Browsing by Author "Read, Aidan"
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Item Promoting the Adoption of Snow Fences through Landowner Engagement(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2022-05) Current, Dean; Read, Aidan; Serra Jr., Airton; Wyatt, Gary; Gullickson, DanSnow and ice problems on Minnesota roadways represent a cost of close to $100 million annually to MnDOT in addition to the associated public safety and environmental costs. MnDOT and the University of Minnesota have collaborated to estimate the costs and benefits of snow control measures as well as the constraints that landowners face to adopt snow fences to control snow and ice problems. Benefits outweigh costs, often by a wide margin, but landowners are constrained by the lack of knowledge and the real and perceived inconvenience of installing, maintaining, and farming around a snow fence. Landowners think that the payments provided by MnDOT to install and maintain a snow fence are an important incentive but want more information about the issues involved with installing and maintaining a snow fence from a trusted source, a peer, or a testimonial. The project goal is to promote greater adoption of measures to address blowing and drifting snow problems through greater landowner and public engagement. To move toward that goal, we 1) carried out and prepared a minimum of 30 case studies of landowners who have implemented snow control measures; 2) entered the case studies into a computer and smartphone-based program that can be accessed by MnDOT and landowners; 3) revised and improved a MnDOT snow fence inventory to assist MnDOT in identifying and reporting on snow fences; and 4) developed curriculum and training materials for MnDOT personnel to prepare them for promoting snow control measures.Item Soil Health Case Studies(University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, 2020-02) Read, AidanThe Sustainable Agriculture Case Studies project is a partnership among several organizations and numerous individuals. The project reflects the partners’ understanding that farmers learn best from each other and that strong connections across the landscape will result in wider adoption of effective soil health practices. In 2016, the Southwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (SWRSDP) natural resources work group discussed the economic and soil health benefits that cover crops and other sustainability practices were providing to farmers. In an effort to encourage a greater number of farmers to adopt soil health practices and experience the economic and environmental benefits, the working group decided to develop case studies of farmers who had been successful in practicing sustainable agriculture and soil health, including the use of cover crops. The case studies were designed to feature farmers at the forefront of innovation who have been using a variety of soil health practices for three or more years and whose stories are meant to offer tangible examples, support, and encouragement to others. The Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management (CINRAM) at the University of Minnesota participates in the SWRSDP natural resources working group. The Center enlisted a University student researcher in the summer of 2016 to begin gathering farmer case studies. In 2018, the case studies were updated and more farmers’ stories were added with the help of the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota (SFA) and Kathy Dooley, Graduate Research Assistant through the University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). Because of the popularity of the case studies, SWRSDP, CINRAM and SFA are again partnering to offer another set of case studies, featuring more stories. These new case studies, and the first series, are the basis of FarmMaps.com a farmer-to-farmer networking tool, adapted to a variety of outreach platforms allowing interested farmers to learn about, connect with, and receive advice from fellow farmers with experience successfully applying soil health practices. The ability to talk to a peer about benefits, successes, challenges and costs on issues related to soil health is a powerful motivator for adoption and provides a source of continued support.