Dairy farmers in the Northeastern Unites States are paid based on the amount of fat and protein in their cows' milk, and improving fat and protein production is linked with improved financial sustainability for dairy farms. However, not all farmers are motivated to make changes to increase milk fat and protein production. Previous research has identified a positive correlation between a group of fatty acids, known as the de novo fatty acids, and the fat and protein content of bulk tank milk from commercial dairy farms. Therefore, the first objective of this research was to explore the relationship of farm management, the cow's diet, and lactation performance with de novo fatty acid content on Northeastern US dairy farms. Results from the first objective were communicated with dairy farmers; therefore, the second objective was to understand how to communicate with farmers to influence their behavior. We hypothesized that farms with high de novo fatty acids in bulk tank milk would manage and feed their cows to optimize rumen fermentation conditions. The first (Chapter 2) and second (Chapter 3) studies were methodologically very similar. Farms were categorized as either high de novo (HDN) or low de novo (LDN) based on the concentration of de novo fatty acids in their bulk tank milk for the 6 months prior to the farm visit. Farms were then visited once in March or April, 2014 (Chapter 2) or between February and April, 2015 (Chapter 3) to assess management practices and collect samples of the cows' diet. There were no differences in days in milk in Chapter 2 or Chapter 3. Yield of milk, fat, and true protein per cow were higher for HDN versus LDN farms in Chapter 2. In both chapters, HDN farms had higher milk fat and true protein content and higher de novo fatty acid yield per day. The HDN farms had lower freestall stocking density in Chapter 2 and provided more feedbunk space per cow in Chapter 3. Additionally, tiestall feeding frequency was higher for HDN than LDN farms. No differences were detected for dietary chemical composition, except ether extract was lower for HDN than LDN farms in both chapters. Chapter 4 explored how to communicate the results of Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 through eleven qualitative, semi-structured interviews and insight from the 83 farm visits. Farmers identified the cooperative, expert consultants (nutritionist, veterinarian, and agronomists), financial advisers, print publications, and other farmers as principal sources of information. However, barriers to the transfer of information included family dynamics, lack of access to high speed internet, and difficulties evaluating divergent recommendations from experts. Several farmers expressed an incorrect perception of their farms' fat and protein production compared with cooperative averages which reduced their motivation to incorporate management changes. Recommendations to overcome these barriers include integrating management team meetings and facilitating informal discussion groups between farmers. This research is correlational in nature, and future research is needed to verify a causal relationship between de novo fatty acids and milk fat and protein content. However, the results of this research can be used to help farmers increase their cows' milk fat and protein content, improve the transfer of knowledge to dairy farmers, and ultimately support the financial sustainability of dairy farms in the Northeastern US.

<p>Agriculturalists, educators, students, and professionals alike, function in a global industry. In order to work effectively and efficiently to meet industry goals and address challenges, possession of a specific skillset is necessary. This skillset includes the skill of intercultural competence. The objective of Chapter 2 was to assess students’ intercultural competence development following participation in an embedded study abroad program. This program included students studying food security and environmental challenges who were also engaged in intercultural learning activities before, during, and after a 9-day trip through Vietnam. Results showed an average increase in students’ Developmental Orientation (DO) on the Intercultural Development Continuum (IDC) of 13.68 points through their participation in the course (p < .05). This positive growth indicates that on average, student participants increased their intercultural competence throughout the semester program. </p> <p> Chapter 3 describes results of a study conducted using the same group of participants of the embedded study abroad program to Vietnam. The objective of this study was to assess the beliefs, events, and values of student participants at the beginning of the semester and following completion of the semester course using the Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory (BEVI). Additionally, it was an objective to explore any changes that occurred throughout the duration of the 16-week course. Results from this study revealed little progression on scales related to course outcomes, unintended meaningful changes in scales unrelated to course outcomes, and variations between subgroups (gender and ethnic). These data suggest that the curriculum as delivered requires revision in order to support individual student needs and further development of formative assessment emphasizing emotional and attitudinal dimensions, in addition to discipline content, of student experiences during a study abroad program. </p> <p> Chapter 4 describes the intercultural competence development of the Cooperative Extension Educators who served as mentors to the undergraduate participants in the embedded study abroad program to Vietnam discussed in Chapters 2 and 3. Results from this study indicated that there was an overall decrease in Extension Educators’ DO of 8.0 points. Though this decrease was evident, only 2 of the 5 Educators decreased meaningfully on the IDC according to IDI instrumentation. Further analysis of quantitative and qualitative data revealed professional development benefits, such as developing new perspectives and connecting with undergraduate students, of the student-mentor relationship for the Educators. </p> <p> Chapter 5 describes results from a study conducted in a combined learning community/short-term study abroad program restricted to incoming and current first-year students studying food production in Italy. The objective was to assess student intercultural competence development pre- and post-participation in the program that had incorporated intercultural learning activities both during and throughout the course following the study abroad. Results revealed that 42% of students advanced on the IDC and 26% progressed into a new stage on the IDC. Overall group growth was not statistically significant at a gain of 4.1 points on the IDC. This indicates that participating in the program did not significantly increase students’ intercultural competence. </p> <p> Data in this thesis support that intercultural competence has the potential to be developed in short-term study abroad programs with the implementation of intercultural intervention. However, literature indicates that destination, duration, stage of development, and incoming participant worldviews influence outcomes in the development of intercultural competence. Emphasis on participant stage development on the IDC and preparedness for meeting course learning outcomes should be taken into consideration by study abroad leaders when constructing program design. </p>

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Submitted by Jorge Silva (jorgelmsilva@ufrrj.br) on 2016-10-04T22:04:46Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2011 - Ivamilton de Souza Ara?jo.pdf: 638134 bytes, checksum: 292ccc98b913ba9591b198e38a521b22 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-04T22:04:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2011 - Ivamilton de Souza Ara?jo.pdf: 638134 bytes, checksum: 292ccc98b913ba9591b198e38a521b22 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-12-20 / The school must integrate the community in actions taken by school systems, providing a school environment, democratic and participatory citizens to train for the world of work. In agricultural education teacher's role is much broader than passing content. Under this assumption, we can state that scientific research is a means of achieving the learning objectives of a course and profile of future professionals. Where the assumptions, questions and content are formed around a local issue. It follows, therefore the need to change thedefinition of the teacher as an expert in class, as the class that only teaches the copy iscomplete incompetence. The research was conducted with students of the course of indigenous agriculture class 2007 of the Federal Institute of Education Science and Technology of Amazonas, located in S?o Gabriel da Cachoeira-Am, Upper Rio Negro. This research was characterized as an action research with participatory observations within the institution where the research subjects were the students, aged between 15 and 19 years. The class had 30 students in total, with 67% of these participated in the survey, among which the Fellows Program of scientific initiation Junior (PIBIC-Jr). which is highlighted with the presentation of research projects at national and international conferences. For obtaining, analysis and interpretation was based on results of questionnaires investigated is the profile of students, evaluation of educational management, the stock-pedagogical and didactic model of teaching-learning, is