Browsing by Subject "Farming"
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Item Agricultural romance : constructing and consuming rural life in modern America(2011-05) Hajdik, Anna Thompson; Davis, Janet M.; Hoelscher, Steven D.This dissertation illuminates the links between agriculture, popular culture, social class, and agrarian nostalgia. Using an interdisciplinary approach, I draw from the fields of American Studies, American History, Agricultural History, Environmental Studies, popular culture, and cultural geography. Consisting of four diverse case studies, my project focuses on America's evolving relationship with its agrarian roots from the late eighteenth century to the present. Each case study pays close attention to the ways in which the forces of modern consumerism have shaped public understanding of agricultural issues. The dissertation pivots on two main arguments: 1) the modern realities of industrialized agriculture have sparked a desire for highly romanticized visions of farming, particularly tourism to rural places that promise temporary pastoral transcendence to consumers, and 2) as a result of the public demand for idyllic constructions of American rural life, agrarian nostalgia has frequently been deployed in the service of commerce. From the writings of Thomas Jefferson and Laura Ingalls Wilder, to Currier and Ives painting, Martha Stewart's media empire, and state fairs of the American Midwest, I analyze a variety of highly romanticized cultural forms that enrich our understanding of the nation's agrarian heritage. Yet, I also make important links between the past and present, and demonstrate how and why debates about such issues as farm policy and the politics of food once again stand at the forefront of popular consciousness in the twenty-first century.Item An examination of rural small acreage homeowners in three west Texas Counties(2007-08) Carr, Jessica O.; Doerfert, David; Baker, Matt; Burris, scott; Smith, James H.For years, agrimarketers have considered large and small farms as separate divisions and thus represented individual needs and marketing opportunities. While it has been historically important to recognize segments with the production agriculture industry (e.g. large, mid-size, and small farms), there is another group emerging that are garnering attention of agricultural companies (Davis, 2004). Within the traditional rural agriculture landscape, an emerging group of people seeking a country lifestyle on small acreage tracts of land (5-100 acres) are being identified as a rural segment with its own needs and wants. As this new group continues to emerge, they are being labeled with a number of different names, from ruralpolitans, to sundown farmers to flashlight feeders to hobby farmers to homesteaders to part-time farmers. For the purpose of this study, the term ruralpolitans will be used. Ruralpolitans are a steadily growing market of former suburbanites and city dwellers that are drawn to the country to pursue their passions that are not being facilitated by urban living. These passions may range from a slower pace of life to being able to garden and raise pets and livestock. As such, these rural residential landowners are often described as people who are more concerned with lifestyle than profit (Davis, 2004). They value things like privacy, independence, and open spaces. While they do not expect to make a profit from the land, they do feel a connection with it and want to be closer to it. Individuals living this ruralpolitans lifestyle have been characterized as middle-aged, educated, and married with traditional values. In some circumstances, children still live at home while others may be empty nesters. Within this population segment you will find gardeners, wildlife enthusiasts, lawn buffs, and people who want to experiment in the livestock industry on a smaller scale. As opposed to full-time farmers, these ruralpolitans generally work fulltime away from their homes in addition to working at their residence. As such, they typically have higher than average incomes with the bulk of their income and assets not related to the farm. There is not one type of career that typifies a ruralpolitan as you will find business professionals, doctors, educators, lawyers, publishers, and consultants - all who are choosing a rural lifestyle and can afford it. Many factors may be contributing to the recent growth of nonmetro county residents. Among the explanations provided in the literature are: (a) continued growth of metropolitan centers and their expansions (spillover) into adjacent rural areas; (b) the decentralization of manufacturing in pursuit of lower land and wage cost; (c) increases in service occupation sectors; (d) early retirement coupled with high retirement incomes; (e) increase per capita disposable real income; (f) increased pursuit of leisure activities and the resultant development; (g) leveling off of loss of farm populations; (h) youth revolution with an anti-materialistic movement; (i) anti-urbanism and increase in alternative lifestyle gaps in urban and rural lifestyles; (j) more long distance commuting; energy and mineral exploitation; (k) completion of interstate highway system; (l) lower cost of living in rural areas; and (m) increased fear of crime and concern with urban disseminates (crime, congestion, and population) (Dejong & Sell,1977; Beale, 1977; Wardwell, 1977; McCarthy & Morrison, 1979; Morrison, 1979; Carpenter, 1977; Blackwood & Carpenter, 1978). Dillman (1979) indicated that “if people were free to choose, they would prefer to live in rural areas rather than in cities” (p. 962). Many urban residents are choosing more rural locations that can offer similar benefits to those within the city while leaving the crowded urban living conditions behind. As these changes occur in rural areas and communities, what are the needs and wants of this emerging population segment that communities that need to satisfy? Further, what changes in products and services will agrimarketers need to consider to remain successful in rural areas?Item Genetic diversity of the common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus in Ecuador: Testing cross-Andean gene flow(2009-08) Pinto, Christian Miguel; Baker, Robert J.; Rice, Sean H.; Salazar-Bravo, Jorge; Strauss, Richard E.Without human intervention, species distributions are dictated by suitable environmental conditions and limited by geographic barriers, such as rivers, mountain systems, or other unsuitable habitats. An example of an effective barrier to gene flow is the Andes cordillera. In this study, we investigate whether the effects of human disturbance (e.g., cattle ranching, deforestation) can override the natural isolation of populations of the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) that occur on opposite sides of the Andes. In order to test this hypothesis we explore the genetic constitution of Ecuadorian populations of the common vampire bat, including samples collected in a Trans-Andean transect in southern Ecuador, ranging from 251 m on the western side up to an elevation to 2,142 m in its maximum level, and descending to 875 m on the eastern side. For 136 individuals, we sequenced the entire mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene (1,140 base pairs) and fragments of intron 7 of the nuclear fibrinogen, B beta polypeptide gene (705 base pairs). Analyses revealed high mitochondrial DNA structure between populations from opposite sides of the Andes, and little nuclear DNA structure among populations. This type of distribution of variation in the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes is indicative of an asymmetric dispersal pattern where gene flow between groups is mostly a result of male dispersal events. Results indicate that for some species the high human disturbance in the Andean region may result in sympatry of populations from each side of the Andes and permit contact and potential introgression of divergent populations.Item Hard living: German-Americans in the Texas Hill Country(Texas Tech University, 2006-05) Pfeiffer, Ben; Adams, Gretchen A.; Walker, Donald R.As the largest European immigrant population in the state of Texas, German- Americans have a rich agricultural history that has been a crucial factor in their delayed assimilation into the rest of American society. This study places a special emphasis on the Texas Hill Country, as it is the area that has most resisted assimilation until the twentieth century. In this study, the historical forces that shaped this region are explored through the relationship of German-Americans to their land and the areas around them.Item Savior of the family farm? : the role of community supported agriculture for farm sustainability in California(2009-05) Stephens, Michelle, active 2009; Oden, MichaelThis report analyzes the success factors of small farms, as defined by the amount of acreage in farming, the market value of agricultural products sold, and the number of small farms, in rural California Counties. These data are then compared with the location of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs in the study counties and examined to see if there are greater successes in the counties with higher CSA involvement. While CSAs are more abundant in successful agriculture counties, these programs are not responsible for all successes and are rather one component in a larger consumer movement toward sustainable agriculture and local food options.