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Metrics that assess farmer sustainability performance have emerged as a leading approach to fostering continuous improvement in the sustainability of agriculture. As multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) have developed sustainability metrics for US agriculture, these initiatives are entering a new phase focused on the adoption of metrics. This paper examines the approaches being used by two MSIs, Field to Market and the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops (SISC), to promote their respective metrics to farmers. Drawing on assemblage theory, we analyze the processes that MSIs are using to get their metrics implemented, and how the actual adoption of metrics takes place in agrifood supply chains. Specifically, we identify five processes that both Field to Market and SISC are using to facilitate the implementation of their metrics: (1) leveraging members, (2) utilizing supply chains, (3) providing technical assistance, (4) building technological platforms, and (5) creating partnerships. In identifying these processes, our analysis shifts understanding of metrics adoption beyond just consumer and market forces, and focuses attention on the specific actors and processes through which sustainability metrics are put into practice. In concluding, we highlight ongoing challenges facing Field to Market and SISC's efforts to construct assemblages around their metrics.

Multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) establish metrics and collect farm-level data to measure sustainability in the food system. Rooted in the private sector, MSIs advance goals that were once the responsibility of the state. To make sense of this trend, we distinguish three ideal types of accountability systems in the United States agrifood system: community-based, state-led, and private-ordering systems. We explore the implications of data-driven private-ordering for the distribution of power and accountability along a food supply chain by analyzing Field to Market, a prominent US-based MSI. A central feature of Field to Market are metrics that commodity producers can use to assess their performance and which provide data for food manufacturers and retailers to support sustainability claims. Compared to state-led environmental sustainability efforts from the 1940s until the 1980s, which depended on farmers voluntarily adhering to regulations, metrics rely upon the generation and circulation of data that create a nascent, privately ordered bureaucracy. This change in governance has purported and undeclared consequences for food supply chains. Field to Market's metrics promise continuous improvements in agricultural sustainability and accountability in the food system, but they also help food manufacturers and retailers coordinate their supply chains, facilitate the commodification of farm management data, and reframe the meaning of sustainability.

Owners of small- and medium-sized farms are increasingly interested in engaging in agritourism and direct sales in order to increase income, provide family employment, and educate the public about agriculture, among other reasons. Prior research on agritourism operator motivations largely focuses on economic goals and benefits, while acknowledging the strong influence of non-economic factors. However, more research is needed to better understand the nuances and breadth of non-economic motivations underlying agritourism operator decisions. In addition, research on U.S. agritourism tends to be at the state level, which raises questions about overall national trends and inter-study comparability. To address these gaps, we analyzed transcripts from semistructured interviews with small- and medium-sized farm owners engaged in agritourism from five states across the U.S. We examined the results through the theoretical lens of Allport’s “contact hypothesis” in order to further understand how agritourism helps operators meet stated goals. Our results suggest that consistent with previous literature, nonmonetary motivations are high priorities for farmers engaged in agritourism. In particular, motivations related to community engagement/leadership and quality-of-life emerged as forceful and reoccurring themes. We found that although Allport’s contact hypothesis holds some important explanatory power for understanding agritourism operators’ community-related goals—including reducing prejudice and increasing understanding between farmers and consumers in relation to agriculture—increased inter-group contact also has potential to create new conflicts between farmers and neighbors related to tourism. These findings have important implications for future research as well as for policies and programs aimed at supporting agritourism. Note Correction published on August 21, 2021, to replace references to Allport’s conflict hypothesis to the correct contact hypothesis.

The Farm Fresh Food Box (F3B) project is a mar­ket innovation that aims to capitalize on successful characteristics of direct-to-consumer (DTC), values-based supply chains (VBSCs), and tradi­tional supply chains with the goals of expand­ing producer sales and improving rural food access. In the F3B model, farmers sell boxes of fresh pro­duce in rural retail outlets to bring food to custo­mers with limited access to locally grown foods. We present pilot findings on indicators of relation­ship quality, communication of embedded value, and food environment, and compare these with extant research to assess whether F3B behaves like a DTC, VBSC, a traditional supply chain, or some­thing else entirely. Unlike much of the previous value-chain research, this work places a unique emphasis on the importance of the farmer-retailer relationship. We merge existing knowledge of DTC strategies and barriers with those of VBSCs and traditional supply chains to understand better the process of expanding into new outlets and con­sumer populations. We find that while the F3B model reduces some resource constraints, it adds a layer of complexity that requires time and expertise to develop a quality relationship between producers and retailers. Additionally, it is apparent that the F3B model must be tailored to fit local contexts of farmers and retailers participating in F3B market innovations.

This paper is an exploratory comparative case study of three Vermont food businesses. It examines the use of transaction cost and knowledge management theories to understand how food businesses with sustainability missions make key management decisions about resource allocation (the “make or buy” decision). Results suggest that these businesses’ decisions are driven in part by their personal values and interests and their desire to support other local businesses and contribute to their communities. Their decisions also largely conform to what the aforementioned theories would predict: specifically, they make inputs and services that are within their core competencies, they form partnerships to procure key inputs and support other local businesses, and they buy inputs readily available in existing markets in order to free up their time and increase efficiency. Furthermore, they allocate their own time to activities they enjoy or those with high strategic value for the business. The discussion focuses on how these findings may guide future research and how these theoretical frame­works may be used to better understand entrepreneur behavior, foster mutually beneficial partnerships, and advance sustainability missions in food business.

