The Montgomery County Farm to Community Planning Project

The Montgomery County Farm to Community Planning Project

Summary

The Montgomery County Farm to Community Planning Project has made significant progress towards our objectives. A diverse steering committee of representatives from low-income residents, Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Montgomery County Department of Social Services and Department of Health/WIC, Virginia Tech Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, a local church organization, a food pantry, and the Family Nutrition Program and SNAP-Ed has been formed. The committee has met on two occasions and been in continuous email communication. Through this partnership, three surveys have been developed. These include a survey of food venues within Montgomery County, a survey of producers participating in the county’s food system, and a survey of low-income residents. This committee has defined the survey geographic and population boundaries; identified key objectives for the surveys; and determined the questions, format, and mediums of dissemination. All three surveys have been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Virginia Tech for use with human subjects. The producer and consumer surveys have also been reviewed by a statistical service offered by Virginia Tech. Data collection is complete for the venue survey, is in process for the producer survey, and is planned to begin in late April for the consumer survey.

• Low-Income Consumer Survey
• Venue Survey
• Producer Survey

Objectives/Performance Targets

Objective 1
To create opportunities for low-income residents to be engaged in significant and effective ways in the development of a more equitable, accessible and secure local food system. Ensure that low-income individuals, as well as community organizations who work inclusively with low-income populations, are key participants at all levels of project planning and development

Objective 2
To increase community understanding about the availability and accessibility of local farm-based foods to low-income residents of Montgomery County.

Drawing from existing assessment materials (such as the USDA Food Security Assessment Toolkit, Cohen et al., 2002), develop survey tools and focus group guidelines that are targeted to increasing the knowledge base re: the consumption of locally –produced foods by low income residents. Conduct a comprehensive study of various subgroups within the low-income population, employing diverse and culturally-sensitive techniques to ensure optimum participation and accurate reporting. Use the survey and focus group results to create a report (including consumption rates, food security issues, barriers to access) that will be valuable to all stakeholders in determining community need and possible first-steps to developing viable and sustainable solutions.

 
Objective 3
To examine the present and potential capacity of the local food system to meet the needs of those not currently being adequately served, and engage farmer/producers in the development of new marketing relationships that increase their economic viability and extend their reach to low-income populations. Assess the potential economic benefits to local farmer/producers and identify supports which may be needed to assist growth in this area. Engage representatives from the local farming community at all levels of the project to ensure that identified needs and proposed solutions are informed by a good understanding of available resources and potential areas of capacity development.

Objective 4
To facilitate a new dialogue between all community stakeholders that seeks to develop creative solutions to food security challenges, focusing on local food resources. Coordinate one or more Working Groups that are charged with using survey results to generate recommendations for community actions to address identified barriers to local food access for low-income consumers. Plan and conduct a Community Forum to examine best practices in other communities with similar demographics, disseminate survey results and Working Group recommendations, and involve all participating stakeholder representatives in establishing a concrete plan to follow the identified recommendations toward sustainable solutions within the community.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Objective 1

Representatives of our target population (low-income residents of Montgomery County) currently comprise 25% (3 of total 12) of our steering committee members, contributing to project activities and execution.  Additionally, representatives from the Department of Health (WIC), the Department of Social Services, the Interfaith Food Pantry, and the Family Nutrition Program and SNAP-Ed currently serve as steering committee members, adding further input from organizations intrinsically involved with the target population. Other organizations represented include Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, VT Engage (student service learning), and Blacksburg United Methodist Church.

The steering committee met twice during the reporting period: Thursday, December 12, 2013 and Thursday, January 16, 2014. Feedback and communication took place via email and over the phone during February and March. Collaboratively, this committee has defined the survey geographic and population boundaries; identified key objectives for the surveys; and determined the questions, format, and medium of dissemination of the producer and consumer surveys. Final approval by the committee was given for the survey drafts in early March.

Objective 2

Several community food security assessment tools were used as reference when developing our own assessment plan. These included:

                Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit (Cohen, 2002)

Congruence and Coverage: Alternative Approaches to Identifying Urban Food Deserts and Food Hinterlands (Leete, Bania, and Sparks-Ibanga, 2012)

Community Needs Assessment Guide (Sharma, Lanum, Suarez-Balcazar, 2000)

Assessing Community Food Security Across Connecticut Towns (Lopez, et al, 2008)

New River Valley Livability Initiative Community Priorities Surveys

Appalachian Food Hub Project – Farmer/Food Artisan Survey (Nester and Cavey)

Additional guidance was obtained from local experts, including members of the steering committee, to tailor the assessments to our unique locality.

Two survey tools that contribute to Objective 2 were developed and approved by the Virginia Tech Institutional Review Board for use with human subjects. These include a phone and in-person survey of all food venues in Montgomery County and an in-person survey of low-income consumers. These surveys are included with this report.

Data collection is complete for the survey of food venues in the county. Seventy-two venues were contacted and 34 completed the survey.  Four volunteers were involved in the administration of the survey both over the phone and in person. Analysis is currently in progress.

The survey of low-income consumers just recently received IRB approval from Virginia Tech. This survey was also reviewed by free statistical services offered by the university to ensure validity and ease of analysis. Data collection will begin in April 2014, with a target number of at least 50 participants identified. This survey will also collect contact information from survey participants who are also interested in participating in a focus group at a later date.

Objective 3

An online (Qualtrics) and in-person survey for agricultural enterprises within 50 miles of Montgomery County’s borders has been developed and reviewed for statistical clarity as well as for use with human subjects by the Virginia Tech Institutional Review Board. Input from Montgomery County’s Virginia Cooperative Extension Agent, our primary liaison between producers, played a significant role in not only survey content but also administration time and medium to correspond with down time in the growing season. Data collection began on March … , and seven responses have currently been collected. Recruitment has taken place primarily through email, posts on social media, and promotion at extension events, including an agritourism seminar.

Data collected includes farm demographic information, visions and needs for expansion, and barriers to expansion according to farm sector: Livestock, Produce, Dairy, Value-Added/Artisan, and Poultry. A focus group will be recruited from the list of survey participants and will take place at a later date.

Objective 4

Objective 4 pertains to the final phase of the project: a community forum and formation of working groups to pursue the recommendations identified through the three surveys and focus groups.

A diverse steering committee and the contacts leveraged among them contributes to not only the comprehensive nature of the survey research, but also our ability to engage with a wide audience in the execution of a community forum, in the dissemination of survey results, and in the efficacy of the working groups. These strengths will be utilized as we approach the final phase of the Farm to Community Planning Project.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

The current status of the Farm to Community Planning Project is largely in the research and information gathering phase. Our contributions and outcomes follow suit. We have developed three survey tools, one of which is complete, one is currently in use, and the last is to begin data collection in April. Just as we have adapted and modified similar survey tools for use in our community, the tools we have developed may be transferable to food system assessments in other localities.

Additionally, the strategic partnerships we have formed among previously unconnected community groups and community members is also an important contribution. These relationships—and the interdisciplinary projects they inspire—will be a lasting outcome of this project.

Collaborators: