Potential Supply and Demand for Apple and Cherry-Apple Hard Cider Markets in Michigan, and Constraints to Market Development

The current research explores the potential to develop a cherry-apple hard cider market as a potential means to increase demand for and the value of Michigan fruit grower's product. Factors affecting both the development of hard cider markets in Michigan and cherry-apple hard cider were explored. Research results show that the potential value of Michigan hard cider market is relatively small but significant, estimated at ranging between $580,000 and$2,900,000 per year. Microbrews would be primary actors to promote HC market. They are willing and able to dabble in it, promote it. But they are constrained by need for license and this impedes participation of many who would be otherwise interested. Some microbrews uninterested in state-wide push because they feel it will focus on sweet product that they are uninterested in producing. This position is reflective of a seeming contraction inherent in current enthusiasm over the potential of the market, as figures recent market growth is largely fueled by the current trendiness of "malternatives" as a beverage category, while the maintenance of the market, and the interests of some microbrewers and other purveyors is primarily derived from the traditional image of hard cider, with "traditional" vs. "trendy" hard cider products reflecting significant taste differences. Hard cider is also potentially an important product for wineries. There is a high sales potential for a Michigan-brewed hard cider product, however producing a hard cider that is produced exclusively from Michigan-grown fruit could be more difficult due to supply limitations, logistical constraints, and cost. Constraints to growth of hard cider industry include licensing requirements, taxation issues, primary ingredient sourcing and transport, and fluctuating prices, particularly for cherry juice. The research showed high potential for hard cider that blends cherries (and many other fruits) with apple, however such a product would be rotated with current hard cider, not added as a new product in most cases. Its demand increasing potential still exists, however, even if offered as a substitute to hard cider, due to its novelty and variety.Demand and Price Analysis,

Potential Demand for Apple Hard Cider in Michigan

This paper reports the results of market place and consumer research for hard apple cider. The objectives of the research were to determine potential demand for and constraints to the supply of hard apple cider in Michigan. The research was undertaken using on-site and focus group interviews of managers of microbrews, brew-pubs, restaurants and retailers. The research revealed much enthusiasm over HC market potential among purveyors interviewed, particularly among microbrewers, brew-pubs, and specialty retailers. Respondents estimated the potential value of Michigan hard cider market to be relatively small but significant-from 1-5% of purveyors' alcohol sales, and as high as 20% in some cases. Potential hard cider consumers are diverse and include 1) traditional microbrew connoisseurs, 2) young, adventurous drinkers who are driving the "malternative" trend, and 3) the "significant others" and other companions of microbrew connoisseurs who seek an alternative to the heavier beers served in microbrews. While microbrew connoisseurs are likely to gravitate toward a more traditional, drier cider, "malternative" drinkers and the "significant others" are likely to prefer a sweeter product. Compared to other respondents, microbrews showed particular enthusiasm for producing and marketing hard cider. While microbrews and brewpubs would market the product on tap, restaurants and retailers will more likely market a bottled product. The primary impediment to consumer acceptance of the product is a lack of familiarity, and numerous promotional efforts that could overcome these constraints were suggested. Demand for hard cider is likely to be somewhat seasonal, however there are numerous hard cider themes and products that might serve to mitigate this seasonality. While strong enthusiasm for the marketability of a Michigan-brewed product was expressed by respondents, an organic or "all-natural" product was not felt to have potential due to both demand and supply constraints. The primary constraints to supply of hard cider in general are the cost and availability of ingredients, as well as regulatory and taxation issues.Demand and Price Analysis,

Diet of oceanic loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the central North Pacific

Diet analysis of 52 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) collected as bycatch from 1990 to 1992 in the high-seas driftnet fishery operating between lat. 29.5°N and 43°N and between long. 150°E and 154°W demonstrated that these turtles fed predominately at the surface; few deeper water prey items were present in their stomachs. The turtles ranged in size from 13.5 to 74.0 cm curved carapace length. Whole turtles (n =10) and excised stomachs (n= 42) were frozen and transported to a laboratory for analysis of major faunal components. Neustonic species accounted for four of the five most common prey taxa. The most common prey items were Janthina spp. (Gastropoda); Carinaria cithara Benson 1835 (Heteropoda); a chondrophore, Velella velella (Hydrodia); Lepas spp. (Cirripedia), Planes spp. (Decapoda: Grapsidae), and pyrosomas (Pyrosoma spp.)

