice.

Committee: Daisy Hernandez (Committee Chair); Michele Navakas (Committee Member); TaraShea Nesbit (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Environmental Studies; Horticulture; Journalism; Literature; Native Studies; Natural Resource Management; Sociology

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2021, Geography

This report describes the internship experience in Kona, Hawai'i working with Monarch Coffee. This involved the collection of 81 soil samples, and geospatial data on the locations of natural and human made features. This data collection and analysis was for the purpose of building a Map Book. The 122 acres of land were sectioned into 27 individual rectangular segments to make the gathering of data more uniform. Soil samples and other spatial information was taken throughout each section. Due to the size of the property, it was important to divide it into more manageable focus areas that would allow for a high level of detail in the analysis. Ultimately, the resulting maps will help in sustainable and efficient land development while conserving the natural landmarks and ecosystem. This project took place in the summer of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This limited the data collection team to one person and has caused various delays in the economy and industry in Hawai'i. Additionally, the spread of Coffee Leaf Rust to the state of Hawai'i and the Big Island in 2020 raises new concerns about the coffee industry and the plans for the development of this property.

Committee: Jessica McCarty Dr. (Committee Chair); Mary Henry Dr. (Committee Member); Robbyn Abbitt Mrs. (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Area Planning and Development; Environmental Management; Geographic Information Science; Geography; Natural Resource Management; Soil Sciences

BA, Oberlin College, 2019, Environmental Studies

Mitigating and adapting to climate change and transitioning to more sustainable agricultural methods to feed a growing human population are fundamental challenges today. Woody agriculture holds potential for addressing both through food production and carbon sequestration. To help assess this potential, in 2011, Oberlin College planted an experimental orchard made up of 70 hybrid hazelnut trees treated with three levels of fertilization. I asked the questions: How does annual allocation of carbon to different tissues change over time as hybrid hazels mature? How much carbon can this system store, where is it stored, and how does this change over time? How does fertilization affect patterns of carbon allocation and long-term storage? Are genetically diverse trees capable of producing nut crops similar in scale to conventional commodity crops in the Midwest? I documented a general increase in the production of all tissues in all treatments. Soil carbon storage increased from 2011 to 2018. The only significant effect of fertilizer is an increase in the production of woody biomass, suggesting hazelnuts are a low input crop. In 2017, this still maturing orchard produced an estimated 2.1 tonnes/hectare of in-shell nuts compared to typical local soybean yields of 3.4 tonnes/hectare. In addition, by the fall of 2018, the hazel plot had stored 12 tonnes/hectare of woody biomass. Although many challenges, including cost-effective harvest remain, work in this small-scale hazelnut orchard suggests strong potential for woody crops as low input, high productivity systems that concurrently sequester carbon.

Committee: John E. Petersen (Advisor); Roger H. Laushman (Committee Member); David H. Benzing (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science; Environmental Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, Agricultural and Extension Education

The discussion about the environmental challenges and socio-economic situation connected with conventional agricultural systems in the United States in the 1985s, and sustainable agriculture (SA), has mentioned the role of education in highlighting barriers. Advocates of sustainable agriculture declare that education about SA can present solutions to the current challenges in agriculture, provoke rural economic development, and enhance the scientific teaching of SA (Feldman, 1999). The goal of this study was to describe the perceptions of high school teachers about SA. A census of 17 teachers at the Global Impact STEM Academy (GISA) in Ohio (U.S.A.) was given questionnaires with five-point Likert-type scales and nine teachers responded. Teachers also self-selected into a focus group interview. In addition, a classroom observation was made in which qualitative data were collected. This study replicated research at Iowa State (Muma, 2006). Based on previous research, Cronbach's coefficients for the reliability ranged from .74-.95. Quantitative findings indicated GISA teachers' most common beliefs about SA primarily were food safety, soil testing, water quality, crop rotation and use of animal manure. GISA teachers taught more topics about biological, social and ecological dimensions of SA compared to economic dimensions. The amount of these topics that teachers taught were the lowest compared to row banding of herbicides, narrow strip intercropping, and use of nitrification inhibitors. Also GISA teachers engaged in moderate instruction about sustainable agriculture in their classes. GISA teachers were in “agreement” about sustainable agriculture belief statements and sustainable agricultural practices. They used a variety of instructional methods for sustainable agriculture including top ranked methods of group discussion, hands-on-learning, project-based inquiry, and websites. The qualitative methods of this study included classroom observation and a focus group. (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Melena Whittington Ph.D. (Advisor); Scott Scheer Ph.D. (Advisor); Jerold Thomas Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Agricultural Education; Education; Environmental Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, Plant Pathology

