James Farmer | Indiana University (original) (raw)
Papers by James Farmer
Although organic production continues to expand and remains the fastest growing segment of the U.... more Although organic production continues to expand and remains the fastest growing segment of the U.S. agricultural economy, demand for organics continues to outpace supply, causing a lag in the supply chain. One of many important elements to remedying this issue is for more farmers to adopt organic practices and/or transition to organic
Community-Supported-Agriculture (CSA) programs consist of a community of individuals who pledge t... more Community-Supported-Agriculture (CSA) programs consist of a community of individuals who pledge their support to a farm by paying an upfront fee (generally ranging from 250−250-250−700, depending on the share size and time length) in exchange for a routine allotment of the farm's bounty. This study sought to understand the demographics in CSA participation throughout Indiana. A mixed-methods framework, which included 13 interviews and survey data collected from 274 (32.9% rr) participants was used to explore participation among a random sample of 17 Indiana CSAs. Our findings suggest that CSAs have controlled segregated access, and that the vast majority of participants are part of the privileged class, with smaller than proportionate numbers of minority persons accessing CSAs (95.3% Caucasian). Additionally, participants had a higher than normal income level (62.4% above $75,000), as well as above normal level for education (85.6% bachelor's). This study's results suggest tha...
Therapeutic recreation journal
Cancer survival rates for youth have improved by 20%-30% in the past two decades, resulting in a ... more Cancer survival rates for youth have improved by 20%-30% in the past two decades, resulting in a greater need for therapeutic interventions that address the resulting psychosocial needs of patients post traditional medical treatment . The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of attendance at a pediatric oncology camp designed to support the psychosocial needs of youth 8-18 years of age. Campers attending the oncology camp from Sunday through Friday were given a 12-item evaluation at the beginning of the week (pretest) and again at the end of the week (posttest) to gather quantitative data on independence, social skills, and self-esteem. A threemonth follow-up telephone interview was conducted to generate qualitative emerging themes. Findings suggest that campers had statistically significant improvements in self-esteem while emergent themes included a supportive community, normalizing experience, positive recollection of their camp experience and memories of specific activities. Social comparison theory is the foundation of the study and provides a framework for interpreting the results.
Therapeutic recreation journal
Cancer survival rates for youth have improved by 20%-30% in the past two decades, resulting in a ... more Cancer survival rates for youth have improved by 20%-30% in the past two decades, resulting in a greater need for therapeutic interventions that address the resulting psychosocial needs of patients post traditional medical treatment (Greenlee, Murray, Bolden, & Windgo, 2000). The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of attendance at a pediatric oncology camp designed to support the psychosocial needs of youth 8-18 years of age. Campers attending the oncology camp from Sunday through Friday were given a 12-item evaluation at the beginning of the week (pretest) and again at the end of the week (posttest) to gather quantitative data on independence, social skills, and self-esteem. A three-month follow-up telephone interview was conducted to generate qualitative emerging themes. Findings suggest that campers had statistically significant improvements in self-esteem while emergent themes included a supportive community, normalizing experience, positive recollection of their ca...
Landscape and Urban Planning, 2015
ABSTRACT In the United States, the amount of land protected by conservation easements dramaticall... more ABSTRACT In the United States, the amount of land protected by conservation easements dramatically increased between 2000 and 2010. As this mechanism for private land conservation continues to draw the attention of scientists, professionals, and policy makers, more information is needed on the landowner motivations and the variables affecting the placement of conservation easements. We surveyed landowners in the Midwest who had placed conservation easements on their properties in order to explore how nine various motive-values and exogenous variables, such as land characteristics and demographics, affected the decision to place conservation easements. The results suggested that those receiving monetary benefits from their land indicated were less likely to adopt a conservation easement without the accompanying financial incentives and did not share the same level of environmental motives as those receiving predominantly non-monetary benefits. In addition, absentee landowners appear less affected by financial incentives than those with permanent residences on or adjacent to the protected properties. Overall, our findings demonstrate the variation in motive-values of those receiving monetary vs. non-monetary benefits from their land, as well as highlight the differences in absentee vs. permanent landowners.
American journal of botany, 2014
Conducting science for practical ends implicates scientists, whether they wish it or not, as agen... more Conducting science for practical ends implicates scientists, whether they wish it or not, as agents in social-ecological systems, raising ethical, economic, environmental, and political issues. Considering these issues helps scientists to increase the relevance and sustainability of research outcomes. As we rise to the worthy call to connect basic research with food production, scientists have the opportunity to evaluate alternative food production paradigms and consider how our research funds and efforts are best employed. In this contribution, we review some of the problems produced by science conducted in service of industrial agriculture and its associated economic growth paradigm. We discuss whether the new concept of "ecological intensification" can rescue the industrial agriculture/growth paradigm and present an emerging alternative paradigm of decentralized, localized, biodiversity-promoting agriculture for a steady-state economy. This…
The Journal of Environmental Education, 2007
Natural Areas Journal, 2011
ABSTRACT
Leisure Sciences, 2012
ABSTRACT
Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 2008
ABSTRACT
BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting... more BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research.