Background Human mutations in the X‐linked lysosome‐associated membrane protein‐2 ( LAMP2 ) gene can cause a multisystem Danon disease or a primary cardiomyopathy characterized by massive hypertrophy, conduction system abnormalities, and malignant ventricular arrhythmias. We introduced an in‐frame LAMP2 gene exon 6 deletion mutation (denoted L2 Δ6 ) causing human cardiomyopathy, into mouse LAMP2 gene, to elucidate its consequences on cardiomyocyte biology. This mutation results in in‐frame deletion of 41 amino acids, compatible with presence of some defective LAMP2 protein. Methods and Results Left ventricular tissues from L2 Δ6 and wild‐type mice had equivalent amounts of LAMP2 RNA, but a significantly lower level of LAMP2 protein. By 20 weeks of age male mutant mice developed left ventricular hypertrophy which was followed by left ventricular dilatation and reduced systolic function. Cardiac electrophysiology and isolated cardiomyocyte studies demonstrated ventricular arrhythmia, conduction disturbances, abnormal calcium transients and increased sensitivity to catecholamines. Myocardial fibrosis was strikingly increased in 40‐week‐old L2 Δ6 mice, recapitulating findings of human LAMP2 cardiomyopathy. Immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy identified mislocalization of lysosomes and accumulation of autophagosomes between sarcomeres, causing profound morphological changes disrupting the cellular ultrastructure. Transcription profile and protein expression analyses of L2 Δ6 hearts showed significantly increased expression of genes encoding activators and protein components of autophagy, hypertrophy, and apoptosis. Conclusions We suggest that impaired autophagy results in cardiac hypertrophy and profound transcriptional reactions that impacted metabolism, calcium homeostasis, and cell survival. These responses define the molecular pathways that underlie the pathology and aberrant electrophysiology in cardiomyopathy of Danon disease.

Farmers and policy makers pursue management practices that enhance water quality, increase landscape flood resiliency, and mitigate agriculture’s contribution to climate change, all while remaining economically viable. This study presents a holistic assessment of how two practices influence the supply of these ecosystem services—the use of an aerator prior to manure application in haylands, and the stacked use of manure injection, cover crops, and reduced tillage in corn silage production. Field data are contextualized by semi-structured interviews that identify influences on adoption. Causal loop diagrams then illustrate feedbacks from ecosystem services onto decision making. In our study, unseen nutrient pathways are the least understood, but potentially the most important in determining the impact of a practice on ecosystem services supply. Subsurface runoff accounted for 64% to 92% of measured hydrologic phosphorus export. Average soil surface greenhouse gas flux constituted 38% to 73% of all contributions to the equivalent CO2 footprint of practices, sometimes outweighing carbon sequestration. Farmers identified interest in better understanding unseen nutrient pathways, expressed intrinsic stewardship motivations, but highlighted financial considerations as dominating decision making. Our analysis elevates the importance of financial supports for conservation, and the need for comprehensive understandings of agroecosystem performance that include hard-to-measure pathways.

The Robot Operating System (ROS) is frequently used to develop complex robotic systems with many interacting software components. While ROS provides several tools for visualizing active ROS deployments, it lacks tools for Model-Based Engineering (MBE) during the development stage, and ROS lacks tools for easily documenting the interfaces and deployed components other than specific configuration and launch files themselves. This paper presents a software tool chain - dubbed CHRIS ROS Modeling - that enables users to document an existing ROS deployment. The information is stored as instances of a simplified metamodel in portable formats. The resulting information serves to document an existing system and will serve as the foundation for future work to develop an integrated MBE system. This paper compares our approach to similar approaches currently in development.

This paper revisits the problem of uncertainty propagation in robotic systems. Standard approaches use Kalman filtering, either Extended (linearized) (EKF) or Unscented Transform-based (UKF) Kalman Filters to handle state estimation of robotic systems. These dynamic filters operate on predict-correct cycle where the current state is predicted based on prior state, and then corrected based on current observations using calculated correction weight. These approaches provide both mean and uncertainty (covariance) of the state estimates. Alternative state estimation techniques include Monte-Carlo based particle filters. The system state estimate is often used in composition with other transforms to localize objects in a world frame. Often these internal transforms are treated as known nominal quantities, and their uncertainty is ignored. In this paper, we revisit the handling of errors and compare several representations to highlight limitations of current approaches.

Strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) and caneberries (Rubus sp.) are popular crops that can bring revenue to farms and may improve farm profitability. High and low tunnels can bring a number of benefits to growers, including season extension and improved berry yield and quality, as well as management challenges. Few studies in the literature report directly on grower experiences using tunnels. We report the results of interviews of 10 independent growers who use tunnels to produce strawberries and caneberries. The results echo previous studies finding improved yield and quality, and highlight benefits and challenges around pest, weed, and nutrient management. One novel finding is the role of season extension in creating marketing opportunities. Interviewed growers caution of a learning curve and the need to start on a small scale and grow gradually. Future focus for research should include improved ventilation and mechanization.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential of eco-labels to help dairy farm viability as one partial solution to a complex problem. Specifically, it aims to understand which attributes are most likely to increase consumption and garner price premiums. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses key informant interviews and a convenience sample (n=203) of supermarket shoppers in Vermont. It uses Likert-type scales to measure the likelihood of increased purchase and paying price premiums based on a series attributes including animal welfare, fair labor standards, family farms and environmental stewardship. It calculates and compares mean ratings of each attribute and use an ordinal regression to measure the effect of demographic attributes on each attribute’s rating. Findings Interviewed stakeholders named low milk prices and evolving industry structure as harming dairy farm viability. They list supply control and improved promotion as potential solutions. Survey respondents say attributes supporting animal welfare, farm workers, family farms and healthy soil are most likely to garner increased consumption and price premiums. Research limitations/implications The authors use a convenience sample, so generalization to larger populations is not advisable. Practical implications Promotion around animal welfare, farm workers, family farms and healthy soil is most likely to be effective, based on the results of this study. The survey responses are very highly correlated, suggesting that a multi-attribute eco-label may garner the most support. Social implications This work can inform efforts to promote dairy farm viability, an important sector of the agricultural economy in Vermont and elsewhere in the USA. Originality/value This research provides the ranking of attributes which may appear on eco-labels by current consumers of dairy products in a state with an important dairy heritage and industry.

Copyright © 2018 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Background: Soft-tissue complications often dictate the success of limb salvage and the overall outcome of open fractures. Based on prior work at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, the authors hypothesize that wounds larger than 200 cm2 are associated with a greater likelihood of both flap-related reoperation and wound complications among patients requiring soft-tissue reconstruction with a rotational flap or free tissue transfer. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of Fluid Lavage in Open Wounds trial data that included all patients who received a rotational or free tissue flap transfer for an open fracture. The primary outcome was flap-related reoperation within 12 months of injury. The secondary outcome was wound complication, which included events treated operatively or nonoperatively. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between wound size and outcomes, adjusting for confounders. Results: Seventeen percent of the 112 patients required a flap-related reoperation. A wound size greater than 200 cm2 was not associated with reoperation in an unadjusted model (p = 0.64) or adjusting for Gustilo type (p = 0.70). The sample had an overall wound complication rate of 47.3 percent. Patients with a wound size of greater than 200 cm2 were three times more likely to experience wound complications (OR, 3.05; 95 percent CI, 1.08 to 8.62; p = 0.04) when adjusting for moderate to severe wound contamination and wound closure in the operating room. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that wound surface area is an integral determinant for wound complication following soft-tissue flap treatment, but found no association between wound surface area and flap-related reoperation rates.

Agritourism is a growing area of the tourism sector with many positive social and economic benefits for farmers, their communities, and for tourists. While researchers have been studying the phenomenon for several decades, factors that lead to profitable outcomes for agritourism operators are still not well understood, hindering the effectiveness of agritourism development and the systems of support available to farmers. Using a survey of 1834 farms and ranches open to visitors in the United States, the goal of this study is to identify the factors that influence the profitability of agritourism operations. This study shows that several factors have positive associations with increased agritourism profitability, such as the number of years of experience of the operator, farm scale (acreage and total farm revenue), providing on-farm product sales, and offering events and entertainment. Off-farm product sales and being a female operator have a negative association with profitability in agritourism. We discuss the implications of our findings on agritourism operators, suggest their utility for tourism planning and rural community development professionals, and offer suggestions for future research.

Food hubs (FHs) have been widely touted and studied as means of expanding markets for local and regional food. One crucial area that has not received a great deal of attention is FHs’ impact on sup...

In this paper we report the results of a field test of an economic impact toolkit recently commissioned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The toolkit was created as a guide for food systems organizations to frame issues and collect and analyze data in order to credibly measure economic and other benefits of their initiatives. To test the toolkit, we applied it to an economic contribution study of a local food-buying program in a large regional hospital in Vermont. Our findings indicate that by working with a dedicated and motivated community partner, we were able to agree on the scope and objectives of the project, obtain high-quality data, and enter these data into an input-output model to measure broader economic contributions (Modules 1 though 6 of the toolkit). We experienced difficulty, however, in obtaining data from a sufficient number of the hospital’s vendors to modify the model from its default settings to better reflect local food system actors’ purchase patterns (the subject of Module 7). Our experience suggests that practitioners need to work with community partners and consider which stages of the analysis meet their project objectives; in particular, they should focus on the difficulty and expense of incorporating Module 7. Our implications focus on strategies for decreasing the cost and effort of data collection for Module 7.

Many U.S. dairy farms, especially small farms, are struggling to stay in business due to difficult economic conditions. While switching to organic milk production has been identified as one way to improve farm profitability, there are very limited economic data available on organic dairy profitability and the key factors contributing to its variation among organic dairy farms. This study analyzes a 10-year longitudinal dataset of Vermont organic dairy farms (2006&ndash, 2016), collected by the University of Vermont Extension, to identify key factors influencing farm profitability and quantify their impact on farm return on assets (ROA) through a multivariate fixed-effects regression model. Results suggest that significant factors for organic farm profitability measured by ROA include feeding management, farm management, farm size, milk price and input costs. Such findings may help many organic dairy farms identify potential areas for improving their profitability and conventional farms evaluate the potential financial benefits of switching to organic operation.