the practice of scientific research has been developed in school and as has been the academic performance of participants. The results showed that the research as a method of teaching is learning to be a valuable tool in the construction of knowledge. Thedata highlight the need f or prioritizing the issues advanced research projects of regional and sustainable agricultural development. As for school, the evaluation of students, found hat83% of students do not meet a schedule of studies, have no place to study at home and too often do not have the books and handouts given by teachers to study. Yet results of approval with dependence in most of the class in 2008. In technological research is emphasized in the various environments entomofauna study of a regional agroecosystem with approaches toagroecology. The different environments were: a classroom, experimental field of agroforestry and interdisciplinary laborator y that allowed students to boost the participation of thedevelopment of action research, as the result of literature search produced a positive done by the interaction between theory and custom.. The indicators highlight the need for advancedresearch thematic priority to regional projects and sustainable agricultural development. The data show approval at the end of the school year, achievement in school, stay in school,increased numbers of research grants and improvement in family income. / A escola deve integrar a comunidade nas a??es desenvolvidas pelos sistemas de ensino, propiciando um ambiente escolar democr?tico e participativo, no qual sejam trabalhadas estrat?gias de ensino interdisciplinares, inovadoras de compet?ncias profissionais que formem n?o somente cidad?os, mas tamb?m profissionais para o mercado de trabalho. No ensino agr?cola o papel do educador ? bem mais amplo do que passar conte?dos, pois o que se deve buscar por parte dos docentes ? o pensamento reflexivo imbu?do de crescente grau de autonomia intelectual e de a??o investigativa que contribua na consolida??o do perfil doalunos de cada curso. Decorrendo assim, a necessidade de mudar a defini??o do professor como aquele que apenas transmite em sala de aula, uma vez que nestes novos tempos, o professor precisa ser essencialmente o facilitador, que ajuda o aluno a construir sua aprendizagem, sua compet?ncia e suas habilidades. Este trabalho teve como escopo analisar o processo de ensinoaprendizagem de estudantes na disciplina de Agricultura atrav?s do m?todo de ensino aliado a pesquisa cient?fica oportunizando uma vis?o abrangente dos diversos ambientes de estudos. O trabalho caracterizou-se como uma pesquisa-a??o, com observa??es participativas no ?mbito da institui??o, onde os sujeitos atores da pesquisa foram os pr?prios alunos. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida com os alunos descendentes ind?genas e n?o ind?genas com idades variando entre 15 e 19 anos do curso de agropecu?ria, ano 2007, do Instituto Federal de Educa??o Ci?ncia e Tecnologia do Amazonas, localizado no munic?pio de S?o Gabriel da Cachoeira, Alto Rio Negro (AM). Entre os participantes, havia bolsistas do Programa de Inicia??o Cientifica J?nior (PIBIC-Jr). Para a obten??o dos dados foram aplicados question?rios semiestruturados com abordagens qualitativa e quantitativa. Foi realizado acompanhamento do desempenho do rendimento dos alunos, mediante os instrumentos de registros obtidos na secretaria escolar. Os resultados mostraram que a pesquisa como m?todo de ensino-aprendizagem, constitui-se num instrumento valioso na constru??o do conhecimento. Os resultados mostraram a necessidade de pesquisas avan?adasquanto as tem?ticas regionais e projetos de desenvolvimento agr?cola sustent?veis. Verificou-se tamb?m que o conhecimento foi constru?dos a medida que os alunos se planejavam, seorganizavam e distribu?am as tarefas, sucessivamente. As consequ?ncias da dinamiza??o nos estudos dos alunos levaram: a aprova??o ao final do ano letivo, a melhoria no rendimentoescolar, a perman?ncia na escola e a melhoria na renda familiar.

Submitted by Sandra Pereira (srpereira@ufrrj.br) on 2016-10-07T12:14:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2011- Carla Eugenia Fonseca da Silva Marques de Nobrega.pdf: 1224808 bytes, checksum: 7065419e23f8d069be020ad6b71a0b89 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-07T12:14:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2011- Carla Eugenia Fonseca da Silva Marques de Nobrega.pdf: 1224808 bytes, checksum: 7065419e23f8d069be020ad6b71a0b89 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-09-29 / The present work is the result of a survey conducted the Campus Vitoria de Santo Ant?o of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pernambuco. Our research aimed to analyze whether the current selection process of