Plant pathologists must engage with diverse stakeholders and adopt multidisciplinary approaches to develop practical solutions to plant health problems. Two distinct projects were undertaken in this dissertation research, both requiring participatory and multidisciplinary approaches to address research objectives. The overarching objective of the first research project was to develop methods to improve soil and plant health on smallholder tomato farms in the Morogoro Region of Tanzania. Tomato is the main vegetable cash crop grown by smallholder farmers in this region and its production is constrained by plant diseases, limited access to improved tomato varieties, and poor soil health. Disease surveys were conducted in five villages to determine the most prevalent tomato diseases during both the wet and dry production seasons. The most commonly occurring foliar diseases in both seasons were early blight, bacterial spot/speck, viral diseases, and Septoria leaf spot. Ethnophytopathological activities were conducted to gather local disease knowledge in order to improve farmer and researcher communication and elucidate how farmers perceive key diseases. Mother and baby trials were conducted as a participatory crop improvement approach to introduce and evaluate tomato varieties in three villages. Mother trials were conducted in seven environments, and variance partitioning revealed significant genetic effects for all traits measured. Results from baby trials indicated that introduced varieties were locally acceptable to farmers, except for traits related to marketability. A participatory approach was used to improve soil health monitoring by participating farmers. Baseline soil characteristics were gathered from fifty tomato fields in the region, local soil knowledge was elicited from farmers and used to develop a soil health card, and farmers were trained on the use of a low cost soil test kit. Outcome Mapping was used to evaluate participation in mother and baby trials (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sally Miller (Advisor); Pierce Paul (Committee Member); David Francis (Committee Member); Steven Culman (Committee Member) Subjects: Plant Pathology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2017, Environmental Science

Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) are the most damaging pest in modern beekeeping, and have been linked with elevated levels of colony loss. Experts increasingly recommend an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy to manage Varroa, which incorporates both preventative and therapeutic controls. However, Varroa IPM is complicated and knowledge-intensive. Small-scale beekeepers in particular seem to have difficulty adopting effective Varroa control strategies, and suffer especially high rates of colony loss. This study took an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the adoption of Varroa IPM among small-scale beekeepers. First, I used surveys and interviews to characterize mite management strategies among Ohio small-scale beekeepers, and to explore the effect of experience and risk perception on behavior. Second, as a case study, I took a closer look at the efficacy and adoption of one complex IPM tool – drone brood removal (DBR) – through interviews, surveys, and an on-farm trial. Overall, I found no relationship between beekeeping experience and mite management strategies, but sampling (risk perception) was associated with the use of “soft” miticides (organic acids/essential oils) and DBR. I also found that most beekeepers who used DBR combined it with drone sampling (adjusting DBR based on sampled mite levels), and that labor was the biggest barrier to DBR use. In the on-farm trial, DBR significantly reduced mites in year one but not year two. These results suggest that mite management failures among small-scale beekeepers are not due to inexperience and may indicate a broader communication breakdown. They also suggest that risk perception – beekeepers' understanding that they even have mites – may be a key factor driving adoption of mite management practices. Finally, they point to the fact that DBR is already being used in nuanced ways as a combined management and sampling strategy. They suggest that DBR is not a silver bullet, but can be an effective tool (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Casey Hoy Ph.D. (Advisor); Reed Johnson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Anna Willow Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Entomology; Environmental Science

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2016, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

The goal of this research was to conduct a qualitative study applying narrative theory to participatory video methodologies in order to better understand how the process of filmmaking can be used to create a method of sustainability communication. To do this, the study collaborated with individuals who are currently practicing different types of sustainable agriculture on small farms in southern New Hampshire. A group of five farms participated in a new method of filmmaking designed to blend specific elements of participatory video technique with principles of narrative theory. This method included camera training, filmed personal interviews, participants filming their own farming methods, a group editing session and public screenings of the group film. The filmmaking process resulted in the successful emergence of shared sustainability themes, documented through the on-camera interviews, participant narration and visual imagery. Participants reported increased confidence in communicating their sustainability practices. The use of film and visual narrative revealed the art of everyday life for the participants, creating a narrative intimacy and social connections within the group that are evident on viewing their filmed stories. The study yielded results that can be used by both participatory video and narrative inquiry practitioners, and successfully created a new method for sustainability communication. The study also resulted in the 42-minute documentary film Piglets and Perspectives; an emergent narrative revealing innovations in sustainability on small farms in southern New Hampshire, as told by the farmers themselves. This dissertation is accompanied by the documentary film [.mp4], the milkweed short film [.mp4], and the pilot project film [.mp4]. The electronic version of this Dissertation is at OhioLink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Committee: Alesia Maltz Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Fred Taylor Ph.D. (Committee Member); Heidi Watts Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Communication; Conservation; Environmental Studies; Film Studies

