A rapidly changing global agribusiness environment creates a challenge for commercially oriented agricultural producers to improve business acumen through strategy development and execution. A best management practice is broadly defined as a practice that is considered to be most effective in improving business performance. This study examined the relationship of financial leverage and management practices with financial performance on a group of Minnesota and Northwest farms. Management practices were classified into seven broad categories of management, namely strategic planning, financial management, networking, marketing, technology adoption, family relationship and human resources management. Using multiple regression analysis on 242 observations, the effects of financial leverage and management practices on revenues and profits were determined. While the relationship of best management practices with profitability is less conclusive, this study concludes statistically significant relationships between management practices and financial performance, measured in terms of revenues. There exist positive and statistically significant returns to business planning, transition management, customer management and family relationship management. / Master of Science

Prior research reveals foodborne pathogens, as well as enteric bacteria, can thrive in agricultural soils. Understanding how macro- and micronutrients, as well as meteorological factors and observational factors, impact pathogen prevalence may promote a better understanding of how pathogens persist in agricultural soils. This study aimed to (i), characterize associations between soil properties (e.g., macro- and micro-nutrient levels) and microbial targets (e.g., S. enterica and L. monocytogenes prevalence, fecal indicator bacteria concentration). Three produce farms in Virginia were selected from different regions (i.e., Blue Ridge Highlands, Piedmont, Coastal Plains). Farms were sampled four times to capture seasonal differences. Five soil samples were collected from 20 plots (25m2) and pooled in equal quantities to form one sample per plot. A total of 240 samples were collected. Listeria and S. enterica samples (25g) were processed using a modified FDA BAM method, while generic Escherichia coli (gEC) and total coliform (TC) samples (5g) were enumerated using Petrifilm. Presumptive Listeria and S. enterica positive samples were confirmed by PCR using a single gene. Bayesian mixed models were used to evaluate associations with each foodborne pathogen and indicator organism with factors of interest. S. enterica prevalence was 4.2% (10/240) in soil samples. Of the ten S. enterica positive samples, nine samples (90%) were from one farm in eastern VA. Listeria spp. prevalence was 10% (24/240) with L.monocytogenes prevalence being 2.5% (6/240). The average gEC and TC concentrations in soil samples were 1.53 (range 0.95-4.01) and 4.21 (range 1.23-7.12) log CFU/g, respectively. Bayesian mixed models revealed that pH impacted prevalence of L. monocytogenes and gEC (MAP=5.48, 95% CI=0.75,345.39, PD=0.98, ROPE=0.01), and (MAP=4.87, 95% CI=2.31,12.22, PD=1.00, ROPE=0.00). There was no evidence of an association between S. enterica prevalence and factors of interest. S. enterica was 11.55 times more likely to be detected on Farm C (where prevalence was highest) compared to other farms (95 % CI= 1.36, 1155.27, PD=0.98, ROPE=0.00). Findings show that while soil nutrient trends differ across all farms, it is difficult to determine the strength of these trends due to strong regional distinctions. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / Fresh produce is essential to our food supply but is often a source of foodborne outbreaks since they are often consumed raw and have absence of a "kill step". Importantly, numerous produce outbreaks are often traced back to the production environment with water and soil and common methods of contamination. Additionally, growers are required to identify potential sources of contamination to minimize public health risks. For example, the FDA Produce Safety Rule mandates that growers identify measures that can be taken to prevent contamination from sources including soil and water. Many growers will often test their soils to determine nutrient levels so they can determine appropriate fertilizer amounts to apply to their crops. By understanding how the level of nutrients as well as weather patterns and management factors impact microbial detection, scientists and growers can gain a better understanding of how pathogens persist in agricultural soils. This study looked at sampling soil from three farms in three different regions of Virginia (i.e., Blue Ridge Highlands, Piedmont, and Coastal Plains). Sampling occurred four times across two seasons (fall and summer). Five soil samples were pooled to form one composite sample per plot which totals twenty samples per farm. A total of 240 samples were collected overall for this study. Samples were processed for Listeria and Salmonella (foodborne pathogens) using a modified method from the FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM), while generic Escherichia coli and total coliforms (indicator organisms) were computed using Petrifilm. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to confirm the presence of Listeria and Salmonella. Key results from this study revealed that different regions had a significant impact on the presence or absence of Listeria and Salmonella in Virginia agricultural soils. For example, Salmonella was more likely to be detected in the Coastal Plains region, where interestingly, the prevalence was highest (90%; 9/10). The prevalence of Listeria spp. (63%; 15/24) and L. monocytogenes (83%; 5/6 ) were highest in the Piedmont region. Additionally, there was no association between the occurrence of Salmonella and factors of interest (e.g., soil properties, weather factors, observational factors). Additionally, the study found L. monocytogenes was more likely to be detected when soil pH increased. These findings reveal that while soil nutrient, weather, and observational trends differ across all farms, sampling region and time of year create challenges in determining trends due to clear regional differences. This study offers insights into how growers can potentially utilize soil testing (a practice they are already doing) to identify how pathogens may be present in their agricultural soils.

