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School of Environment and Natural Resources

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Graduate Exit Seminar via Zoom - Maggie Beetstra

Plan to join via Zoom Maggie Beetstra's graduate exit seminar on Friday, November 6, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. Maggie will present, "Evaluating the Impact of Seasonality and COVID-19 on Farmers."

Abstract:

Farmers have received a significant amount of attention and resources in recent years to encourage them to increase adoption rates of conservation practices, including winter cover crops, on their operations. Using practices like cover crops require a farmer to put forth a significant investment in the form of both time and money due to the practice’s complexity. Despite recent efforts, rates of cover crop use are stagnant across the Midwest. In this presentation, I explore how the seasonality of agriculture creates fluctuations in farmers' temporal and financial resources as well as their perceptions of cover crops throughout the year. Building on this, I evaluate how many farmers experience scarcity, defined as reduced temporal and/or financial resources paired with reduced cognitive performance, during certain periods of the year. Finally, I examine the experiences of farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic and how the disruptions caused by the pandemic might provide an opportunity for system-level change. Together, this research provides a unique look at aspects of the decision context that have the potential to influence farmer decision-making.

Advisor: Dr. Eric Toman and Dr. Robyn Wilson