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• 1. [Article] Beyond Sustainable Bounds: Changing Weather, Emigration, and Irrigation in a Farming Village of Sichuan, China, 1945-2012

  This thesis presents the results of research in a small village located in the mountains of Sichuan Province in southwestern China. The thesis argues that traditional irrigation practices vital to paddy-rice ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Beyond Sustainable Bounds: Changing Weather, Emigration, and Irrigation in a Farming Village of Sichuan, China, 1945-2012 Author: Parker, Joseph Lynn Year: 2013 This thesis presents the results of research in a small village located in the mountains of Sichuan Province in southwestern China. The thesis argues that traditional irrigation practices vital to paddy-rice production in the village have been stressed by local weather events. It also argues that local villagers have not responded effectively to such changes, and that failure to adjust has contributed to social stress observed at the site. During the earlier years of the study period (1945 to 2012), improvements were made in local irrigation, which seem to have helped farmers continue with traditional subsistence wet-rice farming in a fragile mountain environment. However, in later years of the period village social order showed two significant signs of collapse: first, because of emigration, fewer people were left to farm higher mountain levels so farm land was being abandoned; second, social crowding in lower level riverside farming areas, partly the result of highland emigration, began reducing the amount of land being farmed there. While reducing intensive cropping of highland farming areas can result in spontaneous recovery of natural resources such as soil and water, crowding in lower areas can contribute to deterioration of natural resources in the lower village farmland. Crowding can, in addition, have a bearing on community health problems. The thesis results are of value to researchers concerned with the adaptive behavior of local farming communities trying to maintain their traditional irrigation-dependent way of life in a fragile mountain environment while experiencing the effects of changeable weather. Thesis results are of additional value to those who study the impact on society of earth-warming, especially if variable local weather in the Dabashan is shown to be related to global climate change. Title: Beyond Sustainable Bounds: Changing Weather, Emigration, and Irrigation in a Farming Village of Sichuan, China, 1945-2012 Author: Parker, Joseph Lynn Year: 2013 This thesis presents the results of research in a small village located in the mountains of Sichuan Province in southwestern China. The thesis argues that traditional irrigation practices vital to paddy-rice production in the village have been stressed by local weather events. It also argues that local villagers have not responded effectively to such changes, and that failure to adjust has contributed to social stress observed at the site. During the earlier years of the study period (1945 to 2012), improvements were made in local irrigation, which seem to have helped farmers continue with traditional subsistence wet-rice farming in a fragile mountain environment. However, in later years of the period village social order showed two significant signs of collapse: first, because of emigration, fewer people were left to farm higher mountain levels so farm land was being abandoned; second, social crowding in lower level riverside farming areas, partly the result of highland emigration, began reducing the amount of land being farmed there. While reducing intensive cropping of highland farming areas can result in spontaneous recovery of natural resources such as soil and water, crowding in lower areas can contribute to deterioration of natural resources in the lower village farmland. Crowding can, in addition, have a bearing on community health problems. The thesis results are of value to researchers concerned with the adaptive behavior of local farming communities trying to maintain their traditional irrigation-dependent way of life in a fragile mountain environment while experiencing the effects of changeable weather. Thesis results are of additional value to those who study the impact on society of earth-warming, especially if variable local weather in the Dabashan is shown to be related to global climate change. Close

