Browsing by Author "Harmon, Alison H."

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Buying into Community Supported Agriculture: Strategies for Overcoming Income Barriers
(2008-04) Forbes, Cristin B.; Harmon, Alison H.
Community-supported agriculture provides benefits to members, including improved nutrition, economic savings, increased food security, and knowledge about the source of one's food. Unfortunately, membership may seem out of reach for limited-resource consumers because a lump sum membership fee is generally required at the beginning of the season. This article examines the strategies being used by CSA farms to help potential limited-resource members overcome income barriers. Those strategies include acceptance of government food assistance, payment plans, working shares, subsidized low-income shares, low-cost shares, transportation assistance, bartering, outreach efforts, and connections to emergency food assistance.
Community Supported Agriculture: A Conceptual Model of Health Implications
(2014-04) Harmon, Alison H.
Community supported agriculture (CSA) is an alternative food marketing and distribution model in which consumers pay a membership fee before the season in return for a weekly share of a farm’s harvest. Since the first two were initiated in the 1980s, the number of farms operating as CSAs in the US has grown to more than 6,000. This paper offers a conceptual model of the health implications and challenges of CSA for individuals, families, communities, and local food systems. CSAs benefit individual health by improving diet; contribute to family health by advancing food skills and encouraging family meals; foster the development of healthy relationships between growers and eaters in communities; and promote sustainability in local food systems by conserving natural resources, improving economic viability of small–scale agriculture, minimizing the need for food processing and long–distance distribution, and improving access to high quality food. Challenges for CSA members include more time to prepare whole foods compared to processed foods, inconvenience compared to one–stop shopping at a supermarket, and prohibitive pricing for limited–resource families. Fully utilizing CSA as a health promotion strategy will require the support of health professionals, policy makers, and private sector industries such as health insurance.
Considerations for exploring livestock as a nutrition intervention in the rural United States
(2015-07) Sarjahani, Andrew; Harmon, Alison H.
Residents of rural communities in the United States typically have poor access to high-quality protein. Internationally, livestock nutrition intervention programs have been successful at increasing access to high-quality dietary protein in rural areas; however, these programs have not been largely explored in the rural United States. Given its lack of support facilities, availability of land, lack of zoning restrictions, and economic struggles, the rural United States is an ideal setting to pursue a livestock nutrition intervention project. What, then, would it take to establish an intervention? A number of community and livestock-related considerations need to be addressed in preparation for a livestock nutrition intervention in a rural community in the United States. Four examples of livestock are discussed.
Development and Evaluation of an introductory course in sustainable food and bioenergy systems
(2014-02) Malone, Kate; Harmon, Alison H.; Dyer, William E.; Maxwell, Bruce D.; Perillo, Catherine
The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, instruction, and evaluation of the undergraduate pilot course, Introduction to Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems (SFBS), at Montana State University. Introduction to SFBS is an interdisciplinary, team-taught, experiential education course designed to introduce students to broad array of SFBS-related topics, expose students to career opportunities in these fields, and enable them to establish relationships with food, agriculture, and energy stakeholders. Students completed baseline and follow-up surveys in which they reported information about their backgrounds, values, and knowledge of SFBS-related topics. The surveys also tracked students' learning and allowed them to provide feedback on course methods. According to the follow-up survey, over the course of the semester students demonstrated development of course vocabulary and concepts. Students' experiences in the course prompted changes in their school- and career-related goals. Additionally, the team-teaching approach was highly valued. Students also indicated that teaching should be more solutions-focused. Evaluation of students' backgrounds and learning is an important tool for the future evolution of this course and the development of others like it. The survey tool was in its first iteration; it will require revision as the course evolves. Introduction to SFBS can serve as a model for curricula related to sustainable agriculture, food, and energy. Courses like this can prepare students to become informed, innovative, critical thinkers capable of excelling in a multitude of food, agriculture, and energy-related careers. This course will continue to be monitored and evaluated as the curriculum evolves.
Evaluation of the Impact of Food Insecurity Education
(2013-03) Landolfi, Kara; Harmon, Alison H.