Team ViGIR and Team Hector participated in the DARPA Robotics Challenge DRC Finals, held June 2015 in Pomona, California, along with 21 other teams from around the world. Both teams competed using the same high-level software, in conjunction with independently developed low-level software specific to their humanoid robots. On the basis of previous work on operator-centric manipulation control at the level of affordances, we developed an approach that allows one or more human operators to share control authority with a high-level behavior controller. This collaborative autonomy decreases the completion time of manipulation tasks, increases the reliability of the human-robot team, and allows the operators to adjust the robotic system's autonomy on-the-fly. This article discusses the technical challenges we faced and overcame during our efforts to allow the human operators to interact with the robotic system at a higher level of abstraction and share control authority with it. We introduce and evaluate the proposed approach in the context of our two teams' participation in the DRC Finals. We also present additional, systematic experiments conducted in the lab afterward. Finally, we present a discussion about the lessons learned while transitioning between operator-centered manipulation control and behavior-centered manipulation control during competition.

This paper presents a finite state machine-based approach to collaborative manipulation using the Robot Operating System (ROS) compatible MoveIt! planning system and the Flexible Behavior Engine (FlexBE). The system provides new enhanced MoveIt! capabilities and associated FlexBE state implementations that interact via standard ROS ActionLib interfaces. The system enables finite state machine-based planning using MoveIt! and trajectory execution using the standard ROS controllers framework. The software is directly applicable to any robot manipulator modeled with ROS and MoveIt!. In addition to planning and trajectory execution, state implementations also provide access to common functions such as inverse kinematics. The use of FlexBE directly enables adjustable autonomy levels and collaborative autonomy where the operator can verify transitions as needed. The software, which is available open source, is demonstrated on a 6 DOF Kinova MICO2 arm and small Nao humanoid robot.

Climate change impacts local agricultural systems in detectable and distinguishable ways from large-scale shifts in water, land, and weather patterns to regionally specific distributions of weeds, pests, and diseases. Best management practices for adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change include modifications to farm production through adjusted intensity and product types and changing land use through crop siting and tillage practices. Farmer perceptions of risk and profitability of best management practices are key determinants of adoption, which traditional incentive programs like the Environmental Quality Incentive Program attempt to address by providing financial and technical support. To ensure that payments offered through these programs that maximize adoption, regional incentive payments must be based upon locally established costs. This paper focuses on the cost of implementing and maintaining climate change specific best management practices (CCBMPs) for twelve diverse farms in Vermont. Specifically, three CCBMPs for Vermont are examined: cover cropping, management intensive rotational grazing (MIRG), and riparian buffer strips. Results show the average cost for cover cropping is $129.24/acre, MIRG is $79.82/acre, and a tree based riparian buffer strip cost $807.33/acre. We conclude that existing incentive payments for cover cropping and MIRG are below costs, likely resulting in under-adoption.

The agri-food system plays a vital role in the socioeconomic well-being of the USA. In rural Vermont, the setting for this study, the contributions are even larger. Agri-food businesses contribute an estimated 12% of the state's gross domestic product and comprise 13% of private sector establishments. The community economic development potential of fostering successful food entrepreneurs suggests a role for higher education in educating the next generation of entrepreneurs. This study explores gaps in entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. Using a survey of agri-food entrepreneurs designed to obtain an understanding of the tools needed for success, the authors found that entrepreneurs valued a wide range of skills, making it difficult to tailor training. The importance of informal learning was also confirmed. The authors conclude that the role of higher education in entrepreneurial education is to educate students to think critically, recognize opportunities, develop networks and identify resources. In addition, it is critical to provide students with exposure to entrepreneurs in the field.

A movement toward relocalizing communities’ sources of food has been sparked in part by an urge to mitigate the adverse social, economic, and health impacts associated with a globalized food system. One example of an approach designed to mitigate these effects is the development of, and consumer participation in, alternative food systems (AFS). Factors that drive participation in AFS are largely unexplored. This article uses consumer interviews in Vermont to deepen our understanding of participation in AFS. We find that stacked beliefs about AFS drive participation, suggesting that barriers such as price and convenience may be overcome when these beliefs are more numerous. Implications focus on strategies for better promoting values and decreasing barriers in order to increase participation in and concomitant benefits of AFS.

This chapter discusses the common reactive high-level behavioral control system used by Team ViGIR and Team Hector on separate robots in the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) Finals. We present an approach that allows one or more human operators to share control authority with a high-level behavior controller in the form of a finite state machine (automaton). This collaborative autonomy leverages the relative strengths of the robotic system and the (remote) human operators; it increases reliability of the human-robot team performance and decreases the task completion time. This approach is well-suited to disaster scenarios due to the unstructured nature of the environment. The system allows the operators to adjust the robotic system’s autonomy on-the-fly in response to changing circumstances, and to modify pre-defined behaviors as needed. To enable these high-level behaviors, we introduce our system designs for several of the lower-level system capabilities such as footstep planning and template-based object manipulation. We evaluate the proposed approach in the context of our two teams’ participation in the DRC Finals using two different humanoid platforms, and in systematic experiments conducted in the lab afterward. We present a discussion about the lessons learned during the DRC, especially those related to transitioning between operator-centered control and behavior-centered control during competition. Finally, we describe ongoing research beyond the DRC that extends the systems developed during the DRC. All of our described software is available as open source software.