The use of conservation easements as a conservation mechanism for private land has increased grea... more The use of conservation easements as a conservation mechanism for private land has increased greatly in the past decade; conservation easements now protect over 15 million ha across the United States from residential and commercial development. We used a mailed survey and in-depth telephone interviews to determine factors that motivate private landowners in Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin (U.S.A.) to place conservation easements on their properties. The mailed survey asked about characteristics of landowners, their properties, and their opinions on 9 factors related to the decision to place an easement. A followup telephone interview was completed with 19 mail-survey participants to gain an in-depth understanding of the action and to triangulate the results with the questionnaire. Place attachment, which is a measure of personal connection to a location or property, was the greatest motivation for implementation of an easement. Results of a principal components analysis suggested contributing to the public good underlaid several of the strong motivational factors for participation. Financial reasons were the lowest ranked motivational factor; however, financial concerns may facilitate placement of an easement that would otherwise not be realized. We believe that our results may be transferable to places where land protected by easements is not dominated by traditional farming (row crops, pastures, and hay), timber harvesting, or nonextractive uses (e.g., habitat for wild animals, recreation, and protection of ecosystem services).
As an important component in collaborative natural resource management and nonprofit governance, ... more As an important component in collaborative natural resource management and nonprofit governance, social capital is expected to be related to variations in the performance of land trusts. Land trusts are charitable organizations that work to conserve private land locally, regionally, or nationally. The purpose of this paper is to identify the level of structural and cognitive social capital among local land trusts, and how these two types of social capital relate to the perceived success of land trusts. The analysis integrates data for land trusts operating in the U.S. south-central Appalachian region, which includes western North Carolina, southwest Virginia, and east Tennessee. We use factor analysis to elicit different dimensions of cognitive social capital, including cooperation among board members, shared values, common norms, and communication effectiveness. Measures of structural social capital include the size and diversity of organizational networks of both land trusts and their board members. Finally, a hierarchical linear regression model is employed to estimate how cognitive and structural social capital measures, along with other organizational and individual-level attributes, relate to perceptions of land trust success, defined here as achievement of the land trusts' mission, conservation, and financial goals. Results show that the diversity of organizational partnerships, cooperation, and shared values among land trust board members are associated with higher levels of perceived success. Organizational capacity, land trust accreditation, volunteerism, and financial support are also important factors influencing perceptions of success among local, nonprofit land trusts.
Private land conservation mechanisms are critical components employed by policy makers and conser... more Private land conservation mechanisms are critical components employed by policy makers and conservation professionals to support the stewardship and protection of vital ecosystem services. While most research on voluntary conservation programs focuses on motives and barriers to participation, little is known about landowner activities and ecological status once property is enrolled in programs. Our mailed survey to landowners with property enrolled in the Indiana Classified Forest and Wildlands Program in U.S.A. revealed that (1) environmental motives, (2) residential motives like family life, and (3) having more land enrolled in the program were strong predictors of individuals who implemented conservation actions such as removal of invasive species and control of erosion. We also found that landowners witnessing environmental improvements on their land reported more conservation actions than those perceiving unchanged environmental conditions. A better understanding of landowner perceptions and conservation outcomes can help policy makers improve private land conservation programs.
Publications by James Farmer
Local food systems and farmers' markets across the USA have experienced unprecedented growth and ... more Local food systems and farmers' markets across the USA have experienced unprecedented growth and development in the past 20 years. While scholarship has examined participant demographics and motives for engaging in farmers' markets, few studies have considered the coupled nature of those attending the markets with institutional governance systems used for market coordination. This study examined participation in farmers' markets under the framework of high and low market governance systems, specifically considering the demographics, values for local foods, motives for attending farmers' markets, and outcomes of the experience based on the dichotomous governance classification. Governance was characterized using four attributes: market rules or policies, paid employee(s), a rule governing geography of food origin, and affiliation with an organisation or agency. Our results suggest that market governance may impact (1) which consumers attend the market, (2) motives among those who attend the market, and (3) satisfaction outcome levels among market participants. By better understanding how the emerging governance system impacts who ultimately attends the market (and the outcomes of the experience), agencies coordinating farmers' markets and market managers can ultimately improve the market's reach and experience with greater intentionality.