There seems to be a general awareness that in today’s world not everyone always has enough to eat, yet a lack of specific knowledge about what is termed food insecurity often arises. Food insecurity means not having reliable access to sufficient amounts of nutritious food through normal access channels to lead an active and healthy life. Professor Alison Harmon developed an educational experience where pre-health professionals can get a taste of food insecurity by limiting student’s food expenses to $3 per day, or $15 over five days. From journals completed daily, qualitative data was sorted to characterize strategies related to maximizing one’s budget, food choices and overall diet quality; physical, emotional, and mental consequences during the exercise; insights and observations of the participants, participant feelings about completing an application for food assistance and visiting a food bank, and participant predictions related to how the experience would benefit them in their professional practice. Implications of this research are intended to assist educators in creating student experience that foster empathy and understanding about food insecurity issues. A simulated food insecurity experience can be useful in increasing competence for health professionals working with limited resource clients.
Focused Group Interviews as an Innovative Quanti-qualitative Methodology (QQM): Integrating Quantitative Elements into a Qualitative Methodology
(Nova Southeastern University, Inc., 2006) Grim, Brian; Gromis, Judy; Harmon, Alison H.
There is a sharp divide between quantitative and qualitative methodologies in the social sciences. We investigate an innovative way to bridge this gap that incorporates quantitative techniques into a qualitative method, the “quanti-qualitative method” (QQM). Specifically, our research utilized small survey questionnaires and experiment-like activities as part of the question route in a series of five focused group interviews on nutrition education. We show how these quantitative-type activities fit naturally with our question route and contributed to testing the hypotheses within the context of the five important characteristics of focused group interviews. The innovative use of QQM in focused group interviews makes data analysis easier and more transparent and permits collection of richer, more multifaceted data in a cost-effective fashion. Key Words: Focus Groups, Qualitative-Quantitative Methodology, QQM, and Qualitative Hypothesis Testing.
Food Insecurity Experience: Building Empathy in Future Food and Nutrition Professionals
(2016-12) Harmon, Alison H.; Landolfi, Kara; Byker Shanks, Carmen; Hansen, Leanna; Iverson, Laura; Anacker, Melody
OBJECTIVE: To assess changes in empathy in students completing a food insecurity experience. DESIGN: Mixed methods; quantitative data from survey in years 1 and 2; qualitative data extracted from students' workbooks in years 2-5. This study was conducted over 10weeks annually for 5years. SETTING: Northwest US land-grant university. PARTICIPANTS: Students enrolled in a community nutrition course who chose to complete the food insecurity exercise. Total included 58 students in quantitative analysis in years 1 and 2 and 119 in qualitative analysis, years 2-5. INTERVENTION(S): The intervention was a food insecurity experience in which participants spent no more than $3/d on food for 5days ($15 total) while striving for a nutritious diet and reflecting on their experience. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Empathy scores measured by Likert scales; participant responses and reflections recorded in workbook journals. ANALYSIS: Comparison of means across time using paired t tests (P<.05); coding and sorting themes from workbook journals. RESULTS: Quantitative findings indicated that both classroom content and experiential exercises were important for enhancing empathy about food insecurity. Empathy scores increased from time I to time II and from time I to time III. Qualitative reflections among participants included terms such as guilt, empathy, compassion, and raised consciousness about food insecurity. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Experiential and transformational learning to develop empathy can take place in a 5-day food insecurity experience during a typical university-level community nutrition course. This intervention can be tested for applications in other contexts.