Local food purchasing programs at institutions such as K-12 schools, colleges and hospitals offer benefits including supporting farms and local economies, encouraging more healthful eating habits of patrons and fostering closer connections between farmers and consumers. Increasing in number and expanding in breadth, Farm to Institution (FTI) markets are promising outlets that may fulfill social and economic motivations for farmers. However, significant challenges and barriers have kept many from participating; farmers interested in this market will incur transaction costs, with high negotiation costs in particular due to product differentiation (in this case, by provenance) and less established markets and terms. Researchers have just begun to study farmers’ perspectives on FTI and, to date, have primarily done so through convenience sampling. By utilizing a representative farmer sample, this study provides a major contribution to FTI research. This survey study was designed to better understand Michigan vegetable farmers’ interest and willingness to participate in institutional markets and to identify perceived barriers and opportunities. Michigan is an ideal location for this research as it boasts one of the most diverse sets of agricultural crops in the US, has an economy highly reliant on the food and agriculture industry and has thriving FTI activity with extensive, ongoing outreach, education and research. Results of this survey study showed that half (50%) of the respondents (n = 311) reported interest in selling to at least one institution type (of K-12 schools, colleges and hospitals), but only a small percentage (7%) had yet sold produce to institutions. The most frequently reported motivators to sell to institutions were supplying healthy foods to customers (77%), fair, steady prices (77%) and supplying local food to consumers (76%), indicating that farmers’ motivations are largely based in social values. Smaller scale farmers (less than 25 acres) were significantly less likely to rate economic factors and help in meeting logistical challenges as important, which suggests that they see more potential social value in FTI markets while larger farmers will seek to minimize their transaction costs related to this market. This research can inform the development of scale-appropriate farmer education to foster this market opportunity and its contribution to regional food system development. As demand for local food increases, it is critical to further examine the viability of FTI markets and continue to understand the opportunities and challenges to farmers of different types and scales to participate.

This paper describes the Flexible Navigation system that extends the ROS Navigation stack and compatible libraries to separate computation from decision making, and integrates the system with FlexBE — the Flexible Behavior Engine, which provides intuitive supervision with adjustable autonomy. Although the ROS Navigation plugin model offers some customization, many decisions are internal to move_base. In contrast, the Flexible Navigation system separates global planning from local planning and control, and uses a hierarchical finite state machine to coordinate behaviors. The Flexible Navigation system includes Python-based state implementations and ROS nodes derived from the move_base plugin model to provide compatibility with existing libraries as well as future extensibility. The paper concludes with complete system demonstrations in both simulation and hardware using the iRobot Create and Kobuki-based Turtlebot running under ROS Kinetic. The system supports multiple independent robots.

Farm to institution (FTI) programs represent alternative supply chains that aim to organize the activities of local producers with institutions that feed the local community. The current study demonstrates the value of structuration theory (Giddens in J Theory Soc Behav 13(1):75–80, 1983; The constitution of society: outline of the theory of structuration. University of California Press, Berkeley, 1984) for conceptualizing how FTI agents create, maintain, and change organizational structures associated with FTI and traditional supply chains. Based on interviews with supply chain agents participating in FTI programs, we found that infrastructure, relationships, and pricing were seen as important factors that enabled and constrained FTI organizing. Additionally, we describe how FTI organizing serves to simultaneously reinforce and challenge the practices associated with traditional supply chains. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed as well as directions for future research.

Information on public support and willingness to pay (WTP) for renewable energy from alternative sources is critically important for the development and evaluation of renewable energy policies and programs. This study assesses consumer support and WTP for electricity from solar panels, wind turbines, and on-farm anaerobic digester systems (ADS) in the United States, using data collected from a household survey in the state of Vermont. Empirical results suggest that solar power was the respondents’ top choice for public investment, and cow power (electricity generated from ADS) was the least-favored choice. Also, the variations in the likelihood of being willing to pay a premium for each renewable electricity across respondents were closely associated with factors such as education, political affiliation, homeownership, and local agricultural engagement. The relatively low level of public support and WTP for cow power is likely the result of unfamiliarity with this renewable source of electricity, and more educational efforts are highly needed to promote this renewable energy with many environmental benefits for a dairy state.

Pasture-raised (PR) milk is a specialty product that could feasibly be produced by economically challenged dairy farms. Our goal was to profile the milk market using an internet survey to identify potential future consumers of PR milk. There were 611 U.S. respondents that were divided into three categories as types of milk consumers: those who only purchased conventional milk in the past year (CONV), those who only purchased non-conventional milk (such as organic, PR, or natural milk) in the past year (NONCONV), and those who purchased both conventional and non-conventional milk in the past year (MIXED). MIXED and NONCONV agreed or strongly agreed with PR milk benefits substantially more than CONV. PR milk was also valued by NONCONV and MIXED in purchasing intentions, but not nearly as much as organic milk. In addition, CONV valued PR milk in purchasing intentions more than organic milk. Results suggest that PR milk can be successfully positioned to appeal to MIXED and perhaps some CONV, potentially incre...

