Thesis Archives Search
This search engine will let you explore the over 1800 theses written in Honors at The University of Maine since the Program’s inception in 1935. You may search our thesis archives based on any of the fields listed above. If the thesis is available at the Reynolds Library (Thomson Honors Center) or Fogler Library (Special Collections), the information will appear below the bibliographic data. At last count, we had about 1800 theses in the Reynolds Library.
Search Results
Best Practices Guide for Building Sustainable, Mutually Beneficial Relationships Between the Lewiston/Auburn Community Market and Local Farmers Within the Greater Lewiston/Auburn Area
Author:
Hannah
Mathieu
Major: Ecology and Environmental Sciences Graduation Year: 2023 Thesis Advisor: Heather Falconer
Description of Publication:
Lewiston/Auburn Community Market’s business model is to provide a no-to-low- cost grocery store, shared commercial kitchen space, and rentable cold storage for residents of Lewiston/Auburn. After reviewing their business plan and speaking with a representative, I identified two challenges that the LACM may face—building community infrastructure around their program and effective communication. I chose to focus my research on coordinating local farmers, a key piece of local infrastructure, through my research question—What best practices can be utilized to build sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships between the Lewiston/Auburn Community Market and local farmers within the greater Lewiston/Auburn area? To determine the best practices that LACM can use to develop these relationships, I conducted a structured literature review, used contextual data from the LACM’s feasibility study, and included local resources that I gained from my internship with Food Rescue MAINE. My sources revealed that there are several different types of food hubs with different goals, that farmers have many different motivations for working with food hubs, and the barriers to forming these partnerships. I discovered recommendations for establishing proper scale and managing logistic issues. I read studies related to sustainability and found recommendations for communication; and how food hubs can address local social, economic, and environmental issues. I narrowed all the themes down into the following five subcategories: food hubs and motivation for stakeholders, logistics and scale, economics, social and communication, and environmental. The research I conducted was synthesized into best practices for the LACM’s relationships with farmers and organized into a user-friendly best practice guide for their use.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/832/
Major: Ecology and Environmental Sciences Graduation Year: 2023 Thesis Advisor: Heather Falconer
Description of Publication:
Lewiston/Auburn Community Market’s business model is to provide a no-to-low- cost grocery store, shared commercial kitchen space, and rentable cold storage for residents of Lewiston/Auburn. After reviewing their business plan and speaking with a representative, I identified two challenges that the LACM may face—building community infrastructure around their program and effective communication. I chose to focus my research on coordinating local farmers, a key piece of local infrastructure, through my research question—What best practices can be utilized to build sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships between the Lewiston/Auburn Community Market and local farmers within the greater Lewiston/Auburn area? To determine the best practices that LACM can use to develop these relationships, I conducted a structured literature review, used contextual data from the LACM’s feasibility study, and included local resources that I gained from my internship with Food Rescue MAINE. My sources revealed that there are several different types of food hubs with different goals, that farmers have many different motivations for working with food hubs, and the barriers to forming these partnerships. I discovered recommendations for establishing proper scale and managing logistic issues. I read studies related to sustainability and found recommendations for communication; and how food hubs can address local social, economic, and environmental issues. I narrowed all the themes down into the following five subcategories: food hubs and motivation for stakeholders, logistics and scale, economics, social and communication, and environmental. The research I conducted was synthesized into best practices for the LACM’s relationships with farmers and organized into a user-friendly best practice guide for their use.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/832/
BETTER THAN EASY
BETWEEN “STUDENT” AND “ATHLETE”: THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTION’S ROLE IN THE SELF IDENTIFICATION OF DIVISION I STUDENT-ATHLETES
Between Capitalism and Imperialism: Economic Development in Latin America
Beyond the Oedipus Complex: The Psychology of Women Reconstructs Feminine Development and Experience
Beyond the Sugar Shack: How Non-Financial Forms of Capital are Conceptualized by Small- and Medium-Scale Maine Maple Syrup Producers
Author:
Skye
Siladi
Major: Anthropology Graduation Year: 2019 Thesis Advisor: Cynthia Isenhour & Jessica Leahy
Description of Publication:
Why do people farm? The answers are increasingly unclear given the heightened pressure of agricultural consolidation on small family farms. When profit margins are thin or even non-existent it is necessary to look at how other factors influence this group of people – particularly the social and cultural ties within and amongst communities that inspire people to remain in a profession which is not particularly lucrative This paper explores conceptualizations of social, cultural, and natural wealth as rationales for continuing in agricultural work, by focusing on maple syrup producers in Maine. At the small and medium-scale, maple syrup production cannot provide substantial income and yet people continue to participate in a time- and labor-intensive activity with marginal returns. This thesis therefore argues that maple sugaring makes an interesting case study through which to explore the various reasons that people take part in small-scale agricultural work with minimal financial benefits. Drawing on a literature review and 10 semi-structured interviews with both multigenerational and first-generation maple syrup producers in Maine this thesis explores the reasons these producers have chosen to continue or begin maple syrup production, focusing on how the social connections, family history, cultural influence, and ecological factors have impacted their decisions surrounding this business. We argue that while monetary consideration may not be as large of a factor in these decisions, maple syrup producers point to a whole array of motivations which suggest that their returns are linked to human relationship and connections to culture and place.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/541/
Major: Anthropology Graduation Year: 2019 Thesis Advisor: Cynthia Isenhour & Jessica Leahy
Description of Publication:
Why do people farm? The answers are increasingly unclear given the heightened pressure of agricultural consolidation on small family farms. When profit margins are thin or even non-existent it is necessary to look at how other factors influence this group of people – particularly the social and cultural ties within and amongst communities that inspire people to remain in a profession which is not particularly lucrative This paper explores conceptualizations of social, cultural, and natural wealth as rationales for continuing in agricultural work, by focusing on maple syrup producers in Maine. At the small and medium-scale, maple syrup production cannot provide substantial income and yet people continue to participate in a time- and labor-intensive activity with marginal returns. This thesis therefore argues that maple sugaring makes an interesting case study through which to explore the various reasons that people take part in small-scale agricultural work with minimal financial benefits. Drawing on a literature review and 10 semi-structured interviews with both multigenerational and first-generation maple syrup producers in Maine this thesis explores the reasons these producers have chosen to continue or begin maple syrup production, focusing on how the social connections, family history, cultural influence, and ecological factors have impacted their decisions surrounding this business. We argue that while monetary consideration may not be as large of a factor in these decisions, maple syrup producers point to a whole array of motivations which suggest that their returns are linked to human relationship and connections to culture and place.
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/541/
Bioaccumulation and Behavioral Impacts of Nanoplastics with a Contaminant of Emerging Concern in Developing Zebrafish Larvae (Danio rerio)
BIODEGRADATION AND FEASIBILITY OF THREE PLEUROTUS SPECIES ON CIGARETTE FILTERS
Author:
Raymond
A.
Updyke
Major: Accounting Graduation Year: 2014 Thesis Advisor: Marianne Sarrantonio
Description of Publication:
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/192/
Major: Accounting Graduation Year: 2014 Thesis Advisor: Marianne Sarrantonio
Description of Publication:
Location of Publication:
URL to Thesis: http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/192/