Browsing by Author "Krause, Lindsey"
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Item Lake of the Woods Solid Waste Policy Report(2020-08) Krause, LindseyResearch was conducted for Lake of the Woods County to find policy solutions for the budgetary deficits the county solid waste system and emergency services received in winter of 2020. The deficits were due to the record high solid waste collected and emergency service calls received during the season. Lake of the Woods, a popular ice fishing destination in the county, received record-high traffic due to more favorable ice conditions compared to other lakes further south. A literature search, meetings, a survey, and interviews were all used to gather data on the issue. Three policy options were created from findings: including sleeper houses in unit counts and prorating for winter, requiring all resorts and ice road operators to have dumpsters for customers, and issuing permits for wheelhouses on Lake of the Woods. Policy options were qualitatively analyzed with SWOT analyses and compared to one another. These options were presented to the county board who discussed them briefly after the presentation. It was recommended that the county waits at least one more season before beginning any new policy implementation.Item Planning for Land Use & Economic Development Post-COVID-19(Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota, 2020) Pradhan, Bhavin; Krause, Lindsey; Chomilo, Njoya; Kaasan Stull, DimitriThis project was completed as part of a partnership between the City of Minnetonka, the Metropolitan Council, and the University of Minnesota’s Resilient Communities Project (http://www.rcp.umn.edu). The goal of this project was to identify economic development changes the City should consider to effectively plan for recovery from COVID-19, as well as prepare for a future pandemic. City of Minnetonka project lead Drew Ingvalson collaborated with students in Professor Dipali Mukhopadyay’s course, PA 5041: Qualitative Methods for Policy Analysts, to conduct interviews with business owners throughout Minnetonka and to provide recommendations on how the City can help its business community weather COVID-19 and its near-term aftermath. A final student report and presentation are available. A videorecording of the students' final presentation is also available at https://vimeo.com/492636688.Item WCROC Farm Sustainability Project: Considering Online Decision Support Tools(2021-05) Carlson, Michaela; Hauber, Rachel; Krause, Lindsey; Kretz, RobThe University of Minnesota’s West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) is aiming to provide an online decision support tool to farmers that will help them improve the sustainability and resiliency of their operations. A team of graduate students at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public affairs researched the use and uptake of online decision support tools for farm sustainability in order to provide recommendations to help achieve this goal. We investigated the various forms decision support tools can take, and the factors that affect their uptake and use by farmers. There are 15 variables and eight “core factors” affecting tool use including: cost, ease of use, peer recommendation, and relevance to users. In designing a tool that is easy to use and relevant to farmers, there are a wide array of metrics and indicators that could be used. Using soil carbon as an example of a sustainability indicator, we illustrate some of the complexity of choosing specific metrics. While there are often economic and policy barriers to adopting sustainable practices, social and cultural factors that shape a farmer’s knowledge and beliefs are often more important influences on farming practices. Adoption of sustainable practices often occurs as a result of information gained from new social relationships with other agriculture professionals, particularly other farmers. Designing and facilitating the use of a new decision support tool requires collaboration with users (farmers) throughout the entire process. Feedback between designers and users during the design and diffusion of the tool will ensure that the tool is appropriate for the users’ needs. Facilitating communication between users of the tool, which could be achieved through a farmer discussion group, will help farmers use the tool and qualify the information they receive.Item WCROC Farm Sustainability Project: Considering Online Decision Support Tools(2021-05-19) Carlson, Michaela; Hauber, Rachel; Krause, Lindsey; Kretz, RobThe University of Minnesota’s West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) is aiming to provide an online decision support tool to farmers that will help them improve the sustainability and resiliency of their operations. A team of graduate students at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public affairs researched the use and uptake of online decision support tools for farm sustainability in order to provide recommendations to help achieve this goal. While there are often economic and policy barriers to adopting sustainable practices, social and cultural factors that shape a farmer’s knowledge and beliefs are often more important influences on farming practices. Adoption of sustainable practices often occurs as a result of information gained from new social relationships with other agriculture professionals, particularly other farmers. At a time when sustainable agriculture policy, incentives, and metrics are rapidly evolving, we believe WCROC can best meet its goals by working with farmers to consider the design elements of an online decision support tool, focusing on the key variables including accessibility and ease of use. Additionally, a WCROC platform should provide a platform which builds farmers’ social capital and enhances farmer-to-farmer communication and learning. Providing a forum that captures and shares farmers’ personal knowledge and experiences will help farmers engage with the online tool and convert new knowledge into new farming practices.