Food Insecurity Experience: Building Empathy in Future Food and Nutrition Professionals
(2017-03) Harmon, Alison H.; Landolfi, Kara; Byker Shanks, Carmen; Hansen, Leanna; Iverson, Laura; Anacker, Melody
OBJECTIVE To assess changes in empathy in students completing a food insecurity experience. DESIGN Mixed methods; quantitative data from survey in years 1 and 2; qualitative data extracted from students\' workbooks in years 2-5. This study was conducted over 10 weeks annually for 5 years. SETTING Northwest US land-grant university. PARTICIPANTS Students enrolled in a community nutrition course who chose to complete the food insecurity exercise. Total included 58 students in quantitative analysis in years 1 and 2 and 119 in qualitative analysis, years 2-5. INTERVENTION(S) The intervention was a food insecurity experience in which participants spent no more than $3/d on food for 5 days ($15 total) while striving for a nutritious diet and reflecting on their experience. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Empathy scores measured by Likert scales; participant responses and reflections recorded in workbook journals. ANALYSIS Comparison of means across time using paired t tests (P < .05); coding and sorting themes from workbook journals. RESULTS Quantitative findings indicated that both classroom content and experiential exercises were important for enhancing empathy about food insecurity. Empathy scores increased from time I to time II and from time I to time III. Qualitative reflections among participants included terms such as guilt, empathy, compassion, and raised consciousness about food insecurity. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Experiential and transformational learning to develop empathy can take place in a 5-day food insecurity experience during a typical university-level community nutrition course. This intervention can be tested for applications in other contexts.
Healthy Land, Healthy Food & Healthy Eaters: Dietitians Cultivating Sustainable Food Systems
(American Dietetic Association, 2009) Tagtow, Angie; Harmon, Alison H.
The purpose of this document is to provide essential tools to dietetic professionals for navigating the food system. These tools include: • Theoretical models that connect natural resources to food production and health. • A critical thinking checklist that aids in determining the viability and stability of food production practices in relation to the impact on the environment and the feasibility of fulﬁlling the food and nutrition needs of current and future generations. • Strategies for incorporating food system sustainability activities into personal and professional practice.
Healthy Land, Healthy People: Building a Better Understanding of Sustainable Food Systems for Food and Nutrition Professionals: A Primer on Sustainable Food Systems and Emerging Roles for food and Nutrition Professionals
(American Dietetic Association, 2007) Lollar, Dianne; Hartman, Barbara; O'Neil, Carolyn; Raimondi, Mary Pat; Roberts, Susan; Tagtow, Angie; Wilkins, Jennifer; Devlin, Cathy; Holler, Harold; Harmon, Alison H.
Table of Contents | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...1 | Sustainable Food System Task Force Charge...1 | Accomplishments of the Task Force...2 | Task Force Members...3 | INTRODUCTION...4 | Sustainable Food Systems for Health—Why Does This Matter?...4 | Guiding Principles of the Task Force...5 | Limitations of the Primer...5 | An Historical Perspective...6 | A Snapshot of the U.S. Food System...6 | References...12 | SECTION I. WHAT ARE SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS?...15 | What are Sustainable Food Systems?...16 | Food and Nutrition Professionals Role in Supporting Sustainable Food Systems...18 | References...20 | SECTION II. EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION PROFESSIONALS WITHIN ADA...21 | SECTION III. OPPORTUNITIES AND EMERGING ROLES FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION PROFESSIONALS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS...28 | SECTION IV. OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION PROFESSIONALS TO INFLUENCE THE FOOD SYSTEM...36 | SECTION V. PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION...41 | SECTION VI. SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS SCENARIOS...58 | Hospitals & Healthcare Systems...58 | Long Term Care Facilities...60 | Academic Institutions...60 | Dietetic Education...61 | Retail Food Service Management...61 | Correctional Facilities...62 | Policies...62 | SECTION VII. GLOSSARY | References...65 | RESOURCES & RECOMMENDED READING...66 | Online Learning...66 | Recommended Reading...66 | PHOTO CREDITS...71
National Chain Restaurant Practices Supporting Food Sustainability
(2014-11) Pinard, Courtney A.; Byker Shanks, Carmen; Serrano, Elena L.; Harmon, Alison H.
Although sustainable food practices are becoming popular among consumers, there is little known about restaurants’ practices, such as sourcing local or organic products. The goal of this study was to examine published information about sustainable practices in chain restaurants in 2008 and 2011. Restaurant websites were inspected in 2008 and 2011–2012 for information supporting sustainable food practices. Sustainability ratings were categorized as no practice, planned practice, or practice. In 2008, there were few reported practices; however, in 2011 there was a proliferation. This research demonstrates the increasing popularity of sustainable food practices and the potential to reach a broader audience.