Agriculture plays a vital role towards shaping the economy of South Africa. The role of agriculture in South Africa in ensuring a strong food supply has been greatly emphasised by the department of Agriculture in their Strategic Plan for South African agriculture. The agricultural environment in South Africa changes just as much as any other corporate environment and has forced farm owners and managers to start thinking holistically. With the many challenges facing farming businesses in South Africa, including constantly rising input costs, an unwell labour market, discouraging political talks about land reform, price fluctuations for crops and very limited help with financing, it is essential that all activities and resources of the farming business be strategically planned and prioritised. It is essential that all individuals involved in managing the farming business understand where the farm is going, how it plans to get there, and the problems and/or opportunities that lay ahead. This study focused on agricultural businesses in the North West Province of South Africa, and the main objective was to establish whether a well-research strategic plan could benefit farm owners and farm managers to produce more successful results. The research objective was, firstly, to review the literature and determine the key enablers required for successful strategy implementation in the agriculture industry and to investigate different strategy management frameworks to give a structure to allocate resources effectively in order to ensure long-term achievement of goals that are set out in the strategy. The second objective of the study was to analyse the findings of the empirical study and make recommendations on how to improve on the strategy of the farming business. The study report is concluded by making recommendations and encouraging farm owners and managers to include strategic planning into their business for farming success. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Agriculture plays a vital role towards shaping the economy of South Africa. The role of agriculture in South Africa in ensuring a strong food supply has been greatly emphasised by the department of Agriculture in their Strategic Plan for South African agriculture. The agricultural environment in South Africa changes just as much as any other corporate environment and has forced farm owners and managers to start thinking holistically. With the many challenges facing farming businesses in South Africa, including constantly rising input costs, an unwell labour market, discouraging political talks about land reform, price fluctuations for crops and very limited help with financing, it is essential that all activities and resources of the farming business be strategically planned and prioritised. It is essential that all individuals involved in managing the farming business understand where the farm is going, how it plans to get there, and the problems and/or opportunities that lay ahead. This study focused on agricultural businesses in the North West Province of South Africa, and the main objective was to establish whether a well-research strategic plan could benefit farm owners and farm managers to produce more successful results. The research objective was, firstly, to review the literature and determine the key enablers required for successful strategy implementation in the agriculture industry and to investigate different strategy management frameworks to give a structure to allocate resources effectively in order to ensure long-term achievement of goals that are set out in the strategy. The second objective of the study was to analyse the findings of the empirical study and make recommendations on how to improve on the strategy of the farming business. The study report is concluded by making recommendations and encouraging farm owners and managers to include strategic planning into their business for farming success. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by farm schools in exercising the right to basic education. In doing so, also to determine possible reasons behind learners' drop-out rate at farm schools. This stUdy was prompted by political changes, which took place after the democratic elections of April 1994, impacting on the provisioning of education in South Africa. The South African education system and its institutions were confronted by many laws and policies, including the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 (84/1996), the National Education Policy Act 27 of 1996 (27/1996) and specific obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Through literature and empirical studies it was found that the State's commitment to social justice, especially to education, remains unfulfilled for large numbers of children, youths and adults living in rural areas. Literature revealed that the South African government is failing to protect the right to a primary education for learners living on commercial farms by neither ensuring their access to farm school, nor maintaining the adequacy of learning conditions at these schools. The research findings revealed that poverty resulting from unemployment or low income on the farms increases the need for teenagers to be in paid employment in the evenings or at the weekend, increasing absenteeism and ultimately resulting in learners dropping out, and an increase in child-labour. The empirical method, using questionnaires, was successful in obtaining information about what challenges are faced by farm schools in exercising the right to basic education and the reasons behind farm school learners dropping-out. It also established how participants felt and thought about their experiences and perceptions on the challenges confronting the right to basic education as well as the reasons behind farm school learners dropping out. The study established that if the State could respect and fulfil economic and social rights of the farm sChool community, including the right to basic education, by eradicating measures that deny the enjoyment of the right to education as seen at the farm schools, great progress and sustainability as far as education is concerned could be achieved by these schools. A number or recommendations were made with regard to the research on findings for the Sedibeng-West District (08). / Thesis (M.Ed. (Education Law))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

