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Browsing by Author "Motschke, Collin"

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    Barriers to Barriers: An Exploration of Snow Fence Adoption and Ramón Seed Market Potential
    (2020) Motschke, Collin
    This Plan B Thesis is comprised of two discrete projects. Each project’s abstract is provided below. An Exploration of Snow Fence Adoption Among Minnesota Landowners Through its Blowing Snow Control Program, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) pays private landowners to install snow fences along state highways to trap snow as it blows across open areas. These barriers, which include trees, shrubs, haybales, permanent fences, and standing corn rows, not only protect Minnesota drivers by increasing visibility and reducing the amount of snow on the roadway, they also save taxpayer dollars, as MnDOT snowplow operators make fewer trips, thus resulting in less fuel consumption and reduced usage of deicers. An ongoing research collaboration between UMN and MnDOT has identified relatively low adoption rates among Minnesota landowners and an associated need for an improved understanding of landowner knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to snow fences. The present study aims to address this area of need by using a mixed-methods approach (listening sessions and surveys) in four regions of the state to uncover landowner constraints, develop an effective outreach plan, and ultimately expand landowner adoption of snow fences. Findings revealed a general lack of program awareness, a wide range of constraints to adoption, and a key recommendation to emphasize MnDOT’s willingness to offer customized, rather than one-size-fits-all, snow fence solutions. An Exploration of U.S. Market Potential for Ramón Seed (Brosimum alicastrum) Since 2011, the University of Minnesota (UMN), in collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance’s Climate, Nature, and Communities in Guatemala Initiative, has been conducting value chain analyses on the ramón seed (Brosimum alicastrum), a nutritious tree seed native to the neotropics. To date, most UMN research has focused on the processes, perspectives, organizational structures, and finances of ramón seed producers in the Maya Biosphere Reserve of Guatemala’s Petén Department. Many of these investigations have mentioned and recommended further study of potential market pathways for ramón seed in the United States’ health food industry. This study employs a variety of methods including interviews with health food market stakeholders, preliminary price evaluations, and novel UMN research collaborations to provide insights into ramón seed market development. Results include a need for improved consumer awareness of ramón seed, a recommendation to avoid low-priced commodity markets, and a suggestion to prioritize ramón’s production narrative when marketing to prospective buyers.
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    Expanding Landowner Adoption of Snow Control Measures Through a Better Understanding of Landowner Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2019-12) Current, Dean; Motschke, Collin; Serra, Airton Jr.; Wyatt, Gary; Zamora, Diomy
    Previous research demonstrated the ability of snow fences to significantly lower both public and private costs related to the control of blowing and drifting snow. Follow-up research specifically addressed the knowledge of MnDOT staff and attitudes and practices related to the promotion and implementation of snow control measures. These efforts identified a need for a better understanding of landowners' knowledge, attitudes and practices related to snow control measures to develop more effective outreach and foster the adoption of snow control measures. We identified four regions of the state with highway corridors with snow problems. In each region, we carried out listening sessions with landowners and MnDOT personnel, and based on those sessions while applying the KAP (knowledge, attitudes and practices) methodology, we designed a landowner survey to explore landowner knowledge, attitudes and practices related to snow problems and the willingness of landowners to implement snow fences to address the problems. The survey was carried out once prior to an outreach effort and then again after the outreach effort to measure any changes in landowner knowledge, attitudes and practices resulting from the effort. We found that landowners were generally not aware of MnDOT's program to address snow problems and were able to identify constraints to adoption as well as incentives that might be required to promote adoption. We also identified the most acceptable channels for outreach to landowners as well as ways to better structure the MnDOT program to address constraints identified by landowners and provide the assistance and incentives needed to promote greater adoption.