Master of Science, Miami University, 2016, Biology

Cucurbita maxima is an incredibly diverse species, and it is suggested to have more cultivated forms than any other crop. It has many medicinal uses including anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also a major food source for wide variety of world cultures, due to its fiber content, carbohydrates, ß-carotene, vitamins, alkaloids, minerals, fatty acids, flavonoids, and polysaccharides. Detection of root-associated microbes in C. maxima has not been well documented in the scientific literature. A multi-phase approach was implemented to first verify fungal associations in C. maxima, and then second, to document the colonization of fungi in C. maxima grown in a conventional agricultural system. Cucurbita maxima grown in southwest Ohio showed relationships with members of the Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridomycota, Glomeromycota, Dark Septate Endophytes, and Plasmodiophorid Slime Molds. This study provides a first report of a relationship between Dark Septate Endophytes, Glomeromycota, Olpidium spp., and Plasmodiophorid Slime Molds in C. maxima in the United States. The images provided in this manuscript are the first photographic documentation of these organisms in C. maxima to date.

Committee: Michael Vincent Ph.D. (Advisor); Nicholas Money Ph.D. (Committee Member); James Hichkey Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Botany; Ecology; Microbiology; Organismal Biology; Plant Biology; Plant Pathology; Sustainability

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2014, Plant Biology (Arts and Sciences)

The number of certified organic farms is increasing, however organic matter suitable for composting is often limited in availability. Testing additional agroindustrial wastes for their suitability in composting could benefit the industry. In this project, composts produced from brewers' spent grains/sawdust and from horse manure/sawdust were compared for their effects on yield of kale, beets, and peas. Percent of total N for untreated plots, horse manure compost and brewers' spent grain compost amended plots were 0.2, 0.4, and 0.25 respectively. Neither compost treatment significantly improved yields in season one and brewers' spent grain/sawdust compost significantly decreased yield in kale (P < 0.05). However in the second season kale yield was significantly increased by the horse manure compost (P = 0.03) and fresh grain additions (P = 0.05). Although the composts provided additional nutrients to the plots other factors may have attributed to the lack of significant growth benefits in season one.

Committee: Arthur Trese (Advisor) Subjects: Agriculture; Botany; Environmental Studies; Food Science; Horticulture; Plant Biology

MA, Kent State University, 2013, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography

Food is globalizing, placing national identity and food security in jeopardy. With economic crises, environmental hazards, increasing population, and international warfare, food security should be of increasing global concern, yet it remains an oversight in many countries. There is specific neglect in developed nations where the more obvious signs of food insecurity, such as food shortages, malnutrition, and starvation, are not present. Instead the danger lies in interrupted import systems, sudden environmental disasters, global economic crises, and a myriad of other threats. One method of safeguarding against these less obvious threats is to cultivate a sustainable, internal food source. Geothermal greenhouse agriculture presents an opportunity for countries in cold climates with non-arable land to have such a food source. Low-enthalpy geothermal sources are abundant in most countries and can easily be used to naturally heat soil for agriculture. It is surprising that countries in cold climates are not taking greater advantage of this inexpensive, sustainable method of agriculture. Could a greater emphasis on geothermal greenhouse agriculture in developed countries such as Iceland increase food security and restore national identity?

Committee: David Kaplan Ph.D. (Advisor); Chris Post Ph.D. (Committee Member); Sarah Smiley Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2012, Environmental Science

