{"title":"Making the Connection: Access and Availability of Locally Produce and Culinary Inspiration for Healthier Lifestyle Choices","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jneb.2024.05.011","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p>To provide an immersive experience connecting consumers to local agriculture to improve healthier meal preparation. Use of Research: Agritourism educational events have the ability to increase knowledge of locally grown produce, increase sales, change knowledge, and increase consumption of produce (Brune et., al. 2021).</p></div><div><h3>Target Audience</h3><p>Adults.</p></div><div><h3>Program Description</h3><p>A partnership between a local farm and an extension agent began in the Fall of 2021 to bring a seasonal program to the farm's market. Weekly 1-hour classes featuring seasonal produce grown on the farm or locally were developed. The sessions consisted of nutrition information, cooking inspiration, storage, knife skills, food waste, and food safety. A cooking demonstration with a featured recipe was provided with sampling. Each participant received an educational handout to support the session. The agent brought in all cooking equipment for each weekly class. All produce required for recipe testing and classes was donated by the farm. Any additional items were secured by the agent and were covered by the $3 program fee. Due to the success, the program has continued each spring and fall season since 2021.</p></div><div><h3>Evaluation Methods</h3><p>Evaluation was completed using a paper survey provided and collected at the end of each class. The survey data was entered into Qualtrics to assess and summarize the impacts.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Since inception 33 classes with 508 total participants with 88% (447) completing post program surveys. The results indicated a knowledge gain of 86% (383) how to prepare fresh produce, 68% (302) utilizing fresh herbs in a recipe, 75% (333) freezing fresh produce, 84% (376) healthy cooking methods to prepare fresh produce, 61% (274) reducing food waste when preparing fresh produce, 55% (248) health benefits of fresh produce, and 68% (305) food safety.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>This unique format of education provides access to local produce, an experience to gain culinary and health related knowledge, try new foods, adopt eating practices for better health and apply principles to improve health outcomes.</p></div><div><h3>Funding</h3><p>None</p></div>","PeriodicalId":50107,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1499404624001118","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective
To provide an immersive experience connecting consumers to local agriculture to improve healthier meal preparation. Use of Research: Agritourism educational events have the ability to increase knowledge of locally grown produce, increase sales, change knowledge, and increase consumption of produce (Brune et., al. 2021).
Target Audience
Adults.
Program Description
A partnership between a local farm and an extension agent began in the Fall of 2021 to bring a seasonal program to the farm's market. Weekly 1-hour classes featuring seasonal produce grown on the farm or locally were developed. The sessions consisted of nutrition information, cooking inspiration, storage, knife skills, food waste, and food safety. A cooking demonstration with a featured recipe was provided with sampling. Each participant received an educational handout to support the session. The agent brought in all cooking equipment for each weekly class. All produce required for recipe testing and classes was donated by the farm. Any additional items were secured by the agent and were covered by the $3 program fee. Due to the success, the program has continued each spring and fall season since 2021.
Evaluation Methods
Evaluation was completed using a paper survey provided and collected at the end of each class. The survey data was entered into Qualtrics to assess and summarize the impacts.
Results
Since inception 33 classes with 508 total participants with 88% (447) completing post program surveys. The results indicated a knowledge gain of 86% (383) how to prepare fresh produce, 68% (302) utilizing fresh herbs in a recipe, 75% (333) freezing fresh produce, 84% (376) healthy cooking methods to prepare fresh produce, 61% (274) reducing food waste when preparing fresh produce, 55% (248) health benefits of fresh produce, and 68% (305) food safety.
Conclusions
This unique format of education provides access to local produce, an experience to gain culinary and health related knowledge, try new foods, adopt eating practices for better health and apply principles to improve health outcomes.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB), the official journal of the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior, is a refereed, scientific periodical that serves as a global resource for all professionals with an interest in nutrition education; nutrition and physical activity behavior theories and intervention outcomes; complementary and alternative medicine related to nutrition behaviors; food environment; food, nutrition, and physical activity communication strategies including technology; nutrition-related economics; food safety education; and scholarship of learning related to these areas.
The purpose of JNEB is to document and disseminate original research and emerging issues and practices relevant to these areas worldwide. The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior welcomes evidence-based manuscripts that provide new insights and useful findings related to nutrition education research, practice and policy. The content areas of JNEB reflect the diverse interests in nutrition and physical activity related to public health, nutritional sciences, education, behavioral economics, family and consumer sciences, and eHealth, including the interests of community-based nutrition-practitioners. As the Society''s official journal, JNEB also includes policy statements, issue perspectives, position papers, and member communications.