• 2. [Article] The Future of Oregon’s Agricultural Land

  Sixty-four percent of Oregon's farmland is expected to change hands in the next 20 years, yet many Oregon farmers are unprepared for succession. Simultaneously, beginning farmers are finding it harder ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Future of Oregon’s Agricultural Land Author: Brekken, Christy Anderson, Gwin, Lauren, Horst, Megan, McAdams, Nellie, Martin, Sheila A Year: 2016 Sixty-four percent of Oregon's farmland is expected to change hands in the next 20 years, yet many Oregon farmers are unprepared for succession. Simultaneously, beginning farmers are finding it harder to start farmers because of dramatically increasing land prices. These distinct but interwined challenges are addressed in a new research report from the Oregon State University Center for Small Farms, Portland State University's Planning Oregon/Institute for Metropolitan Studies, and Rogue Farm Corps. The study examines trends in land tenure and the effects they might have on Oregon's economy, rural communities, and environment. The report was in many ways inspired and informed by the land access working group of the Oregon Community Food Systems Network. Title: The Future of Oregon’s Agricultural Land Author: Brekken, Christy Anderson, Gwin, Lauren, Horst, Megan, McAdams, Nellie, Martin, Sheila A Year: 2016 Sixty-four percent of Oregon's farmland is expected to change hands in the next 20 years, yet many Oregon farmers are unprepared for succession. Simultaneously, beginning farmers are finding it harder to start farmers because of dramatically increasing land prices. These distinct but interwined challenges are addressed in a new research report from the Oregon State University Center for Small Farms, Portland State University's Planning Oregon/Institute for Metropolitan Studies, and Rogue Farm Corps. The study examines trends in land tenure and the effects they might have on Oregon's economy, rural communities, and environment. The report was in many ways inspired and informed by the land access working group of the Oregon Community Food Systems Network. Close

• 3. [Article] Growing a Sustainable Portland Metropolitan Foodshed

  Project Description and Objectives: Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) provided funding for this study to examine key agricultural trends, identify producer needs and define ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Growing a Sustainable Portland Metropolitan Foodshed Author: Martin, Sheila, Doherty-Chapman, Kathryn, Wise, Robert, Foust, Steve, Greene, Kirsten, Fiore, Ellie, Wyoming, Ellen, Seavert, Clark, Sullivan, Rebecca, Emshoff, Beth, Yap, Anita, Scolnik, Elise, Short, Bob Year: 2012 Project Description and Objectives: Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) provided funding for this study to examine key agricultural trends, identify producer needs and define strategies to strengthen the local food production system. The goals of the study are to: Define the Portland Metropolitan Foodshed; identify related agricultural and economic trends and develop a needs assessment based on input from producers and other stakeholders; assemble a regional toolkit of strategies to support evolution of a sustainable Portland Metropolitan Foodshed; work with the City of Damascus, Oregon to test the toolkit on a local level; Develop a research and educational program that supports these goals and supports small and medium farmers in the region. This project differs from many other studies of the barriers and opportunities faced by farmers because it focuses specifically on farms that are trying to survive within a growing metropolitan region. While these farms face significant challenges related to urban growth, they also have significant opportunities as urban consumers begin to demand food that is grown locally and sustainability and food related experiences that can supplement farm income. Title: Growing a Sustainable Portland Metropolitan Foodshed Author: Martin, Sheila, Doherty-Chapman, Kathryn, Wise, Robert, Foust, Steve, Greene, Kirsten, Fiore, Ellie, Wyoming, Ellen, Seavert, Clark, Sullivan, Rebecca, Emshoff, Beth, Yap, Anita, Scolnik, Elise, Short, Bob Year: 2012 Project Description and Objectives: Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) provided funding for this study to examine key agricultural trends, identify producer needs and define strategies to strengthen the local food production system. The goals of the study are to: Define the Portland Metropolitan Foodshed; identify related agricultural and economic trends and develop a needs assessment based on input from producers and other stakeholders; assemble a regional toolkit of strategies to support evolution of a sustainable Portland Metropolitan Foodshed; work with the City of Damascus, Oregon to test the toolkit on a local level; Develop a research and educational program that supports these goals and supports small and medium farmers in the region. This project differs from many other studies of the barriers and opportunities faced by farmers because it focuses specifically on farms that are trying to survive within a growing metropolitan region. While these farms face significant challenges related to urban growth, they also have significant opportunities as urban consumers begin to demand food that is grown locally and sustainability and food related experiences that can supplement farm income. Close

• 4. [Article] A New Era of Water Quality Management in Agriculture: From Best Management Practices to Watershed-based Whole Farm Approaches