Expanding production is one strategy for increasing access to key foodstuffs in distressed neighborhoods. This study investigated urban soil health via nematode food web analysis and crop productivity via tomato fruit yield in urban gardens in Cleveland, Ohio, USA over two years. Results for the comparing community and market garden types indicate that the market gardens had significantly more soil organic matter (SOM) in 2011 and 2012; the market gardens in 2011 also had greater NH4+, NO3-, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN). In 2012 only the MBN was significantly greater in market gardens compared to community gardens. In 2011, the nematode food web analysis showed a greater numbers of total nematodes, bacterivores, plant parasitic nematodes, and omnivores in market gardens than the community gardens. In 2012, market gardens again had significantly more total nematodes, nematode genera, bacterivore and plant parasitic nematode trophic groups. Despite the greater SOM, N pools, and soil community presence in market gardens, there was no significant difference in the total yield of tomatoes/m2 produced in either year between the garden types. Results for comparing raised bed and flat bed production systems indicate that gardens with raised beds also had significantly more soil moisture content in both 2011 and 2012 as well as SOM in both 2011 and 2012. N pool comparison showed gardens with flat beds having higher NH4+ in 2011, but gardens with raised beds having higher NH4+ and MBN in 2012. However, in 2011, gardens with raised beds had greater numbers of total nematodes, bacterivores, plant parasitic nematodes, and omnivores as well as a higher MI, combined MI and SI while gardens with flat beds had greater numbers of fungal feeders and a higher EI. In 2012, only the gardens with raised beds had greater numbers of total nematodes and bacterivores; the gardens with flat beds had a higher CI. There was no significant difference in th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Parwinder Grewal Dr. (Advisor); Matthew Kleinhenz Dr. (Committee Member); Joseph Kovach Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology

Discourse on consumption is growing and one significant focus is food consumption. In fact green buying, such as purchasing organic and local foods is booming. As this type of consumption flourishes, an increasing number of sociologists are grappling with better understanding the role of consumption and theorizing about consumers as political actors. Some sociologists observe contemporary consumption patterns are not as easy to decipher using old frameworks dependent on social class and price as explanatory factors. An increased emphasis on reflexive concerns as primary motivators associated with modern consumption is emerging. I examine the effect of class and reflexive concerns on support for local and organic foods. Factors associated with support for organic foods are examined more than support for local foods. Few studies have compared the two. I fill this gap by examining the significance of a number of factors associated with local and organic support. The findings do not support the hypothesis that class is positively associated with support for local and organic. Particular reflexive concerns are associated with local versus organic support. There are a number of shared reflexive concerns positively associated with both. Attitudinal support for local is not significantly associated with behavioral support for organic foods and vice versa. These results indicate a possible decoupling of local and organic. To further explore support for these foods, a typology of consumers is developed. Class is not associated with support for these foods and there are some distinct reflexive concerns across types. Consumers most supportive of local and organic are more reflexive and those least supportive are less reflexive. The organically inclined is more agroenvironmentally concerned and health conscious than the locally inclined group, which reports higher agrarian sentiment. The most supportive type based on the typology is subsequently compared to a group known to be e (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jeff Sharp (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1996, Agricultural Education

The purpose of this study was to determine if Extension is a major source of information on sustainable agriculture to a group of farmers known as the “Innovative Farmers of Ohio” (IFO). Sustainable agriculture (SA) is an innovative and environmentally sound set of farming practices aiming at a self-sustaining long-term productivity, supported by the farming-family. The specific research objectives were: (1) the demographic characteristics of IFO farmers; (2) To determine IFO farmers' philosophical beliefs about agricultural issues; (3) To determine SA practices in use by IFO farmers; (4) To describe the nature of communication among IFO farmers; (5) To determine IFO farmers' sources of information on environmentally sound agricultural practices; (6) To describe Extension's ability to meet IFO farmers' needs; (7) To examine implications of this study for researchers in agricultural communication and related fields. This study was a survey using a mailed questionnaire…

Committee: Robert Agunga (Advisor) Subjects:

Bachelor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2008, School Of Interdisciplinary Studies - Environmental Studies

It is the argument of this project that the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University provides a model* for an institutionalized approach to agricultural issues. Located at a land-grant university, created through legislative action, and currently operating on a budget of $2 million, the Center's approach to agricultural issues is a combination of economic, social, political, and ecological concerns that seeks to find production alternatives that are beneficial in the long-run for people and the planet. Furthermore, the Center brings together a broadly based agricultural community comprised of those within and outside of university settings to effectively conceptualize issues and enact change. Established in 1987 and named after Aldo Leopold, an important conservationist and wildlife management expert in the first half of the twentieth century, learning more about the Center's research efforts sheds insight into the current structure of the American agricultural system and the opportunities and limitations that exist in striving to shift the system towards more sustainable production methods. A dual practical and philosophical approach to fostering change in Iowa's farming system forms the foundation of the Center's efforts. The asterisk represents the constraints to the Center as a model from economic, social, and political factors. However, during the past 20 years the Center and the research it funds have been able to overcome some of these obstacles. The Center deserves closer investigation due to its wide-reaching implications and lessons for shifting agricultural production practices towards more sustainable methods.

Committee: Hays Cummins PhD (Advisor); Kevin Armitage PhD (Advisor); William Newell PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Agriculture; History