Seasonal labour is the most profitable use of labour in broadacre crop dominant farms

Labour scarcity and affordability have encouraged many farmers in Western Australia to focus more on cropping than sheep production. Many farmers are opting to run low input livestock systems. This paper examines labour demand for sheep and cropping during the production year, combined with various scenarios of labour availability and cost. The implications for farm profitability and enterprise selection are examined using the bio-economic farming systems model MIDAS (Model of an Integrated Dryland Agricultural System). Labour requirements for sheep are far greater than those for cropping. Additionally the labour requirements for sheep are high in all production periods whilst the seasonal nature of cropping means more time is required only at certain times of the year, particularly at seeding and harvest. This means that the most profitable labour option is employing casual labour during periods of peak demand for cropping. The lesser relative profitability of the sheep enterprise makes employing a permanent worker the least profitable labour option. By contrast, employing casual labour during busy periods for cropping is more profitable but it is also associated with only small areas of perennial pastures being sown which has environmental implications. The logistics of employing labour at only certain times of the year compared to employing a full time worker means that farmers need to pay more per week to employ these workers or do the extra work themselves.agriculture, labour, farm modelling, cropping, sheep,

Perceived Academic Needs of Military Veterans Within a For-Profit

The number of recent U.S. military veterans attending college has increased due to the Veterans Education Assistance Act; however, retention and graduation rates for this population have declined. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the experiences and academic needs of recent military veterans as they transition from the military to academic life at a for-profit, proprietary college. In addition, this study identified differences in the problems faced by male and female veterans and explored whether veterans understood the resources available to them as they enrolled in higher education. Schlossberg\u27s transitional theory was the conceptual framework used in this ethnographic case study. Eight female and 8 male military veterans of the Iraq or Afghanistan war were selected for focused interviews through purposeful sampling. The results of the study indicated that regardless of gender, military veteran students at the local college needed time management skills, help with medical and social issues, and career development. While the college was perceived as student centered, another emergent theme was ineffective classroom management. A 3-day professional development program was designed for faculty and staff in order to increase their knowledge of the challenges faced by veterans in transition and to help military veteran students achieve academic success. Future research could expand the numbers of colleges and students represented in the study. This study promotes positive social change by providing higher education faculty members the results of the study so that they can apply the findings in amending current teaching strategies in an effort to provide a comprehensive learning environment for military veteran student

Internal Structure of Casein Micelles from Bovine Milk

Abstract The internal structure of casein micelles from bovine milk has been reinvestigated. Observations from electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and enzymatic digestion of the micelles followed by centrifugation suggested that electron-dense particles in the micelles are probably granules of colloidal calcium phosphate and not protein aggregates. These granules are embedded in a surrounding matrix of caseins to form the micelle. The foci of formation of the calcium phosphate granules may be either the ester phosphate groups or the ɛ-amino groups of lysine

The Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Young Adults Who Have Transitioned Out of State or Other Care

AbstractOver 20,000 young adults are released from state care annually and 100,000 young adults are released from justice centers. Past studies have revealed that young adults 18-24 years of age transitioning out of care are not prepared for independent living and may face many adversities. The problem is that young adults have difficulties finding permanent housing once emancipated from state care, their biological homes, or juvenile justice centers. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of young adults 18-24 years of age and how their experiences and life skills helped on their journey to acquire permanent housing. The theoretical foundation was Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory. The research design was a purposive inductive design that used a generic qualitative inquiry tradition and semi-structured interviews. Eight participants were recruited via online postings and snowball sampling. I then used Microsoft word find to identify recurring or similarity of data. I also used the framework method analysis that employs a matrix to help organize and identify patterns, and similarities. Additionally, the data was narrowed down again and grouped in themes. Five main themes emerged: (a) living on a couch or in a car is not homelessness; (b) the Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) is not used or understood but some services are used; (c) life skills, education, vocational training are lacking; (d) health, healthcare, and safety are not considerations; and (d) social and personal relationships lack maturity and development. Data also revealed important implications for practice and social change. The themes that were focused on included young adults’ observations, perceptions, and experiences in moving without and within state programs and their success and failures

Supporting the uptake of resilient repair in the recovery process (FD2706)

Executive SummaryThis Defra research project (FD2706) was concerned with how the professionals and organisations involved in the recovery process following a flood incident interact with householders and business owners. In particular, the way in which decisions are made about reinstatement was examined, as there is a need to improve the understanding of the opportunities within the process for encouraging resilient repair. Resilient repair is the application of property flood resilience measures during the recovery period so that, should there be another flood, the householder or business owner can re-occupy their properties more quickly, which has well documented benefits. Installing some measures during recovery has also been shown to be more cost effective and potentially less disruptive than the retrofitting of measures at other times.The project had three elements: a quick scoping review; a series of case studies involving in-depth interviews with flooded households, small/micro-businesses and their repair networks; and, a series of facilitated group discussions with stakeholders to validate the findings of the Quick Scoping Review and case studies. Flow charts of the on-site and off-site processes and of the decisions involved in the repair of insured properties were developed to highlight the main points at which the ‘resilience’ of the reinstatement is determined. A list of 55 barriers and facilitators and a further list of 49 suggestions for change or wider application of good practice were extracted from the literature and interviews. Themes for improvement were developed and a selection of the suggestions was further explored in the facilitated group discussions.This document summarises all three elements of the project. The detailed findings of the Quick Scoping Review are also available in a separate report. Detailed findings from the in-depth interviews and workshops are available as appendices to this report