Dr. Mike Sublett
Professor
Geography
104 Felmley Hall
Geography 299 Independent Honors Study Opportunity
This project idea came from a now-graduated major as he conducted his research for the Senior Field Problem in Geography. Among the rural folk he interviewed was a guy who has ramp onions (ramps) on his place near Lexington. A buyer of such delicacies convinced him to hire temporary help to gather the ramps (early spring), package them, and ship the onions to the West Coast, where they get processed and then dispersed to fine dining establishments. This local activity is relatively unknown and seems worthy of further investigation.
This project would serve to investigate this process of ramp onions from ground to store. This would include some interviewing in rural McLean County, so transportation would be necessary. Final product of independent study would be a written report, a presentation at a geographers' conference in April, and perhaps a publication in Geography’s yearbook.