students conducted by the Campus Vitoria de Santo Ant?o constitutes a policy of inclusion. In recent years, initiatives are being taken to allow access to education and ensure the permanence at school of the poor and offering them a quality education from early childhood education to higher education. The Campus Vitoria de Santo Ant?o of the Federal Institute of Pernambuco proposed, in 2006, changes in its selection process with the intention of promoting social inclusion on the new directions taken by the Vocational Education, to democratize access to their courses and bring inside the rural population for which the Agrotechnical Schools were created. We used as instruments for data collection interviews, questionnaires, surveys of documentary and bibliography material, with the main subject of the graduates of that course of Agricultural Campus in 2010 in order to identify the reasons that led them to choose the school and intended course. We interviewed, too, the servers involved in the various selection processes to understand how was being understood and applied the concept of social inclusion in different stages of the selection process of the school. We also performed a reading of literature pertinent to the dissertation topic, so we can contextualize our work and theoretical basis. The results showed us that are possible make a different selection process of the traditional college entrance exam, and thus enable the entry of young people from disadvantaged sections, giving them access to quality education and ensuring their stay in school. We recognize that the initiative and management support are essential to a proposal for a paradigm shift in access to quality public education, that is not based only on the valuation of purely cognitive aspects. The testimony of servers and show students the positive view that the school community have the selection process, while they show suggestions and comments for its improvement. We expect, with this work, collaborate on understanding the issues related to the selection test theme for admission of students in public schools, at a time of redefinition, the lack of extensive discussion and consensus of the effectiveness of these processes in the democratization of access and social inclusion. We believe that even without the intention to generalization, the results obtained in this study may serve as a reference for other education institutions looking to implement policies and actions for Social Inclusion / O presente trabalho ? resultado de uma pesquisa realizada no Campus Vit?ria de Santo Ant?o do Instituto Federal de Educa??o, Ci?ncia e Tecnologia de Pernambuco. Nossa pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar se o atual processo de sele??o de alunos realizado pelo Campus Vit?ria de Santo Ant?o se constitui uma Pol?tica de Inclus?o. Nos ?ltimos anos, iniciativas est?o sendo tomadas no sentido de permitir o acesso ? educa??o e garantir a perman?ncia na escola das camadas mais carentes, oferecendo-lhes um ensino de qualidade desde a educa??o infantil ao ensino superior. O Campus Vit?ria de Santo Ant?o do Instituto Federal de Pernambuco prop?s, em 2006, mudan?as no seu Processo Seletivo com a inten??o de promover a inclus?o social diante dos novos rumos assumidos pela Educa??o Profissional, no sentido de democratizar o acesso aos seus cursos e trazer para dentro dela a popula??o rural para a qual as Escolas Agrot?cnicas foram criadas. Utilizamos como instrumentos de coleta de dados entrevistas, question?rios, levantamentos de material documental e bibliogr?fico, tendo como principais sujeitos os concluintes do curso de Agropecu?ria do referido Campus no ano de 2010, a fim de identificar as raz?es que os levaram a escolher a escola e o curso pretendido. Entrevistamos, tamb?m, os servidores envolvidos nos diversos processos seletivos para compreender como estava sendo entendido e aplicado o conceito de Inclus?o social nas fases distintas do Processo seletivo da escola. Realizamos, ainda, leitura de bibliografia pertinente ao tema da disserta??o, para que pud?ssemos contextualizar e embasar teoricamente nosso trabalho. Os resultados nos mostraram que ? poss?vel realizar um processo seletivo diferenciado do tradicional vestibular, e assim possibilitar o ingresso de jovens das camadas menos favorecidas, proporcionando-lhes o acesso ao ensino de qualidade, e garantindo sua perman?ncia na escola. Reconhecemos que a iniciativa e o apoio da gest?o s?o essenciais para uma proposta de mudan?a de paradigma no acesso ao ensino p?blico de qualidade, que n?o esteja pautado apenas na valoriza??o de aspectos meramente cognitivos. Os depoimentos de servidores e alunos mostram a vis?o positiva que a comunidade escolar tem do processo seletivo, ao tempo que apresentam sugest?es e cr?ticas para o seu aperfei?oamento. Esperamos, com este trabalho, colaborar na elucida??o de quest?es relativas ? tem?tica exame de sele??o para ingresso de alunos nas escolas p?blicas, em um momento de redefini??o, ampla discuss?o e falta de consenso da efic?cia desses processos na democratiza??o do acesso e na inclus?o social. Acreditamos que, mesmo sem a pretens?o de generaliza??o, os resultados obtidos nessa pesquisa poder?o servir de refer?ncia para outras Institui??es de ensino que buscam implementar pol?ticas e a??es de Inclus?o Social

Submitted by Sandra Pereira (srpereira@ufrrj.br) on 2017-05-03T12:33:00Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2015 - Onilda Maria Reis Vieira.pdf: 2177956 bytes, checksum: 88360171ae81218a5438c12fe82565f1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-03T12:33:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2015 - Onilda Maria Reis Vieira.pdf: 2177956 bytes, checksum: 88360171ae81218a5438c12fe82565f1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-12-17 / Analyze the Licentiate's Degree in Agricultural Sciences of UFRPE focusing on the contribution of training in the course of its graduates, the evaluation themselves, was the main objective of this dissertation. In 2015 this course turned fifty currently being structured from a Pedagogical Political Project established in 2004. Evaluation as a political-pedagogical element essential to the improvement of institutions, it is substantial in our work in research intended to bring the vision of those who gave and give social capital and academic at the course. The voices of the graduates were heard by applying a questionnaire with closed and open questions in which they could express their perceptions of material and immaterial aspects of the course of LA. The study also makes a presentation of the course analyzed as well as another course of the same name, but offered in UFRRJ, a degree in Agricultural Sciences, which even in different regions of the country remain an academic identity with each other. As the course trains teachers to work in education, brought the discussion that educators as Gaud?ncio Frigotto, Maria Ciavatta, Concei??o Arruda, Lia Oliveira, Marise Ramos, Demerval Saviani, among others, cause about the pernicious influence that the capitalist production models have on labor relations and consequently the educational and training activity. Continuing the analysis of the trajectory of the graduates, qualitative research, study type of case, revealed the difficulty of employability of graduates in the PE area after the expansion of IF's. / Analisar o curso de Licenciatura em Ci?ncias Agr?colas da UFRPE enfocando a contribui??o da forma??o segundo a trajet?ria de seus egressos, na avalia??o deles pr?prios, foi o principal objetivo dessa disserta??o. Em 2015 este curso completou cinquenta anos sendo estruturado atualmente a partir de um Projeto Pol?tico Pedag?gico estabelecido em 2004. A avalia??o como elemento pol?tico-pedag?gico essencial ao aperfei?oamento das institui??es, faz-se substancial em nosso trabalho que pretendeu na pesquisa trazer a vis?o daqueles que deram e d?o capital social e acad?mico ao curso. As vozes dos egressos foram ouvidas pela aplica??o de um question?rio com quest?es fechadas e abertas no qual puderam expressar suas percep??es sobre aspectos materiais e imateriais do curso de LA. O estudo tamb?m faz uma apresenta??o do curso analisado como tamb?m de outro curso de mesmo nome, mas, oferecido na UFRRJ, a Licenciatura em Ci?ncias Agr?colas, que mesmo situados em regi?es distintas do pa?s mant?m uma identidade acad?mica entre si. Como o curso forma professores para atuarem na educa??o profissional, trouxemos a discuss?o que educadores como Gaud?ncio Frigotto, Maria Ciavatta, Concei??o Arruda, Lia Oliveira, Marise Ramos, Demerval Saviani, entre outros, provocam a respeito da influ?ncia nefasta que os modelos de produ??o capitalista exercem nas rela??es trabalhistas e, consequentemente, na atividade educacional e formativa. Continuando a an?lise sobre a trajet?ria dos egressos, a pesquisa qualitativa, do tipo estudo de caso, revelou a dificuldade de empregabilidade dos licenciados, no estado de PE, ap?s a expans?o dos IF?s.

Consumptive use, as used in this thesis, is defined as the sum of the volumes of water used by the vegetative growth of a given area in transpiration and building of plant tissue and that evaporated from adjacent soil, snow, or intercepted precipitation of the area in any specified time, divided by the given area. If the unit of time is small, the consumptive use is expressed in acre-inches per acre or depth in inches, whereas, if the unit of time is large, such as growing season or a 12-month peiod, the consumptive use is expressed as acre-feet per acre or depth in feet or inches.