  Why is reducing water pollution from agriculture such a stubbornly slow process? Despite several policy initiatives since the 1970s, farms and ranches rank as the primary contributors to impairments of ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A New Era of Water Quality Management in Agriculture: From Best Management Practices to Watershed-based Whole Farm Approaches Author: Ervin, David E. Year: 1995 Why is reducing water pollution from agriculture such a stubbornly slow process? Despite several policy initiatives since the 1970s, farms and ranches rank as the primary contributors to impairments of the nation's surface waters [U.S.EPA, 1994b]. Emerging research also points to agricultural chemicals in many cases of groundwater contamination [Barbash and Resek; Mueller, et al.]. After a little reflection, the industry's negative distinction may not be surprising. Covering nearly half the U.S. land base, crop and livestock production inevitably alter natural vegetative cover, apply fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation water, and involve animal wastes. All of these processes can degrade water quality. Without question, cases of water quality improvement as well as degradation occur within agriculture's number one ranking. Stream, lake, and groundwater success stories have come from federal, state, and local efforts. However, the overall weight of the evidence indicates the industry's performance needs to improve rather sharply if the nation's water quality is to advance to a higher plateau in line with broad public preference. This paper's central thesis is that dramatic changes in program approaches are necessary for that advance because of powerful budget, economic, and political forces. Continued reliance on programs subsidizing or regulating best management practices (BMPs) conflicts with those forces in fundamental ways. Moreover, promising technologies and improved water quality science support more flexible, whole farm approaches for targeted priority watersheds. Title: A New Era of Water Quality Management in Agriculture: From Best Management Practices to Watershed-based Whole Farm Approaches Author: Ervin, David E. Year: 1995 Why is reducing water pollution from agriculture such a stubbornly slow process? Despite several policy initiatives since the 1970s, farms and ranches rank as the primary contributors to impairments of the nation's surface waters [U.S.EPA, 1994b]. Emerging research also points to agricultural chemicals in many cases of groundwater contamination [Barbash and Resek; Mueller, et al.]. After a little reflection, the industry's negative distinction may not be surprising. Covering nearly half the U.S. land base, crop and livestock production inevitably alter natural vegetative cover, apply fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation water, and involve animal wastes. All of these processes can degrade water quality. Without question, cases of water quality improvement as well as degradation occur within agriculture's number one ranking. Stream, lake, and groundwater success stories have come from federal, state, and local efforts. However, the overall weight of the evidence indicates the industry's performance needs to improve rather sharply if the nation's water quality is to advance to a higher plateau in line with broad public preference. This paper's central thesis is that dramatic changes in program approaches are necessary for that advance because of powerful budget, economic, and political forces. Continued reliance on programs subsidizing or regulating best management practices (BMPs) conflicts with those forces in fundamental ways. Moreover, promising technologies and improved water quality science support more flexible, whole farm approaches for targeted priority watersheds. Close

• 5. [Article] What Drives Academic Bioscientists: Money or Values?

  The article determines the factors that drive academic bioscience to better understand the role of genetically engineered (GE) crops in the sustainability of U.S. agriculture. Some challenges brought about ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: What Drives Academic Bioscientists: Money or Values? Author: Ervin, David E., Nag, Sharmistha, Yang, Hui, Buccola, Steven T. Year: 2010 The article determines the factors that drive academic bioscience to better understand the role of genetically engineered (GE) crops in the sustainability of U.S. agriculture. Some challenges brought about by GE crops in the U.S. farm sustainability include tracking and controlling water pollution, protecting against herbicide resistance and nitrogen fixation. Professional norms are also considered as a great factor driving the academic bioscience. Title: What Drives Academic Bioscientists: Money or Values? Author: Ervin, David E., Nag, Sharmistha, Yang, Hui, Buccola, Steven T. Year: 2010 The article determines the factors that drive academic bioscience to better understand the role of genetically engineered (GE) crops in the sustainability of U.S. agriculture. Some challenges brought about by GE crops in the U.S. farm sustainability include tracking and controlling water pollution, protecting against herbicide resistance and nitrogen fixation. Professional norms are also considered as a great factor driving the academic bioscience. Close

