Strengthening Community Engagement in Sustainable Local Food Systems

Strengthening Community Engagement in Sustainable Local Food Systems

Summary

This project will provide the foundation on which to expand Extension programming on the local food system in collaboration with other organizations in the community. The project’s focus during its initial six months has been on identifying field-based Extension educators in each of the participating states of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania to become part of the project’s multi-state Extension Advisory Council and to develop a web-based survey to obtain input from field-based Extension educators in these states regarding their perceptions of public engagement on food system issues within their counties as well as to assess their own participation on foods system issues, project milestones 1 and 2.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Extension agents and community collaborators at 15 sites in three states–for a total of 30 agents and 30 community members–will carry out the following actions based on the community’s current involvement in such issues:

Extension educators:

Commit and report time to this initiative through an appropriate plan of work.

Educators and community collaborators:

Encourage local public television stations to schedule “Our Food: Our Future” if they have not already done so;

Determine the type, structure, and inclusiveness of community groups that may already exist and could explore food system issues at the community level;

Work with existing groups (or establish a group) such as a food policy council to expand community dialogue on the local food system;

Initiate a process in the community to identify assets and needs for a sustainable local food system;

Work in copperation with community groups to begin local programming such as focus groups, workshops, or forums following local airing of “Our Food: Our Future”;

Initiate contacts to expand the media coverage of local food system issues;

Seek resources to support community dialogue.

Success for this project is defined as an increase in community-initiated activities that support continuing public dialogue on a sustainable local food system.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Milestone 1. Establish a multi-state Extension Educators’ Project Advisory Council.

Each state has identified one or more of its three members for this council. These individuals will provide input to ensure that educational strategies are appropriate at the community level, regardless of state. Their insights regarding local needs and interests and interpretation of community level data is intended to ensure more responsive, educational programs across the participating states.

To enhance the diversity of perspectives, knowledge, and programming around local food system issues, Extension educators in each state are being identified to represent the mix of extension programs–agricultural and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, youth development, and community economic development. These educators also reflect the geographical diversity of each state. Invitations to participate in the council are through the project’s primary contact in each state via either personal invitation or e-mail.

Council members will a) propose and critique community based educational strategies focusing on the food system; b) bring insight and interpretation to assessments of the local food system as well as identify factors critical in such assessments; c) identify and evaluate educational resources for programming on the local food system; and d) have the opportunity to serve as a resource/instructor, participant, or both for in-services on the food system offered by each state.

Milestone 2. Conduct a baseline electronic survey among field-based Extension educators in each participating state.

This survey will determine the perceptions of Extension educators regarding public engagement with food system issues within their counties as well as assess their own participation in food system programming.

Survey development was initiated in July 2002. Extensive conversations among the principals in each state via conference calls and e-mail occurred throughout this development process. As part of an October 2002 in-service, Cornell field-based educators reviewed an early version of the e-survey. During this phase, members of the project advisory council provided feedback on the e-survey via e-mail.

While questionnaire development was underway, alternative commercial software to support a web-based survey was identified and evaluated. Human subjects approval was obtained as well through each participating university.

In January 2003, the e-survey supported by Test Pilot through Penn State was piloted with field-based extension educators in a neighboring state. The e-survey among Extension educators in New Jersey, New York, And Pennsylvania is projected for February 2003.

Milestone 3. Implement in-state in-services focusing on strategies to enhance community dialogue and media coverage on locally relevant food system issues.

Cornell held a workshop, “Our Food Our Future–Enhancing Community Food Security through Local Action” during its October 2002 Extension Educators Conference, to introduce skills to initiate local progrmming on community food security issues. The expectation is that such workshops enable participants to develop strategies to address specific food system issues within their communities.

To introduce this project to Extension agents and community collaborators in Pennsylvania, planning was initiated for a March 2003 in-service “Implementing Community-Based Conversations on the Local Food System.” Following this in-service, community teams will be able to assess their current community food system, identify local food system issues, and develop community-based strategies to address these issues. Information and insights gained from the e-survey will be discussed during the in-service.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

To date, this project has focused on building the foundation through which this project can be implemented at the community level, consistent with the project’s first-year time line.

Collaborators: