Penn State Extension conducted on-farm food safety workshops statewide to train fruit and vegetable growers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). These workshops were evaluated using pre- and post-tests to assess the impact of the training on participating growers. Results indicate overall increases in produce growers' knowledge, attitudes,…

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

Background: Using Social Cognitive Theory as a framework, we examined opportunities for promoting local produce consumption among high school students in a lower-income, ethnically diverse, urban community. Methods: Six focus groups (N = 53) were conducted with students. Using Atlas.ti qualitative software, data were coded and reviewed to identify…

Using primary survey data and interview evidence this paper analyses the implementation and enforcement of public and private environmental regulation in the Serbian Fresh Fruit and Vegetable (FFV) sector. This provides a basis for engaging in a wider debate on the nature of agri-food regulation in post-socialist economies. Depictions of the…

INCREASED MECHANIZATION, MORE EXTENSIVE USE OF CHEMICALS, AND OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS HAVE REDUCED FARM-LABOR NEEDS AND INCREASED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. COTTON, SUGAR BEETS, POTATOES, AND VEGETABLES FOR PROCESSING ARE SOME OF THE CROPS REQUIRING FEWER MAN-HOURS DUE TO NEW OR IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY. CONTINUOUS EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO DESIGN…

In 2008 MSU Extension evaluated their program to identify the major areas of educational need for Michigan farmers and agribusiness operators. Surveys were mailed to a stratified random sample from Michigan Agricultural Statistics Service records of dairy, livestock, swine, cash crops, fruit, vegetable, and nursery/greenhouse producers. Findings…

Purpose/Objectives: The number of Farm to School (FTS) programs is increasing across the United States. These programs employ a variety of school-based initiatives including, but not limited to, local procurement for the school nutrition program, nutrition education in the classroom, hands-on and garden-based learning, and community partnerships…

Assuming that textbooks give literary expression to cultural and ideological values of a nation or group, we propose the analysis of chemistry textbooks used in Brazilian universities throughout the twentieth century. We analyzed iconographic and textual aspects of 31 textbooks which had significant diffusion in the context of Brazilian…

Initial assessments of the potential for organic food systems have offered an optimistic interpretation of the progressive political and ethical characteristics involved. This positive gloss has prompted a stream of critique emphasising the need to explore the ambiguities and disconnections inherent therein. In this paper, we consider the case of…

This study aims to determine cropping patterns in class slopes 0 - <15% and the grade slope slopes 15% - <30% and the slopes> 30%. The method used in this study is a description of the dynamic system approach using a software power sim. Forest areas where the research, which is a type of plant that is cultivated by the people in the study…

The lower Mississippi River delta region comprises 214 counties in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Illinois. The region is heavily dependent on agriculture and contains unusually high proportions of small farms, poor farmers, and black farmers. A conference planned by the region's 13 land-grant institutions and…

While Americans are as eager as ever to beautify their homes and yards with attractive landscaping, more and more gardeners are looking to the practical aspects of gardening--raising plants for food and choosing easy-care ornamental plants that are friendly to the environment. For some gardeners, raising their own food is a lifestyle choice. With…

In recent years, biofuel development and use has risen significantly. This undergraduate laboratory experiment educates students on the various alternative fuels that are being developed for automotive applications and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Students replicate commercially available alternative fuels, E85 and biodiesel, as well…

Objective: To examine characteristics of adolescents who value eating locally grown, organic, nongenetically engineered, and/or nonprocessed food and whether they are more likely than their peers to meet Healthy People 2010 dietary objectives. Design: Cross-sectional analysis using data from a population-based study in Minnesota (Project EAT:…

This paper seeks to explain variations in gender participation in farm production and decision-making through an analysis of organic farm types, sizes, and orientations. Based on both survey and case study data, the analysis shows that female farmers on vegetable farms and mixed livestock/cash crop farms are more likely to be involved in farm…