This study examines the economic feasibility of 50- and 500-cow dairy processing facilities for fluid milk, yogurt, and cheese. Net present value and internal rate of return calculations for projected costs and returns over a 10-yr period indicate that larger yogurt and cheese processing plants offer the most profitable prospects, whereas a smaller yogurt plant would break even. A smaller cheese plant would have insufficient returns to cover the cost of capital, and fluid milk processing at either scale is economically infeasible. Economic success in processing is greatly contingent upon individual business, financial management, and marketing skills.
Objective: Less than half of young people in the USA are meeting the daily physical activity requirements of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity. A mixed-methods pilot feasibility assessment of Move it Move it! was conducted in the Spring of 2014 to assess the impact of a before-school physical activity programme on student academic measures and behavioural health. Design: Move it Move it! encourages students and families to run/walk laps in the recess yard. Student miles are tracked and incentives are awarded at several benchmarks Setting: Launched in 2012, Move it Move it! is a voluntary morning running/walking programme at the Integrated Arts Academy (IAA) elementary school designed to build community, increase fitness and prepare students for learning. Method: Self-reported surveys were administered to all consented students in grades 3-5 (N = 129). Semistructured interviews were conducted with school personnel (N = 11). Results: Average Move it Move it! miles ran/walked were significantly positively associated with commitment to school and The New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) mathematics testing scores. Interviews with school staff/faculty further explained quantitative results including the perceived impact of the programme on academic success and school engagement and the perceived impact of the programme on student behaviour and school climate. Conclusion: Results from this pilot assessment of a community-based initiative suggested that positive academic and behavioural outcomes were associated with engagement in a before-school incentive-based physical activity programme.
This article shares the outcomes of a participatory art-based inquiry conducted during stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19 and the impact on the mental health and well-being of college-age students (age 18–21) in the United States. Participants engaged in artmaking sessions alongside researchers to respond to prompts geared to help them process their experiences. Findings that emerged from the project suggest that art-based practices in a community setting may support students in navigating times of great uncertainty by offering participants a chance to express themselves and process complicated feelings. Based on our findings, we offer art-based practices as a way to support young adults as they process the negative impact of the pandemic, transition back to campus, and navigate the college experience.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of an arts-based methodology in conducting a doctoral study on The Nile Project, an East African based musical collective. Despite some evidence that music is an effective tool for qualitative inquiry, there are few studies on its use, especially the use of musicking in the interview process.
Design/methodology/approach
The author used a qualitative and arts-based research approach.
Findings
Outcomes suggest that music may help to create an “in-between” space challenging researcher positionality and giving voice to the “researched.” Music also acted as a bridging agent encouraging open and honest dialogue and relationship building.
Research limitations/implications
Findings suggest that music may be a useful tool for researchers interested in arts-based and participatory methods in qualitative research particularly when interviewing participants with varied linguistic, cultural, political and musical backgrounds.
Originality/value
There is sparse research on the use of musicking in the interview process of qualitative research.
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