• 6. [Article] Genetically Engineering Crops for a Sustainable Agriculture

  The article examines the role of genetically engineered (GE) crops in fostering a more sustainable agriculture. An overview of the National Academy of Sciences metal study of the impacts of GE crops on ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Genetically Engineering Crops for a Sustainable Agriculture Author: Ervin, David E., Welsh, Rick Year: 2010 The article examines the role of genetically engineered (GE) crops in fostering a more sustainable agriculture. An overview of the National Academy of Sciences metal study of the impacts of GE crops on farm sustainability in the U.S. is given. The two types of GE crops are discussed, one which produces its own insecticide called insect resistant (IR) crops and the other is engineered to resist particular herbicides. An explanation for sustainable agriculture is also presented. Title: Genetically Engineering Crops for a Sustainable Agriculture Author: Ervin, David E., Welsh, Rick Year: 2010 The article examines the role of genetically engineered (GE) crops in fostering a more sustainable agriculture. An overview of the National Academy of Sciences metal study of the impacts of GE crops on farm sustainability in the U.S. is given. The two types of GE crops are discussed, one which produces its own insecticide called insect resistant (IR) crops and the other is engineered to resist particular herbicides. An explanation for sustainable agriculture is also presented. Close

• 7. [Article] Will Business-Led Environmental Initiatives Grow in Agriculture?

  This article was stimulated by a 1997 American Agricultural Economics Association annual meeting preconference designed by Batie and Ervin. The authors felt that there was considerable interest and activity ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Will Business-Led Environmental Initiatives Grow in Agriculture? Author: Batie, Sandra S., Ervin, David E. Year: 1998 This article was stimulated by a 1997 American Agricultural Economics Association annual meeting preconference designed by Batie and Ervin. The authors felt that there was considerable interest and activity in business-led environmental management (also caLLed corporate environmental management)-but most of the interest was found outside of the agricultural sector and the profession. The conference was a means to investigate the extent, motivation, and consequences of business-led poLLution prevention activities. The DuPont and the StahLbush Island Farms examples used in this article were drawn from discussions that took place at the conference and which were published in the proceedings. In the article, the authors draw lessons for agriculture informed by the experiences of nonagricultural businesses. They identify and distiLL from these experiences the major roles for the public sector to enable agricultural business-led initiatives to flourish and to be successful. Title: Will Business-Led Environmental Initiatives Grow in Agriculture? Author: Batie, Sandra S., Ervin, David E. Year: 1998 This article was stimulated by a 1997 American Agricultural Economics Association annual meeting preconference designed by Batie and Ervin. The authors felt that there was considerable interest and activity in business-led environmental management (also caLLed corporate environmental management)-but most of the interest was found outside of the agricultural sector and the profession. The conference was a means to investigate the extent, motivation, and consequences of business-led poLLution prevention activities. The DuPont and the StahLbush Island Farms examples used in this article were drawn from discussions that took place at the conference and which were published in the proceedings. In the article, the authors draw lessons for agriculture informed by the experiences of nonagricultural businesses. They identify and distiLL from these experiences the major roles for the public sector to enable agricultural business-led initiatives to flourish and to be successful. Close

• 8. [Article] The Role Of Soil Test Information In Reducing Groundwater Pollution