New Curricula for Undergraduate Food-Systems Education: A Sustainable Agriculture Education Perspective
(2014-12) Jordan, Nicolas; Grossman, J.; Lawrence, Patrick G.; Harmon, Alison H.; Dyer, William E.; Maxwell, Bruce D.; Cadieux, K.V.; Galt, Ryan; Rojas, A.; Byker Shanks, Carmen; Ahmed, Selena; Bass, Thomas; Kebreab, E.; Singh, V.; Michaels, T.; Tzenis, C.
New undergraduate degree programs that address food systems have appeared at a number of North American universities in the past decade. These programs seek to complement established food- and agriculture-related courses of instruction with additional curricular elements that build students’ capacity to address complex food-systems issues (e.g., food sustainability, security, quality, equity and justice) in the course of their work in food-related professions. Here, we examine these emerging food-systems curricula, building on our collective experiences developing food-systems degree programs at University of British Columbia, Montana State University, University of California-Davis and the University of Minnesota. We present the conceptual framework that underlies our efforts, based on the premise that our degree programs should help students build “systemic” capacities that complement disciplinary training provided by various specialization “tracks.” Thus, we intend for our graduates to have a dual preparation, in both a particular specialization, and in overarching systemic capacities that enhance their ability to address complex food-system issues. We assess our current curricula in light of our framework, and outline high-priority pathways for further development of these curricula.
Organic agriculture supports biodiversity and sustainable food production
(2011-10) Underwood, Teri; Mccullum-Gomez, Christine; Harmon, Alison H.; Roberts, Susan
Biodiversity is vital to several important ecosystem services that ensure sustainability of food production. In organic agriculture, land management practices that promote biodiversity and soil quality are emphasized and the goal is to maintain a sustainable agricultural system. Soil quality or soil health is the foundation for all agriculture and natural plant communities and a primary indicator of sustainable land management. Soil quality is affected by farm management and land use decisions. This article presents a review of the literature on the question: How do organic agriculture and conventional agriculture differ in regard to their impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services? All of the 22 articles identified in this review reported a significant increase in at least one variable that indicated enhanced biodiversity and/or ecosystem services on sites farmed using an organic farming system compared to sites farmed using a conventional farming system. This review underlines the importance of biodiversity, particularly soil biodiversity, to sustainable food production and underscores the need for further ecological studies on the links between farm management systems and soil quality.
Planting Seeds: Towne's Harvest Garden at MSU
(2009) Jelenchick, Jaime; Harmon, Alison H.
What’s the future of agriculture in Montana? Join Montana State University students, faculty, and staff, along with area community members, as they build a small research and teaching farm right in Bozeman – Towne’s Harvest Garden. Find out how they are creating a sustainable market garden and learn about the benefits of eating locally in this short, 10-minute documentary, “Planting Seeds.”
Position of the American Dietetic Association: Food and Nutrition Professionals Can Implement Practices to Conserve Natural Resources and Support Ecological Sustainability
(2007-06) Harmon, Alison H.; Gerald, Bonnie L.
It is the position of the American Dietetic Association to encourage environmentally responsible practices that conserve natural resources, minimize the quantity of waste generated, and support the ecological sustainability of the food system—the process of food production, transformation, distribution, access, and consumption. Registered dietitians and dietetic technicians, registered, play various roles in the food system and work in settings where efforts to conserve can have significant effects. Natural resources that provide the foundation for the food system include biodiversity, soil, land, energy, water, and air. A food system that degrades or depletes its resource base is not sustainable. Making wise food purchases and food management decisions entails understanding the external costs of food production and foodservice and how these external costs affect food system sustainability. This position paper provides information, specific action-oriented strategies, and resources to guide registered dietitians and dietetic technicians, registered, in food decision making and professional practice. Food and nutrition professionals also can participate in policy making at the local, state, and national levels, and can support policies that encourage the development of local sustainable food systems. Our actions today have global consequences. Conserving and protecting resources will contribute to the sustainability of the global food system now and in the future.