An estimated two to four million acres of irrigable saline and alkali soils of the United States return very little income to land owners (17,19). Increased needs for forage crops, and the relatively high salt and alkali tolerance of some improved forage species, once established, suggests a way of increasing revenue from some of these lands without costly reclamation.

Cooperative extension is one of three components, along with teaching and research that form the mission of land grant universities. The focus of extension work is to take knowledge gained through research conducted at the university, and disseminate the information, in a practical manner to the end user. In most instances, extension work revolves around agriculture. Within the extension system are personnel that help to foster this program of educating clientele who work in the agricultural industry. County level agents are in place to teach and address the needs of local constituents, specialists are generally housed at the university campus and are hired for their expertise in a specific field of agriculture, and administrators help to keep the system functioning. Many studies have been conducted on the leadership characteristics of county agents and extension administrators, however the current knowledge base concerning leadership behaviors of extension specialists is lacking. Traditionally, specialists were strictly used as a resource for subject matter information; however, changes overtime to cooperative extension have seen specialists move to a leadership position that involves leading agents groups and conducting programing that directly serves the clientele. With newly acquired expectations to perform in a leadership capacity, yet without training or educational background to ensure these skills, there is potential for complications to arise. Using a mixed methodological approach, this sequential explanatory study was conducted using Burn’s (1978) transformational leadership as a theoretical framework, with the purpose of examining current transformational leadership characteristics among extension specialists in addition to gaining information concerning demographic and professional information pertaining to this group. The sample group consisted of equine extension specialists, an initial survey was sent which contained questions relating to educational background, make-up and tenure of their position, as well as the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) to analyze self-perceived transformational leadership characteristics. This survey was followed by a voluntary individual interview with the researcher. The purpose of the semi-structured interview was to gain a broader example of the leadership perspectives of this particular group. Although no significant connections could be made concerning demographic information and MLQ leadership scores, the group as a whole registered below average for displaying transformational leadership characteristics, ranking in the 40th percentile for composite MLQ scores compared to the general population. The interview data showed that as a whole there was agreement with the concepts of transformational leadership, however MLQ scores and anecdotal evidence show that practical application of transformational leadership is lacking. Most participants indicated they did not feel prepared for their job, and many indicated that interpersonal relationship skills were used more often than their degree specialization. The findings from this study may help to encourage leadership training focused towards extension specialists, and to emphasize the need for leadership skills within this position.

Many studies have observed the involvement of stakeholders in farm to school (FTS) programming to further understand their role, yet no study had previously assessed the role of Utah farmers in FTS programming. As a result, the purpose of this research was to describe Utah farmers' role in FTS programming and their interest in institutional marketing of local foods. The researcher sent an online descriptive survey to 5,470 farmers belonging to the Utah Farm Bureau. The survey used Dillman's Tailored Design Method. Of the 184 survey responses received, 143 surveys were usable. The theory of planned behavior was the theoretical framework for the study. Respondents reported a positive attitude toward FTS programming, although a majority (83.6%) had not participated. They indicated that building relationships with community members and increasing awareness of local food were top benefits associated with FTS programming. Top barriers to participating in FTS programming included a lack of information about schools seeking to purchase local products and restriction of growing seasons. Respondents indicated that they intended to host farm tours for students and food service personnel. Their training and resource needs related to FTS programming included small business assistance. Demographics characteristics revealed a majority of respondents were male and had more than 22 years of farming experience. The subjective norm and perceived behavioral control components of the theory of planned behavior statistically predicted the intention of respondents to participate in farm to school programming. Theory components, including attitude, accounted for 67.2% of the variance in intention to participate in FTS programming. These findings suggest other influences contributed to the intention of respondents to participate in FTS programming. One future research recommendation for FTS programming includes conducting similar studies with different groups of farmers. The researcher recommends continued use of the theory of planned behavior as a theoretical framework for studies assessing involvement in FTS programming. Variables not included in this study may discover further influences on farmers' intention to participate in FTS programming. One recommendation is to increase outreach and marketing to farmers who may be interested in FTS programming.