  Testing soils for nutrients is expected to improve groundwater quality. However, it is unknown whether soil testing will improve groundwater quality sufficiently to decrease the demand for direct regulation ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Role Of Soil Test Information In Reducing Groundwater Pollution Author: Fleming, Ronald A., Adams, Richard M., Ervin, David E. Year: 1998 Testing soils for nutrients is expected to improve groundwater quality. However, it is unknown whether soil testing will improve groundwater quality sufficiently to decrease the demand for direct regulation of agricultural practices. Focusing on an irrigated agricultural region in eastern Oregon, the economic and environmental aspects of soil testing are assessed using a spatially distributed, dynamic simulation model which links economic behavior with the physical processes that determine groundwater quality. Results indicate that soil testing of all fields increases farm profits and reduces groundwater nitrate concentration. However, the benefits are small in terms of potential improvements in groundwater quality. Title: The Role Of Soil Test Information In Reducing Groundwater Pollution Author: Fleming, Ronald A., Adams, Richard M., Ervin, David E. Year: 1998 Testing soils for nutrients is expected to improve groundwater quality. However, it is unknown whether soil testing will improve groundwater quality sufficiently to decrease the demand for direct regulation of agricultural practices. Focusing on an irrigated agricultural region in eastern Oregon, the economic and environmental aspects of soil testing are assessed using a spatially distributed, dynamic simulation model which links economic behavior with the physical processes that determine groundwater quality. Results indicate that soil testing of all fields increases farm profits and reduces groundwater nitrate concentration. However, the benefits are small in terms of potential improvements in groundwater quality. Close

• 9. [Article] Safety in Maize: Subsistence Agriculture in a Zapotec Migrant Town

  Subsistence maize production has long been a dominant economic activity of households in Santiago Apóstol, a Zapotec community in the Central Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. A baseline study from 1973 documents ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Safety in Maize: Subsistence Agriculture in a Zapotec Migrant Town Author: Gladstone, Fiona Joy Year: 2014 Subsistence maize production has long been a dominant economic activity of households in Santiago Apóstol, a Zapotec community in the Central Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. A baseline study from 1973 documents a regionally pervasive form of household level agriculture whereby cultivators prioritize land for subsistence maize above commercial crops. Since then, much has transformed the face of rural Mexico, including migration to the United States. Migration accelerated beginning in the 1970s as a response to government disinvestment in maize, but it may also be a new force of cultural and economic change impacting agriculture. The question arises, has migration modified longstanding subsistence agricultural practices centered on local varieties of rainfed maize? If not, what might explain the continuities and changes in agricultural practice observed? Ethnographic land use and maize consumption surveys among 19 migrant headed households conducted in Santiago Apóstol in the summer and winter of 2012 indicate that mean production of maize remains equivalent to that documented in the late 1960s, suggesting that migration has not engendered a generalized shift to commercial crops. Potential explanations for the persistent use of rainfed, local maize among migrant headed households are drawn from a mixed methods methodology involving triangulated analyses of household economic data, land tenure arrangements, perceptions of environmental change, participant observation, and archival research. Triangulated analyses allow speculation on linked human environmental changes in the landscape that may have reinforced use of a traditional, rainfed grain crop. Title: Safety in Maize: Subsistence Agriculture in a Zapotec Migrant Town Author: Gladstone, Fiona Joy Year: 2014 Subsistence maize production has long been a dominant economic activity of households in Santiago Apóstol, a Zapotec community in the Central Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. A baseline study from 1973 documents a regionally pervasive form of household level agriculture whereby cultivators prioritize land for subsistence maize above commercial crops. Since then, much has transformed the face of rural Mexico, including migration to the United States. Migration accelerated beginning in the 1970s as a response to government disinvestment in maize, but it may also be a new force of cultural and economic change impacting agriculture. The question arises, has migration modified longstanding subsistence agricultural practices centered on local varieties of rainfed maize? If not, what might explain the continuities and changes in agricultural practice observed? Ethnographic land use and maize consumption surveys among 19 migrant headed households conducted in Santiago Apóstol in the summer and winter of 2012 indicate that mean production of maize remains equivalent to that documented in the late 1960s, suggesting that migration has not engendered a generalized shift to commercial crops. Potential explanations for the persistent use of rainfed, local maize among migrant headed households are drawn from a mixed methods methodology involving triangulated analyses of household economic data, land tenure arrangements, perceptions of environmental change, participant observation, and archival research. Triangulated analyses allow speculation on linked human environmental changes in the landscape that may have reinforced use of a traditional, rainfed grain crop. Close