Carstairs Scores for Scottish Postcode Sectors, Datazones and Output Areas from the 2011 Census

Carstairs deprivation scores, originally created in 1981, provide a measure of material deprivation. Four census variables (male unemployment, no car ownership, overcrowding and low social class) were used in the creation of the score. As near as possible the same four variables have been used to update Carstairs scores decennially, despite changes to the definition of some of the variables over time. Researchers at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow have now updated Carstairs scores for 2011 for Scottish postcode sectors and for the first time datazones and output areas

“The Stranger and the Ancient Race”: Collective Responsibility in Educational Research

Taking up, and working towards implementation, of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action necessitates complex conversations and collective responsiveness to past, present, and future challenges; including, as is the topic of this paper, within educational research. This article is an appeal for collaborative research within an ethical space of engagement in order to meet the needs of Indigenous students and teachers within Canada’s education system

What parents and teachers want to know about schools and how schools can advertise this information using technology

Finding good teachers is becoming very competitive in our nation as a large number of teachers will be retiring and fewer people are entering the profession. Parents are now shopping for the school that they want their children to attend and then finding the home in that district. The possibility of school vouchers is encouraging this. Schools need to be able to advertise information to potential employees and parents of their school district. The Waukee School district in Waukee, Iowa works to create an informational CD made available to parents and employees is used as an example of what information parents and teachers are interested in. Surveys of current staff members and parents help this district decide what information should be included. Several urban schools that have used community support and business advertising tactics are used to support those choices. Examples of surveys of parents and teachers from varying schools are also used to support information included on the CD. These surveys are looking at teacher attitudes toward their jobs and parent attitudes toward student learning. Among the suggestions from these sources are school demographics, district vision statement, standards and benchmarks, technology vision statement, student learning· goals, guiding principals, test scores and extracurricular activities

Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd study of the São Rafael Batholith, Rio Grande do Norte, NE Brazil

During the Brasiliano (Pan-African) orogeny from 700 to 550 Ma, the geologic province of Borborema in northeast Brazil was intruded by more than 80 granitoid bodies, one of them the primary epidote-bearing São Rafael batholith located in the Seridó foldbelt. This unfoliated granite pluton is thought to be of very late Brasiliano age, perhaps between 600 and 550 Ma, based on field relations. Twenty-four samples were analyzed isotopically, including 4 from a subtly different facies of the pluton (Serra-type), and 2 mafic enclaves. In general, the rocks have high Sr (655 ± 175 ppm) and low Rb (61 ± 9 ppm), with consequent low enrichment in radiogenic Sr. Three mineral-whole-rock isochrons provide cooling ages of 0.49 ± 0.01 Ga. Data of the 18 epidote-bearing facies whole rocks plot as an amorphous "blob" on a Rb-Sr isochron diagram. Inhomogeneous initial Sr ratios preclude the determination of a Rb-Sr age of crystallization. Somewhat more systematic data from the Serra samples suggest an age of about 0.6 Ga. Sr ratios of epidote-bearing facies rocks, projected back to 0.6 Ga, are high (0.713 ± 0.001), pointing to an ancient radiogenic crustal source. Six whole-rock samples provide a Sm-Nd isochron apparent age of ~1.1 Ga, which is inconsistent with field evidence for late Brasiliano emplacement. Anomalous Sm-Nd data indicate that initial Nd ratios were also inhomogeneous, just as Sr initial ratios were. Strongly negative values of εNd [subscript 0.6Ga] (-18 to -21) imply a source relatively enriched in Nd, a characteristic of continental crust. Depleted mantle model ages are consistent with minimum crust-formation ages of 2.7 ± 0.3 Ga. The εNd [subscript 0.6Ga] values, depleted mantle model ages and high initial Sr ratios of the pluton (at 0.6 Ga) all suggest that the São Rafael source rock was ancient crust. This conclusion is also consistent with the existence of Archean basement in northeastern Brazil. Preliminary U-Pb zircon geochronology of a single fraction yielded a highly discordant (44%) data point, with a ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age of 2.0 Ga. This result is interpreted as indicating that relict zircon cores are present, containing an inherited component whose age is older than 2.0 Ga. Formed at about 0.6 Ga, apparently by partial melting of Archean crust, the São Rafael magma mixed sufficiently to attain a distinctively uniform physical appearance and chemical-mineralogical composition. The magma, however, consisted of partial melts with different isotopic characters which failed to homogenize completely.Geological Science