Numerous studies have measured the economic impact of increased consumption of locally grown foods, and many advocates have set goals for increasing consumption of locally grown foods to a given percentage. In this paper, we first apply previously developed methods to the state of Vermont, to measure the quantity and value of food that would be consumed if the USDA Dietary Guidelines were followed. We also assess the potential of locally grown foods to meet these guidelines, finding that meeting dietary guidelines with a local, seasonal diet would bring economic benefit, in this case, US$148 million in income for Vermont farmers. A missing piece of information has been: what is the current percentage of locally grown food being consumed in a given city, state, or region? The Farm to Plate Strategic Plan, a 10-year plan for strengthening Vermont's food system, attempted to answer this question. To date, we know of no credible set of methods to precisely measure the percentage of food consumed that is locally grown. We collect data from a variety of sources to estimate current local consumption of food. We were able to measure and account for about US$52 million in local food expenditures, equal to about 2.5% of all food expenditures in Vermont. We then discuss limitations and suggestions for improving measurement methods moving forward.

Farm-to-school (FTS) programs have become more widely adopted in recent years because of their potential to mitigate childhood obesity, as well as their economic development and educational benefits. As a result of FTS programs' diverse purposes and grassroots nature, the types of activities they encompass vary considerably from program to program and no systematic measures of impact have emerged. Furthermore, FTS programs launched in colder climate regions may be particularly challenging due to a shorter growing season and narrower range and volume of available products. In this exploratory study, we set out to learn more about the factors that lead to increased procurement of local food in FTS programs. To do this we analyze the results of three recent studies of the impact of FTS programming on school purchases of locally produced foods in Vermont, conducted in 2012 and 2013. The results of a census of FTS programs in Vermont and an evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snacks program indicate that price subsidies do not necessarily increase local food procurement in Vermont, while a study of FTS programs working with food hubs in Vermont suggests that social capital in the form of viable partnerships and relationship-building holds promise for increasing the procurement of local food. Implications for FTS programming and future research are discussed.

There is an increasing array of land-grant, nonprofit, and other academic programs intended to support the development of food system enterprises and programs. However, research to track consumers' evolving preferences and behaviors within these systems and to measure the intended policy outcomes of any public investments in these systems is lagging. This research commentary represents a compilation of opinions and insights from those who are interested in exploring research priorities for economic, marketing, and supply-chain aspects of local food systems. The priorities that emerge are framed in the following way: (1) opportunities for increased and more targeted research to help identify gaps in the literature; (2) areas where current localized research projects could be leveraged and scaled up to the national level; and (3) innovative projects and partnerships that are evolving to bridge both knowledge and systems gaps.

Pathologic gene network activation is a hallmark of DCM and HF. We have used a chemical genetic strategy to study the role of the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family of epigenetic reader proteins in the regulation of gene expression in DCM. Transgenic mice carrying a human DCM mutation in phospholamban (PLN R9C ) develop profound fibrosis and DCM that progresses to symptomatic HF and early death. Temporal RNA-seq and pathway analysis identified pro-fibrotic gene expression as a key early driver of DCM progression. PLN R9C and age-matched wild type (WT) mice were treated daily with the potent and specific BET inhibitor JQ1 or vehicle from 8-weeks-of-age (preDCM) to 20-weeks-of-age. Vehicle-treated PLN R9C mice developed DCM with severely reduced LV function and negative cardiac remodeling. JQ1-treated PLN R9C mice had substantially better fractional shortening (27% vs. 15%, p=7x10 -10 ) and less negative remodeling (LV end diastolic diameter 3.9mm vs. 4.5mm, p=1x10 -5 ; LV wall thickness 0.69mm vs. 0.62mm, p=6x10 -6 ) compared to PLN R9C vehicle-treated mice at 20-weeks (n=15). Myocardial fibrosis was also significantly reduced by JQ1 (5.8% PLN R9C -JQ1 vs. 18.4% PLN R9C -vehicle, p=3x10 -5 ; n=3). RNA-seq in preDCM mice treated with JQ1 for 2 weeks demonstrated a decrease in pathologic gene activation. JQ1-treated PLN R9C mice versus vehicle treated mice had reduced expression of natriuretic peptides ( Nppa -31%, Nppb -29%; pMyh6 / Myh7 PLN R9C -JQ1=12.2; PLN R9C -vehicle=8.8; ratio Actc1 / Acta1 PLN R9C -JQ1=39.3; PLN R9C -vehicle=12.1; pTgfb2 -48%, Tgfb3 -41%, Ctgf -21%, Gdf15 -56%; pTgfb2 and Tgfb3 compared to vehicle-treated PLN R9C mice. These data suggest that early induction of pro-fibrotic signaling is a key driver of pathologic remodeling in PLN R9C DCM. This study also identifies epigenetic control of pathologic gene activation by BET bromodomain proteins as a critical mechanism for cardiomyopathy progression and supports BET inhibition as a possible novel therapeutic strategy for HF.

Environmental degradation threatens the long term resiliency of the US food and farming system. While USDA has provided conservation incentives for the adoption of best management practices (BMPs), only a small percentage of farms have participated in such conservation programs. This study uses conjoint analysis to examine Vermont farmers’ underlying preferences and willingness-to-accept (WTA) incentives for three common BMPs. Based on the results of this survey, we hypothesize that federal cost share programs’ payments are below preferred incentive levels and that less familiar and more complex BMPs require a higher payment. Our implications focus on strategies to test these hypotheses and align incentive payments and other non-monetary options to increase BMP adoption.

