ConnectingYouthtoLocalAgriculture&BuildingDevelopmentalAssetsthroughNutritionEducation

ChristineNelson,UniversityofCalifornia,AgricultureandNaturalResources,2156SierraWay,SuiteC.,SanLuisObispo,CA93401;KatherineE.Soule,PhD,UniversityofCalifornia,AgricultureandNaturalResources;KeriSchwab,PhD,CaliforniaPolytechnicStateUniversity

Healthy Food Systems Healthy Environments Healthy Communities Healthy Californians

MethodThesocio-ecologicalmodelwasuMlizedandimplementedbyaddressinginsMtuMonal,interpersonalandintrapersonallevelstogeneratenutriMonalbehavioralchange.AssetdevelopmentswerealsoidenMfiedamongtheyouth.Approximately100youth,permonthforfivemonthsreceived“bluebags”totakehome.Thesebagsweresuppliedwithalocalandseasonalproduceitem,arecipe,whichincludedingredientstomakethenewdish,andaparentalleTer(inSpanishandEnglish)explainingthepurposeofthese“bluebags.”Parentsandyouthwereencouragedtopreparethegivenrecipetogether,andthenaskedtoreflectontheirculinaryexperiencethroughaninterviewandanarts-basedreflecMonpiece(e.g.,drawingsorpoems).ParMcipantsweregivenapre-surveytoassesstheireaMnghabits,suchashowoZentheyplan,prepare,oreatmealstogether,orhowoZentheyeatfruitsorvegetables.

ResultsTheyouthwereaskedtoreflectontheirculinaryexperiencethroughaninterviewandanarts-basedreflecMonpiece(e.g.,drawingsorpoems).ParMcipantsweregivenapre-surveytoassesstheireaMnghabits,suchashowoZentheyplan,prepare,oreatmealstogether,orhowoZentheyeatfruitsorvegetables.Twenty-fourparentscompletedsurveyspriortoprogramimplementaMonand18youthinterviewswereconductedaZerprogramimplementaMon.MulMplecommunityhealthprofessionalsparMcipatedindataanalysistoreducebiasandensurerigor.Fromthestudents’responses,youthactuallyfeltlessinvolvedinplanningandpreparingmealsthanparentsperceived.Forexample,youthreportedthattheyarenotoZeninvolvedinthedecisionorpreparaMonofwhattheywillbeeaMngfortheirmeals.AtthesameMme,manyyouthreportedthattheyenjoyedpreparingnewfoodsontheirown,andfeltmoreindependentwhenpreparingfoodswithouttheirparents’oversight.TheanalysisoftheartsbasedintervenMondisclosedastrongsenseofautonomyamongtheyouth,aswellaslinkstoposiMveassetdevelopmentssuchas:healthylifestyle,personalpower,self-esteem,responsibility,creaMveacMviMes,posiMveadultrolemodels,posiMvefamilycommunicaMon,parentinvolvementinschooling,andyouthasresources.

ConclusionAccordingtoSearchInsMtute,acquiringdevelopmentalassetsassistupcominggeneraMonsinbecoming“caring,responsibleandproducMveadults.”ThisintervenMonrevealedinteresMngfindingsabouthownutriMoneducaMon,whenMedtofamilyandschoolenvironments,cansupportyouthacquisiMonofthesedevelopmentalassets.WhiletheintervenMonprovidedameansforyouthtodevelopInternalAssetsviacookingskillsandnutriMoniniMaMveregardlessofparentalsupport,whenparentsandyouthcookedtogether,theseacMviMeslinkedtoExternalAssetdevelopment,suchas:support,empowerment,andboundariesandexpectaMons.AddiMonally,connecMngnutriMoneducaMonwiththefamilyandschoolenvironments,localfoodssystems,andothercommunityhealthprofessionalscanincreaseyouth’ssenseofcaringclimatesandposiMveadultrelaMonships,whichfurtherstrengthenlinkstoExternalAssets.ThisexploratorystudysuggeststhatthereisvalueinfutureresearchtoexaminehownutriMoneducaMonsupportsyouthassetdevelopment,posiMvefactorsforyoungadulthood,andwellnessbeyondnutriMon.

AbstractTwouniversityprogramscollaboratedtoexploretheoutcomesofprovidingstudentsandfamiliesintheShandonUnifiedSchoolDistrict,inSanLuisObispoCounty,withFarmtoSchoolprogrammingandaccesstolocalproducethroughoutthe2014-2015schoolyear.TheinnovaMve“BlueBag”intervenMonwasbuiltonanexiMngHarvestoftheMonthprogramtoenablefurtherconnecMonswithfamiliesandstudentstotheirlocalagriculture,foodsystems,aswellaswideningtheirinterestintryingnewproduceandincreasingconsumpMonoffruitsandvegetables.

Objectives• Connectstudents,families,andtheschoolenvironmenttolocalagriculture,foodsystems,andbroadeninterestintryingnewproduce,whileincreasingconsumpMonoffruitsandvegetablesthroughaFarmtoSchoolprogramming.

• Evaluateoutcomesofthe“BlueBag”programtoidenMfylinksandconnecMonstoyouthdevelopmentofposiMveassets.

Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Department

Acknowledgements