The Pink Papers is a collection of three short stories and a novel in progress consisting of four chapters. Each piece is a work of original fiction. The preface addresses the female writer and the female voice in fiction. "Broken Clock" and "Pink Paper" are the stories of two girls coping with endometriosis. "Normal Capacity" looks at the loss of a dream through the eyes of a first-year law student. The novel in progress, titled Blanchard, OK, is set in a rural farming town in Oklahoma. The novel tells the stories of 24-year-old Robin, her Aunt Paula, and Paula's boyfriend, Sam.

O potencial da agrobiodiversidade em fortalecer a segurança e soberania alimentar de comunidades rurais, com sustentabilidade ambiental e inclusão social, está amplamente reconhecido. Contudo, parte dessa diversidade biocultural tem sido perdida com a expansão da urbanização, da agricultura moderna e suas variedades comerciais, geneticamente homogêneas. Os assentamentos rurais de reforma agrária representam espaços de resistência, importantes para manter as pessoas no campo e estimular os processos que geram e mantém agrobiodiversidade. O objetivo da tese foi analisar como os contextos socioeconômicos e culturais, em diferentes regiões de reforma agrária, impactam o manejo e a manutenção da agrobiodiversidade associada à mandioca (Manihot esculenta), e contribuir para o aprimoramento de ações direcionadas ao seu uso e conservação. A tese está dividida em sete capítulos. O Capítulo 1 - Introdução geral - apresenta as origens e os manejos da agrobiodiversidade e suas estratégias de conservação, em nível global, a importância da mandioca nos estudos em agrobiodiversidade no Brasil, e as abordagens metodológicas em torno do tema. O Capítulo 2 - A não reforma agrária brasileira e seus impactos na conservação da agrobiodiversidade - traz um histórico das políticas públicas de reforma agrária no Brasil, e discute as possibilidades de aliar a organização social no campo, o desenvolvimento de assentamentos rurais e os programas de manejo e manutenção da agrobiodiversidade. O Capítulo 3 - O contexto socioeconômico dos assentados no Extremo Sul da Bahia e no Pontal do Paranapanema - apresenta as duas regiões selecionadas para esse estudo e faz apontamentos sobre os contextos socioeconômicos dos assentamentos rurais e dos agricultores amostrados em cada região. O Capítulo 4 - A estrutura da diversidade de variedades de mandioca nos assentamentos rurais - analisa, por meio de uma abordagem etnobotânica e genética, a estrutura e amplitude da diversidade de variedades de mandioca amostrada nos dois diferentes contextos regionais. O Capítulo 5 - Os conhecimentos locais e as práticas agrícolas associadas à diversidade de mandioca - analisa os elementos socioeconômicos e culturais que influenciam sobre a diversidade de mandioca amostrada, considerando os parâmetros de identidade, manejo agrícola e formas de uso das variedades locais. O Capítulo 6 - Ações de valorização e conservação da agrobiodiversidade: aprendizados dos Parques Naturais Regionais na França- apresenta ações de valorização e conservação da agrobiodiversidade a partir da experiência vivenciada pelo autor nos Parques Naturais Regionais, na França. E, por fim, o Capítulo 7 - Considerações Finais - revisita as questões iniciais da tese, analisa os resultados e conclusões apresentados e sugere ações para a valorização e conservação da agrobiodiversidade em assentamentos rurais de reforma agrária, em especial no Extremo Sul da Bahia e no Pontal do Paranapanema. / The potential of agrobiodiversity to strengthen food security and sovereignty is widely recognized. However, part of this biocultural diversity has been lost due expansion of urbanization, modern agriculture, and its genetically homogeneous varieties. Rural settlements of agrarian reform are spaces of resistance, relevant for keeping people at the countryside, and stimulating the process that generate and maintain agrobiodiversity. The main goal of the thesis was to analyze how socioeconomic and cultural contexts impact the management of cassava agrobiodiversity, in different regions of agrarian reform, and contribute to the improvement of actions to use and conservation it. The thesis is divided in seven chapters. Chapter 1 - General Introduction - presents the origins and management of agrobiodiversity, the conservation strategies at a global level, the importance of cassava in agrobiodiversity studies in Brazil, and the methodological approaches. Chapter 2 - The weak agrarian reform in Brazil, and the impacts on the conservation of agrobiodiversity - brings a history of agrarian reform in Brazil, and discusses the possibilities to allying rural social movements, the development of rural settlements, and maintenance of agrobiodiversity. Chapter 3 - The socioeconomic context of the settlers in Extreme South of Bahia, and Pontal do Paranapanema - presents the two study regions, and discuss the rural settlements and farmers socioeconomic contexts. Chapter 4 - The structure of diversity of cassava varieties in rural settlements - analyzes, through an ethnobotanical and genetic approach, the structure of cassava diversity sampled in the two different regional contexts. Chapter 5 - Local knowledge and agricultural practices associated with cassava diversity - analyzes the socioeconomic and cultural elements that influence cassava diversity, considering the parameters of identity, management, and uses of local varieties. Chapter 6 - Actions for the valorization and conservation of agrobiodiversity: notes from the Regional Natural Parks in France - presents actions for the valorization and conservation of agrobiodiversity on the author experience in the Regional Natural Parks in France. Finally, Chapter 7 - Final Considerations - revisits the thesis initial questions, analyzes the presented results and conclusions, and suggests actions to agrobiodiversity valorization and conservation in rural agrarian reform settlements, especially in Extreme South of Bahia, and Pontal do Paranapanema.

