The (loess) hills: power and democracy in a new landform

In the 1970\u27s a new landform appeared in western Iowa---the Loess Hills. The hills were there before, but scientists, primarily geologists, were the first to give these landscape features this specific name and document their boundaries. These hills, said the scientists, are significant because they are one of only a few landforms in the world made wholly of wind-blown glacial deposits, called loess, which were left after the last ice age ended millennia ago. Until the late 1980\u27s and early 1990\u27s, most residents in the area called the area the bluffs or the hills. Yet use of the new name is on the increase with each year;The primary goal of my research was to study this collective space called the Loess Hills, searching an answer to the question: When proclamations are made by natural scientists and the constitution of a place occurs, what are the social consequences? With the new name---a purely scientific name---a new array of social dynamics has emerged within the area. Identifying these dynamics, and the larger social processes which have occurred during and with this name change, are the principal issues I examine, using ethnographic research;The principal dynamics stem from the interactions between external actors (scientists, journalists, tourists, and the State) and the residents of the region. Issues of power and democracy have emerged from these interactions. Residents are now grappling with the scientific facts surrounding the hills. A change in collective identity, from hill people to Hill People has also arisen. There is an increased identification and pride now associated with the landform. Tension over ownership of the landform has resulted in redrawing and establishment of social boundaries---boundaries which were not there (nor were they a question) before the name Loess Hills was taken on. Particularly significant in this work is the role of power, science, and the interplay of internal and external definitions in the social shaping of the hills, and the implications of this interplay for democracy

Rural Tourism and Gendered Nuances

Despite numerous studies conducted on rural residents’ perception of attempts at tourism development in their communities, findings are often contradictory. While several explanations have been provided for these contradictions, the two of interest here are a tendency to view residents under study as a single group, rather than examining variation among local subgroups, and the related tendency to ignore or trivialize possible differences in men’s and women’s orientations

Women Agricultural Landowners—Past Time to Put Them “On the Radar”

While women own 25% of the acres rented out for farming, little has been done in terms of federal policy that focuses on these women. In this policy analysis, we detail how (1) lack of data on these women landowners and (2) the invisibility of these women to federal natural resource and agricultural agency staff contribute to women nonoperating landowners (WNOLs) not being on the federal policy radar. We discuss how the persistence of these factors continues to marginalize WNOLs in federal agricultural policy, despite the mandate of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies to be serving underserved populations such as WNOLs. Our study findings clearly illustrate a critical point: federal agricultural/conservation agencies are not fulfilling their mandate to reach WNOLs. Using data from USDA Production Regions in the United States, we detail how WNOLs are marginalized and provide specific policy recommendations to allow for intentional inclusion of these women

Designation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the Impact on Trust

It’s a well-known, and often repeated, story in Utah. In September of 1996, without prior warning to most Utah residents, the Clinton Administration announced the creation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) in southern Utah

Extension\u27s Portfolio for the 21st Century: A Place for One-on-One Consultations

Revisits the individual consultations that provided the base from which the Cooperative Extension Service grew. Using data gathered from clients\u27 and Extension staff evaluations of one-on-one activities, our findings show these consultations have an economic and educational value for clients. The consultations benefit field specialists as well, augmenting their need assessments by providing information from in the field, providing opportunities for on-going research, and building credibility. It is maintained that continuing (or re-implementing) these consultations as part of Extension\u27s portfolio for the 21st Century has mutual benefit, both to the client and to Extension

Agricultural Producers\u27 Motivations and Challenges With Improving Soil Health in Utah

The Utah Soil Health Program (USHP) developed a five-year project to increase understanding of how best to implement soil health practices into Utah’s diverse farming systems. Fifteen producers were selected to participate in the USHP On-Farm Soil Health Demonstration Project. During 2022, the trial’s first year, the participating farmers and ranchers were interviewed. We begin by discussing participant demographics and operation characteristics. Next, we turn to challenges the producers faced in implementing soil health practices in the IMW and then turn to motivations for the producers to enroll in the USHP trial. This will help (1) document what is currently known about soil health efforts in the IMW and (2) provide information to other producers interested in pursuing soil health on their agricultural land

Utah Producers and Soil Health: Statewide Survey Results

To gain soil health perspectives and actions from a representative sample of Utah farmers and ranchers, a mail and online survey of Utah producers was conducted in 2024, focused on those who indicated they produced crops in 2023. In this report, we provide an overview of the survey results, with a specific focus on producers’ views on soil health, indicators used for soil health, factors that influence soil health adoption, and information sources used for soil health

Crop Advisor Approaches to Soil Health Advising and Opportunities for Improvement

In this report, we use data from a 2023 online survey of crop advisors in Utah and Idaho to examine how they are working with their clients on soil health and where opportunities for improvement exist