Values-based value chains and farm to school programs are two aspects of the alternative agri-food system that have received a great deal of attention recently from scholars and practitioners. This paper chronicles two separate pilot efforts to create value chains for mid-scale farms to supply large school districts' food-service operations with more healthful, local, and sustainably produced foods, using a modified farm to school model. Early farm to school efforts were mostly farm-direct, a model that poses difficulty for large districts, which often require some kind of intermediary to procure the volume and form of products required for the scale of their food-service operations. Value chains have the potential to address this issue, as part of a more broad-based sustainable school food procurement model that can met the needs of large districts. The lessons learned about the various roles scholars and community partners might play in creating, sustaining, and monitoring performance of these value chains are highlighted.

While recent advances in approaches for control of humanoid robot systems show highly promising results, consideration of fully integrated humanoid systems for solving complex tasks such as disaster response has only gained focus recently. In this work, a software framework for humanoid disaster response robots is introduced. It provides newcomers as well as experienced researchers in humanoid robotics a comprehensive system comprising open source packages for locomotion, manipulation, perception, world modeling, behavior control, and operator interaction. The system uses the Robot Operating System (ROS) as a middleware, which has emerged as a de-facto standard in robotics research in recent years. The described architecture and components allow for flexible interaction between operator(s) and robot from teleoperation to remotely supervised autonomous operation while considering bandwidth constraints. The components are self-­contained and can be used either in combination with others or standalone. They have been developed and evaluated during participation in the DARPA Robotics Challenge and their use for different tasks and parts of this competition are described.

In this work, we take a step towards bridging the gap between the theory of formal synthesis and its application to real-world, complex, robotic systems. In particular, we present an end-to-end approach for the automatic generation of code that implements high-level robot behaviors in a verifiably correct manner, including reaction to the possible failures of low-level actions. We start with a description of the system defined a priori. Thus, a non-expert user need only specify a high-level task. We automatically construct a formal specification, in a fragment of Linear Temporal Logic (LTL), that encodes the system's capabilities and constraints, the task, and the desired reaction to low-level failures. We then synthesize a reactive mission plan that is guaranteed to satisfy the formal specification, i.e., achieve the task's goals or correctly react to failures. Lastly, we automatically generate a state machine that instantiates the synthesized symbolic plan in software. We showcase our approach using Team ViGIR's software and Atlas humanoid robot and present lab experiments, thus demonstrating the application of formal synthesis techniques to complex robotic systems. The proposed approach has been implemented and open-sourced as a collection of Robot Operating System (ROS) packages, which are adaptable to other systems.

This article addresses the economic costs of good agricultural practices (GAPs) audits of small and medium size farms in Vermont. It focuses on the costs of infrastructure, equipment, and labor required to successfully pass a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) GAPs audit. In-depth interviews and surveys of produce farmers in 2011 revealed that the cost of GAPs certification ranges between $37 and $54 per acre, and an additional 7 hours were required each week during the growing season. Based on this exploratory research, certifying all the farms in Vermont would cost between $228,216 and $3,019,114. Our study explored all the criteria of the certification and measured the costs of GAPs from planning stages to daily record keeping more than one year after the certification was achieved. This study provides information to farmers who are considering GAPs certification. It also provides background information to agricultural service providers and policymakers planning for the future of the fresh produce industry.

Many scholars and activists are interested in the potential for school-based childhood nutrition programs to positively impact the U.S. agri-food system. This paper explores efforts of a national K-12 school food collaborative to procure more sustainably grown and healthful food products. After a review of literature on transaction cost theory and school food procurement, the paper examines the potential of strategic partnerships in a value chain framework to meet procurement change goals. Results from a qualitative study of two participating school districts suggest that partnerships can offer potential solutions to recurring procurement barriers found in previous research.

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. season extension, vegetable production, farm management SUMMARY. Quantitative and qualitative data from a group of 12 novice hoophouse farmers over a 3-year period in Michigan were analyzed to better understand factors associated with profitable use of these structures. There was wide variation in labor inputs and effective wages. We used regression analysis and semistructured interviews to better understand the variation in performance. Not all farmers were making use of the hoophouse between outdoor seasons when supply is low and prices arehigh,aseconomictheorywouldpredict.However,highwageearnerswere more likely to push production into the extended season months, hire labor at higher wages, and spend less time in maintaining crops and appeared to harvest more efficiently. Markets played a role in farmers’ success as some farmers were able to make significant profits by organizing community-supported agriculture (CSA)/ direct sales or by finding new markets.

Farm to School (FTS) programs are increasingly popular as methods to teach students about food, nutrition, and agriculture by connecting students with the sources of the food that they eat. They may also provide opportunity for farmers seeking to diversify market channels. Food service buyers in FTS programs often choose to procure food for school meals directly from farmers. The distribution practices required for such direct procurement often bring significant transaction costs for both school food service professionals and farmers. Analysis of data from a survey of Vermont farmers who sell directly to school food services explores farmers’ motivations and distribution practices in these partnerships. A two-step cluster analysis procedure characterizes farmers’ motivations along a continuum between market-based and socially embedded values. Further bivariate analysis shows that farmers who are motivated most by market-based values are significantly associated with distribution practices that facilitate sales to school food services. Implications for technical assistance to facilitate these sales are discussed.

In this article, the contemporary Farm-to-School movement is described as a system comprised of discrete actors operating at varying levels of geographic scale, social sector, and network function. Drawing on a literature review and case study research, the authors present and analyze a Farm-to-School network in Vermont as a series of relationships between network actors predicated on the flow of financial resources, whole and processed foods, information, and regulatory authority. Furthermore, the utility for using this map to critically examine the leverage points that may drive positive change within and across the system is discussed.

