Destination Areas (DAs)
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Destination Areas provide faculty and students with new tools to identify and solve complex, 21st-century problems in which Virginia Tech already has significant strengths and can take a global leadership role. The initiative represents the next step in the evolution of the land-grant university to meet economic and societal needs of the world.
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Browsing Destination Areas (DAs) by Content Type "Extension publication"
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- Climate Change Adaptation for Agriculture. Mitigating Short- and Long-Term Impacts of Climate on Crop ProductionEaston, Zachary M.; Faulkner, Joshua W. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2014-09-24)Climate change and climate variability pose a great risk to agricultural production and farm livelihoods, and producers will need to adapt to a changing climate that is expected to be significantly more variable in order to meet these challenges. Agricultural producers have a long record of successful adaptation to a host of internal and external pressures and have made remarkable strides in the face of these pressures.
- Communicating Climate Change to Agricultural AudiencesEaston, Zachary M.; Faulkner, Joshua W. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2016-11-15)Discusses climate change and challenges related to climate change, in relation to agriculture.
- Community, Local, and Regional Food Systems (CLRFS) Forum ReportNiewolny, Kimberly L.; Latimer, Joyce G. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2016-10-07)This document reports on a forum about community, local and regional food systems in Virginia. Purpose was to evaluate breadth and variety of VCE programs related to these systems within the state, and to plan strategies for the near future in relation to food access, food security, open space planning, and other concerns.
- Denitrification ManagementEaston, Zachary M.; Lassiter, Emily (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2013-03-27)Provides an explanation of denitrification and how it occurs including descriptions of the nitrogen cycle, environmental impacts of nitrogen levels, denitrification management, limitation, and unknowns.
- Denitrifying Bioreactors: An Emerging Best Management Practice to Improve Water QualityLassiter, Emily; Easton, Zachary M. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2018-04-25)Discusses denitrifying bioreactors, what they are, how they work, applications, current research, and expected costs. Also includes a glossary of terms.
- Denitrifying Bioreactors: An Emerging Best Management Practice to Improve Water QualityLassiter, Emily; Easton, Zachary M. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2013-04-12)This fact sheet discusses denitrifying bioreactors, what they are, how they work, applications, current research, expected costs and includes a glossary of terms.
- Everyone at the Table: A community food equity assessment of Harrisonburg, VABendfeldt, Eric S.; Schermerhorn, B. (2017-05-31)In the 2014 Food Deserts in Virginia Report, Harrisonburg ranked 4th out of eight cities with reported high levels of low-income residents. According to the report, 18.4% of Harrisonburg residents are food insecure (8,860 people). A broad-based food equity assessment, Harrisonburg EATs (Everyone at the Table), was conducted to help the city and residents to strategically plan to improve food security and community well-being. Virginia Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with Skeo – a community planning and design firm based in Charlottesville, conducted research to learn how the local food system currently functions in meeting residents’ day-to-day food needs. The research included surveys, interviews, listening groups, data analysis, mapping priority equity zones, synthesizing recommendations, and highlighting community assets. Participants shared community-based goals for strengthening the Harrisonburg food system. The research and assessment identified six food equity zones based on specific food access and security criteria. Recommendations as a starting point for creating a more just, resilient, thriving community-focused food system in Harrisonburg included: 1) increase food retail spaces in food equity zones, 2) provide land for home and small-scale urban farming enterprises, 3) build capacity for urban and rural food and farming enterprises, 4) educate the community on food equity issues and opportunities, and 5) develop a Harrisonburg Food Equity Council.
- Factors When Considering an Agricultural Drainage SystemEaston, Zachary M.; Bock, Emily; Collick, Amy S. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2017-02-23)A well designed drainage system can improve crop yield, and lower the variation in crop yield by removing excess water in the soil.
- Food Deserts in VirginiaGrant, Alan; Hairston, Jewel E.; Bendfeldt, Eric S.; Clark, Susan F.; Crawford, Cheryl; Denckla-Cobb, Tanya; Jackson, Franklin; Jones, Debra S.; Jones, Edwin J.; McFerren, Mary M.; Niewolny, Kimberly L.; Odeh, Oluwarotimi; Reese, Felicia; Rose, Antwan; Tyler-Mackey, Crystal (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2014-01-22)The purpose of the Virginia Food Desert Study Report is to determine the current status of food deserts in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The report identifies challenges, consequences, strategies, and resources to address food deserts and offers recommendations for the Virginia General Assembly's consideration and action.
- How Do Stream Buffers Reduce the Offsite Impact of Pollution?Easton, Zachary M. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2012-07-30)Summarizes the importance of buffers to reduce pollution and specifically examines where they can be used, how they work, their limitations, required maintenance, performance levels, and expected cost.
- How Do Stream Buffers Reduce the Offsite Impact of Pollution?Easton, Zachary M. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2017-11-03)Discusses riparian buffers and how to establish and maintain these areas along streams for erosion and pollution control.
- Hydrology Basics and the Hydrologic CycleEaston, Zachary M.; Bock, Emily (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2015-11-09)Presents and explains some concepts in hydrology and the hydrologic cycle, with emphasis on some concepts of importance in agroecosystems.