Although organic production continues to expand and remains the fastest growing segment of the U.... more Although organic production continues to expand and remains the fastest growing segment of the U.S. agricultural economy, demand for organics continues to outpace supply, causing a lag in the supply chain. One of many important elements to remedying this issue is for more farmers to adopt organic practices and/or transition to organic
Community-Supported-Agriculture (CSA) programs consist of a community of individuals who pledge t... more Community-Supported-Agriculture (CSA) programs consist of a community of individuals who pledge their support to a farm by paying an upfront fee (generally ranging from 250−250-250−700, depending on the share size and time length) in exchange for a routine allotment of the farm's bounty. This study sought to understand the demographics in CSA participation throughout Indiana. A mixed-methods framework, which included 13 interviews and survey data collected from 274 (32.9% rr) participants was used to explore participation among a random sample of 17 Indiana CSAs. Our findings suggest that CSAs have controlled segregated access, and that the vast majority of participants are part of the privileged class, with smaller than proportionate numbers of minority persons accessing CSAs (95.3% Caucasian). Additionally, participants had a higher than normal income level (62.4% above $75,000), as well as above normal level for education (85.6% bachelor's). This study's results suggest tha...
Therapeutic recreation journal
Cancer survival rates for youth have improved by 20%-30% in the past two decades, resulting in a ... more Cancer survival rates for youth have improved by 20%-30% in the past two decades, resulting in a greater need for therapeutic interventions that address the resulting psychosocial needs of patients post traditional medical treatment . The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of attendance at a pediatric oncology camp designed to support the psychosocial needs of youth 8-18 years of age. Campers attending the oncology camp from Sunday through Friday were given a 12-item evaluation at the beginning of the week (pretest) and again at the end of the week (posttest) to gather quantitative data on independence, social skills, and self-esteem. A threemonth follow-up telephone interview was conducted to generate qualitative emerging themes. Findings suggest that campers had statistically significant improvements in self-esteem while emergent themes included a supportive community, normalizing experience, positive recollection of their camp experience and memories of specific activities. Social comparison theory is the foundation of the study and provides a framework for interpreting the results.
Therapeutic recreation journal
Cancer survival rates for youth have improved by 20%-30% in the past two decades, resulting in a ... more Cancer survival rates for youth have improved by 20%-30% in the past two decades, resulting in a greater need for therapeutic interventions that address the resulting psychosocial needs of patients post traditional medical treatment (Greenlee, Murray, Bolden, & Windgo, 2000). The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of attendance at a pediatric oncology camp designed to support the psychosocial needs of youth 8-18 years of age. Campers attending the oncology camp from Sunday through Friday were given a 12-item evaluation at the beginning of the week (pretest) and again at the end of the week (posttest) to gather quantitative data on independence, social skills, and self-esteem. A three-month follow-up telephone interview was conducted to generate qualitative emerging themes. Findings suggest that campers had statistically significant improvements in self-esteem while emergent themes included a supportive community, normalizing experience, positive recollection of their ca...
Landscape and Urban Planning, 2015
ABSTRACT In the United States, the amount of land protected by conservation easements dramaticall... more ABSTRACT In the United States, the amount of land protected by conservation easements dramatically increased between 2000 and 2010. As this mechanism for private land conservation continues to draw the attention of scientists, professionals, and policy makers, more information is needed on the landowner motivations and the variables affecting the placement of conservation easements. We surveyed landowners in the Midwest who had placed conservation easements on their properties in order to explore how nine various motive-values and exogenous variables, such as land characteristics and demographics, affected the decision to place conservation easements. The results suggested that those receiving monetary benefits from their land indicated were less likely to adopt a conservation easement without the accompanying financial incentives and did not share the same level of environmental motives as those receiving predominantly non-monetary benefits. In addition, absentee landowners appear less affected by financial incentives than those with permanent residences on or adjacent to the protected properties. Overall, our findings demonstrate the variation in motive-values of those receiving monetary vs. non-monetary benefits from their land, as well as highlight the differences in absentee vs. permanent landowners.
American journal of botany, 2014
Conducting science for practical ends implicates scientists, whether they wish it or not, as agen... more Conducting science for practical ends implicates scientists, whether they wish it or not, as agents in social-ecological systems, raising ethical, economic, environmental, and political issues. Considering these issues helps scientists to increase the relevance and sustainability of research outcomes. As we rise to the worthy call to connect basic research with food production, scientists have the opportunity to evaluate alternative food production paradigms and consider how our research funds and efforts are best employed. In this contribution, we review some of the problems produced by science conducted in service of industrial agriculture and its associated economic growth paradigm. We discuss whether the new concept of "ecological intensification" can rescue the industrial agriculture/growth paradigm and present an emerging alternative paradigm of decentralized, localized, biodiversity-promoting agriculture for a steady-state economy. This…
The Journal of Environmental Education, 2007
Natural Areas Journal, 2011
ABSTRACT
Leisure Sciences, 2012
ABSTRACT
Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 2008
ABSTRACT
BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting... more BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research.