黃永豪. / 手稿本, 複本影印手稿本. / 香港中文大學硏究院歷史學部碩士論文. / 參考文獻 : leaves 227-239. / Huang Yonghao. / Chapter 第一章 --- 前言 --- p.1 / Chapter 第二章 --- 沙田的壯貌與鄉紳的作用 --- p.15 / Chapter 第三章 --- 沙田的租佃關係 --- p.62 / Chapter 第四章 --- 東莞明倫堂與萬頃沙　 --- p.82 / Chapter 第五章 --- 大梁龍氏與東海十六沙 --- p.116 / Chapter 第六章 --- 結論 --- p.153 / 附錄 --- p.158 / 注釋 --- p.176 / 徵引書目 --- p.227

Thesis (M.Sc. Agric. (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / Agriculture is the backbone and a very important sector of the South African economy. This is because it provides food and employment to a lot of people in the country especially those living in the rural areas. Smallholder farmers also play an important role in livelihood creation and also alleviation of poverty among the population in Limpopo province, but despite this, their productivity is low. A decline in agricultural productivity reduces market access resulting from low quality and quantity of produce by smallholder farmers which invariably affect their accessibility to market. This study therefore examined the determinants of market access and productivity among smallholder maize farmers in Lepelle-Nkumpi municipality using the Probit model and Cobb Douglass production functions. While the Probit regression model was used to analyse the effect of socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder maize farmers on market access, the Cobb Douglass production function was used to examine the determinants of productivity among the farmers in the study area. The results of the Probit regression analysis indicated that farm size, hired labour and maize produced per hectare had positive significant influence on probability of farmers accessing markets. Farm size and maize produced per hectare were statistically significant at 1% and hired labour was statistically significant at 5%. The results of Cobb Douglas Production Function indicated that the elasticities of market access, farm experience, fertilizers, capital and membership of association were significant and positive. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that farmers should be provided with market infrastructure and marketing information services. This will help the farmers in a way that the transaction cost will be minimised and farmers will not incur more cost when they participate in the markets. Farmers in the study area indicated that transportation cost is the major challenge facing them. This is because of the poor conditions of roads in the study area. Therefore, the study recommends that there should be inputs subsidy that helps farmers to improve their productivity.

The thesis is a case study of two traditional family farms that were settled in Oregon in 1850 and 1915. The study embraces the theory that material culture reflects customs and values. The material culture indicators within the study are the architectural structures of the Oregon farms. The study filters the architecture through theoretical and historical data of both Oregon and the Upland South. The farms are recorded with oral history, photographs, architectural descriptions, and evolutionary settlement patterns. The filtering process results in two constructs that correlate the commonalities of both the Oregon farms and the Upland South architecture. The results point out that, with the disappearance of vernacular architecture on family farms, it follows that historic traditional cultures vanish. / Graduation date: 1993