The problem of serving more healthful, local, and sustainably grown foods in school meals has many elements of a “wicked problem” and therefore an engaged, participatory approach is essential. This article discusses efforts by a national farm-to-school project, School Food FOCUS, and its efforts to engage school districts in participatory supply chain research. It describes the methods, activities, and findings of the project and its initial impacts on changes in procurement practices and food availability. It concludes with overarching observations on the efficacy of this approach, key lessons learned, and future plans for the project.

Pathologic gene expression is a hallmark of DCM. Mice carrying a human DCM mutation in phospholamban (PLNR9C) develop fibrosis, DCM, HF and premature death. RNAseq showed fibrotic gene expression to be a key early driver of DCM in PLNR9C mice. Recently, bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) epigenetic reader proteins have been identified as key regulators of pathologic gene expression in the heart. Using a chemical genetic strategy, we studied the role of BET proteins on the temporal regulation of gene expression in DCM. PLNR9C and age-matched wild type (WT) mice were treated longitudinally with the BET inhibitor JQ1 or vehicle. Vehicle-treated PLNR9C mice developed progressive DCM with reduced LV function, chamber dilation and LV hypertrophy; this was blunted with JQ1 (fractional shortening 15±3% vs. 27±3%, p

Farmers' markets are touted to bring community development and nutritional benefits yet are criticized for being patronized by narrow segments of society. We review literature on farmers' market attributes that motivate patrons, finding little research that explores either the interaction of incentives and disincentives or unique perspectives from marginalized populations. We report on focus groups and a statewide survey in Michigan investigating attitudes and behaviors surrounding farmers' markets with an eye toward underrepresented groups. Though interest in fresh, local products was widespread, attitudes and barriers experienced differed across demographics. We conclude with implications for stakeholders wishing to increase the relevance of direct markets in diverse societies.

"Farm viability poses a grave challenge to the sustainability of agriculture and food systems: the number of acres in production continues to decline as the majority of farms earn negative net income. Two related and often overlapping marketing strategies,(i) locally grown foods and (ii) distribution at farmers markets, can directly enhance food system sustainability by improving farm profitability and long-term viability, as well as contributing to an array of ancillary benefits. We present results of a representative Michigan telephone survey, which measured consumers??? perceptions and behaviors around local foods and farmers markets. We discuss the implications of our findings on greater farm profitability. We conclude with suggestions for future research to enhance the contributions of locally grown foods and farmers markets to overall food system sustainability."

In the past 5 years, the hard cider industry in the U.S. has undergone a sudden and dramatic growth period. This boom initially revealed challenges on the cider-specific apple supply side, but issues on the hard cider demand side have also emerged. This mixed methods study conducted in Vermont, a crucial player of the U.S. hard cider industry, addresses the gaps in the literature both on the apple supply side, and on the hard cider demand side. On the apple supply side, fourteen semi-structured interviews demonstrated that neither a long-term formalized contract nor a cooperative model (the two strategic partnership mechanisms used by world’s leading industries to manage cider-specific apple production) are appropriate for the current Vermont industry context. On the hard cider demand side, cider makers expressed high interest in working under a geographical indication (GI) label to develop consumers’ hard cider literacy and increase demand. This research further indicates that GIs can act as a powerful economic development tool. Introducing hard cider GIs could address current hard cider industry issues on both the supply side and the demand side.

T he pasture-based model of dairy production (figure 1) can contribute to soil and water conservation goals while offering the potential for improved farm profitability. There is increasing concern about the negative environmental outcomes associated with animal agriculture, e.g., the addition of excess nitrogen and phosphorous to ground and surface waters or contributions to climate change. While researchers are examining a variety of ways to mitigate nutrient and carbon losses from confinement livestock operations, there is some evidence that raising livestock on pasture may contribute less to air and water pollution as long as these pastures are appropriately managed. In support of this, our research indicates that consumers are interested in meat, eggs, milk, and cheeses from pasture-raised animals and may be willing to pay more for such products. However, many grazing dairy farms currently sell their milk to commodity pools (Hinrichs and Welsh 2003; Haan et al. forthcoming)—they must “take” whatever price the buyer offers, with little or no power to influence it. Pursuing a product differentiation strategy and capitalizing on consumer demand for more environmentally friendly food choices may bring higher prices, greater market share, access to newer markets, and, in general, enhance the profitability of grazing farms (Lancaster…

Locally grown food is gaining popularity and increasing its prevalence holds potential for broad social, economic and environmental benefits. Season extension technologies such as hoop houses offer a solution to limited growing seasons, a major constraint in many areas, enhancing efforts to supply locally grown food. This paper discusses research conducted at three Michigan farmers' markets, locations where Michigan farmers utilizing hoop houses currently sell their produce. The research measures consumers' willingness to buy local produce at extended season markets using a set of four complementary methods: dot poster surveys, written surveys, focus groups and experimental auctions. Building upon prior research on attributes that create value for local foods (spatial proximity, food quality and relationships between farmers and consumers), our results inform farmers' choice of marketing mix. We find consumers willing to pay a premium for large quantities of locally grown produce, with many placing highest value on products grown in Michigan. We conclude that extended season farmers' markets supplied by hoop house grown produce create an opportunity for farm viability and further development of the market for locally grown food.