- Impacts of COVID-19 on U.S. trout foodfish businesses: Quarter 1 Results March 23, 2020 to April 10, 2020Engle, Carole R.; van Senten, Jonathan; Smith, Matthew A.; Clark, Charles; Fluharty, Shannon; Schwarz, Michael A. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2021)This survey was designed to capture and quantify the effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the aquaculture, aquaponics, and allied industries. The survey closed April 10th, 2020 at 11:59 pm. The survey will be distributed at the conclusion of every quarter for 2020, to attempt to capture the evolving impacts of COVID-19 over time. U.S. trout foodfish farmers have been impacted severely by the COVID-19 pandemic. All trout foodfish respondents had had sales orders from private companies canceled and 21% had had government (state/federal) orders canceled, with losses reported as high as $4 million per month. While lost sales were the immediate impact, other challenges were mentioned related to increasing production costs, financing, and other essential services that are critical to survival of the farm or business. Of grave concern is that only 36% of trout foodfish respondents indicated that their farm or business would survive the next 3 months without external assistance.
- Managing Climate Risks and Extreme Weather in AgricultureShortridge, Julie; Paoletti, J. Mitchell (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2018-06-14)Summarizes weather-related risks to agricultural production and offers resources to help producers, extension and conservation personnel in managing these risks.
- Managing Shrub-Infested, Postmined Pasturelands With Goats and Cattle. Part I, Effect on Botanical Composition and Browse SpeciesAbaye, Azenegashe Ozzie; Webb, D. Matthew; Zipper, Carl E.; Luginbuhl, Jean-Marie; Teutsch, Christopher D. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2012-01-18)Reclamation of mined lands in the Appalachian coal region has resulted in the successful establishment and utilization of pasture for beef cattle production. Research goals were to determine the effects of mixed grazing of goats with cattle on forage biomass, forage nutritive quality, and animal performance. The three treatments included an ungrazed control, cattle grazing alone, and mixed grazing goats with cattle.
- Managing Shrub-Infested, Postmined Pasturelands With Goats and Cattle. Part II, Effects on Forage Biomass, Nutritive Values, and Animal PerformanceAbaye, Azenegashe Ozzie; Webb, D. Matthew; Zipper, Carl E.; Luginbuhl, Jean-Marie; Teutsch, Christopher D. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2001-12-09)Reclamation of mined lands in the Appalachian coal region has resulted in the successful establishment and utilization of pasture for beef cattle production. Research goals were to determine the effects of mixed grazing of goats with cattle on forage biomass, forage nutritive quality, and animal performance. The three treatments included an ungrazed control, cattle grazing alone, and mixed grazing goats with cattle.
- Mental Health Topics for Farm Families and Caregivers: An AgrAbility Virginia Program ResourceKyle, Crystal; Niewolny, Kimberly L.; Orndorff, Nicole; Ohanehi, Donatus Chukwubueze, 1949-; Ballin, Kirk; Young, Joe; Bridge, Steve; Robertson, Tristan (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2016-09-15)Discusses mental health issues in relation to health caregivers on farms, including isolation, aging, lower income. Also offers advice on how to deal with stress and depression and on how to improve mental health, and/or provide care including coping strategies and behaviors.
- Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in AgricultureRogers, Mark; Lassiter, Emily; Easton, Zachary M. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2014-04-02)Provides information on how to increase farm productivity while potentially reducing greenhouse gas contributions from agricultural production through practices such as building soil organic matter or increasing nitrogen fertilization efficiency.
- Nanobubbles as an Emerging Sanitation TechnologyOvissipour, Mahmoudreza (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2021-01-27)The ability of bacteria to adhere to surfaces has significant implications for the food industry. Attachment of pathogenic bacteria to fresh produce and contact surfaces can increase food safety risks as these surface properties allow bacteria to securely adhere to them. Food contact surface attached bacteria can form biofilms and these biofilms can enhance resistance to sanitation. The enhanced resistance of biofilms to sanitizers can be attributed to many factors including formation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that rapidly consume sanitizers such as chlorine. In addition, repeated exposure of bacteria to sub-lethal concentrations of sanitizers in a biofilm matrix can also enhance their resistance to sanitizers. Furthermore, the lack of removal of this EPS during sanitation may result in reformation of a biofilm post sanitation, thus enhancing their persistence on food contact surfaces. Enhanced resistance and persistence of biofilms are highly significant as approximately 65% of the foodborne outbreaks are traced back to bacterial biofilms. Thus, the antimicrobial activity of commonly used sanitizes including chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, quaternary ammonium (QUATS), and peracetic acid can be limited against surface attached microbes due to rapid depletion in concentration and activity upon reactions with organic matters and complexity of structural features of the plant surface and biofilms.
- Overview of a Survey on the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Virginia Farms and Agribusinesses, Fall 2020Bovay, John; Haskins, Conaway B.; Larochelle, Catherine; Mountain, Travis P.; Price, E. French; Shuman, Nicole; van Senten, Jonathan (2021-01-04)This short report summarizes a survey conducted to gauge the impacts of COVID-19 on Virginia farms and agribusinesses.