Background: Despite the growing evidence of the positive effects of fruit consumption on health, many individuals do not consume the recommended dietary guideline amounts. It has been suggested that socioeconomic status and income have an influence on food choices and consumption. The aim of this study is not only to examine whether payment structure has an association with food choices but also to assess fruit consumption independent of vegetables in the US. Methods: The 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was utilized and the study design led to a sample size that was n= 19,122 respondents. Variables that were selected for associations with sufficient fruit consumption included demographic data, employment status, payment structure, education, and home ownership status. A p-value of <0.05 and 95% confidence intervals were used to determine statistical significance of the analyses performed. Results: Factors that were associated with greater odds of sufficient fruit consumption included being African-American, education- all levels of high school graduate and higher, all income categories above $15,000 annually, those employed, and those who rent a home (p-value<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that respondents' education defined as having college education was associated with increased odds of sufficient fruit consumption (OR = 7.09: CI =1.86-27.09] (p-value<0.01). Conclusions: Assessing fruit consumption alone did not provide greater insight on sufficiency with the exception of race's (specifically African American) influence. Payment structure was found not associated with increased fruit consumption. Promotion of education on the relevance of fruit consumption to overall health is critical and necessary in the United States.

Urbanization, changing forest landowner values, and restructuring forest industry are creating challenges for the active management of small parcels of forestland. Many traditional service providers are reluctant to service small acreage parcels due to economies of scale, shrinking profit margins for unprocessed stumpage, and changing landowner expectations. They do not understand traditional forestry operations and do not know where to look for service providers. A gap in our nation's forest system has emerged. A new market opportunity exists for service providers willing to work with small-scale forest landowners. In this study, over sixty forest service providers working with small acreage or amenity oriented clients were interviewed to determine how their business is structured, how they charge for the services they provide, what reactions they get from their clients, and how successful they perceive themselves to be. Informants came from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, including forestry, logging, arboriculture, landscaping, and woodworking. In addition, about 20 public-forest professionals were interviewed to determine how they and their programs are changing in response to emerging conditions. Successful service providers generally charge by some measure of time and materials rather than by commission. They exhibit a willingness to diversify their business to offer a bundle of services, and to cooperate with professionals in related industries. Value-added processing and creative marketing assist service providers in achieving a profit from small-scale tracts with traditionally low-value products. Lessons learned from these early adopters will assist other service providers interested in working with small acreage private landowners. / Master of Science