The use of conservation easements as a conservation mechanism for private land has increased grea... more The use of conservation easements as a conservation mechanism for private land has increased greatly in the past decade; conservation easements now protect over 15 million ha across the United States from residential and commercial development. We used a mailed survey and in-depth telephone interviews to determine factors that motivate private landowners in Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin (U.S.A.) to place conservation easements on their properties. The mailed survey asked about characteristics of landowners, their properties, and their opinions on 9 factors related to the decision to place an easement. A followup telephone interview was completed with 19 mail-survey participants to gain an in-depth understanding of the action and to triangulate the results with the questionnaire. Place attachment, which is a measure of personal connection to a location or property, was the greatest motivation for implementation of an easement. Results of a principal components analysis suggested contributing to the public good underlaid several of the strong motivational factors for participation. Financial reasons were the lowest ranked motivational factor; however, financial concerns may facilitate placement of an easement that would otherwise not be realized. We believe that our results may be transferable to places where land protected by easements is not dominated by traditional farming (row crops, pastures, and hay), timber harvesting, or nonextractive uses (e.g., habitat for wild animals, recreation, and protection of ecosystem services).
As an important component in collaborative natural resource management and nonprofit governance, ... more As an important component in collaborative natural resource management and nonprofit governance, social capital is expected to be related to variations in the performance of land trusts. Land trusts are charitable organizations that work to conserve private land locally, regionally, or nationally. The purpose of this paper is to identify the level of structural and cognitive social capital among local land trusts, and how these two types of social capital relate to the perceived success of land trusts. The analysis integrates data for land trusts operating in the U.S. south-central Appalachian region, which includes western North Carolina, southwest Virginia, and east Tennessee. We use factor analysis to elicit different dimensions of cognitive social capital, including cooperation among board members, shared values, common norms, and communication effectiveness. Measures of structural social capital include the size and diversity of organizational networks of both land trusts and their board members. Finally, a hierarchical linear regression model is employed to estimate how cognitive and structural social capital measures, along with other organizational and individual-level attributes, relate to perceptions of land trust success, defined here as achievement of the land trusts' mission, conservation, and financial goals. Results show that the diversity of organizational partnerships, cooperation, and shared values among land trust board members are associated with higher levels of perceived success. Organizational capacity, land trust accreditation, volunteerism, and financial support are also important factors influencing perceptions of success among local, nonprofit land trusts.
Private land conservation mechanisms are critical components employed by policy makers and conser... more Private land conservation mechanisms are critical components employed by policy makers and conservation professionals to support the stewardship and protection of vital ecosystem services. While most research on voluntary conservation programs focuses on motives and barriers to participation, little is known about landowner activities and ecological status once property is enrolled in programs. Our mailed survey to landowners with property enrolled in the Indiana Classified Forest and Wildlands Program in U.S.A. revealed that (1) environmental motives, (2) residential motives like family life, and (3) having more land enrolled in the program were strong predictors of individuals who implemented conservation actions such as removal of invasive species and control of erosion. We also found that landowners witnessing environmental improvements on their land reported more conservation actions than those perceiving unchanged environmental conditions. A better understanding of landowner perceptions and conservation outcomes can help policy makers improve private land conservation programs.
Local food systems and farmers' markets across the USA have experienced unprecedented growth and ... more Local food systems and farmers' markets across the USA have experienced unprecedented growth and development in the past 20 years. While scholarship has examined participant demographics and motives for engaging in farmers' markets, few studies have considered the coupled nature of those attending the markets with institutional governance systems used for market coordination. This study examined participation in farmers' markets under the framework of high and low market governance systems, specifically considering the demographics, values for local foods, motives for attending farmers' markets, and outcomes of the experience based on the dichotomous governance classification. Governance was characterized using four attributes: market rules or policies, paid employee(s), a rule governing geography of food origin, and affiliation with an organisation or agency. Our results suggest that market governance may impact (1) which consumers attend the market, (2) motives among those who attend the market, and (3) satisfaction outcome levels among market participants. By better understanding how the emerging governance system impacts who ultimately attends the market (and the outcomes of the experience), agencies coordinating farmers' markets and market managers can ultimately improve the market's reach and experience with greater intentionality.