Sustainable agriculture undergraduate degree programs: A land-grant university mission
(2012-05) Jacobsen, Krista; Niewolny, Kim; Schroeder-Moreno, Michelle; Van Horn, Mark; Harmon, Alison H.; Chen Fanslow, Yolanda; Williams, Mark; Parr, Damian
There has been considerable growth in the number undergraduate degree programs in sustainable agriculture (SA) in universities and colleges across the country in the past 25 years. As a subset of this national trend, land-grant universities (LGUs) are emerging as catalysts in innovative SA program development, in part due to the LGU tripartite mission of education, extension, and research. This mission compels LGUs to develop undergraduate degree offerings to engage student, faculty, and community stakeholders who are increasingly interested in SA. In this article, which is an outcome of a gathering of faculty, staff and students from SA programs at LGUs at a workshop prior to the 4th National Sustainable Agriculture Education Association Conference in August 2011, we discuss the justification for SA programming at LGUs, the emergence of SA major and minor degrees at 11 LGUs to date, the common successes and challenges of current SA programs, strategies for improving existing SA programming, and systematic approaches for expanding SA education impact across institutional lines. We also introduce several additional topic-based articles that resulted from workshop dialogue that appear in this issue of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, including civic engagement efforts in SA education through community-university partnerships, a critical documentation of the implicit inclusion of values into SA education, and efforts to internationalize SA curriculum.
Sustainable hospital food service: restoring health and prosperity to rural Montana
(2014-02) Montague, Jennifer; Wilcox, Jessica; Harmon, Alison H.
Montana is a large, sparsely populated agricultural state experiencing both rural economic decline and high rates of chronic disease related to poor nutrition. Pursuing a more sustainable and self–reliant food system may help alleviate both of these problems. This investigation explores the sustainable practices foodservice directors in Montana’s rural hospitals are implementing, their challenges and opportunities. A case study of one innovative rural hospital demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating sustainable practices, and reveals local food purchasing in particular as an excellent way to support the local agricultural economy and build social capital while addressing the mission of the institution. An in–depth investigation of this foodservice and interviews with ten additional hospital foodservice directors provided an initial assessment of the extent to which rural Montana hospitals are engaging in sustainable practices, and particularly local food purchasing. Key challenges include financial constraints, concerns about food safety, existing contractual relationships, and staff training needs. Conversely, the continued reliance on scratch cooking in rural hospitals is seen as a significant opportunity, and several hospitals studied have gardens on–site. Conclusions include resources for foodservice directors who wish to integrate sustainable policies and practices in rural hospital foodservice operations.
Teaching Food System Sustainability in Dietetic Programs: Need, Conceptualization, and Practical Approaches
(2011-01) Harmon, Alison H.; Lapp, Julia; Blair, Dorothy; Hauck-Lawson, Annie
Contemporary globalized food systems add new dimensions to the conceptualization of “healthy” food. The need to address biophysical, social, and environmental aspects of food systems is internationally recognized. In a survey of 265 dietetics programs, 68% of 145 educators were interested in sustainability education techniques yet felt inadequately prepared. We report on survey results and provide strategies for sustainability education (1) conceptually, as sustainable food system action goals; and (2) pedagogically, as didactic approaches to teaching that promote the sustainability goals, examples of teaching methods, and a selected reference list on sustainable food issues linked with the goals.
Towne's Harvest Garden and Community Supported Agriculture Program, Annual Report 2008
(MSU Friends of Local Foods, 2009) Robbins, Sam; Friedman, Seth; Neff, Karin S.; Harmon, Alison H.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary...6 About Towne’s Harvest...8 Mission, Vision and Values...9 The Value of Towne’s Harvest Garden...10 Partner Analysis...11 2008 Plan of Operations and Organizational Structure...12 2008 Expenditures and Income...13 Towne’s Harvest Garden Layout...13 2008 Crop List...15 The Harvest...16 Estimated Yields...17 Labor...18 Distribution...19 CSA Member Feedback...22 Integration into MSU Coursework...23 Community Outreach, Events, and Tours...24 Publicity...25 Lessons Learned...26 2009 Plan of Operation and Organizational Structure...28 Towne’s Harvest Proposed Annual Timeline...31 External Funding for Towne’s Harvest Garden...33 Towne’s Harvest On-going Goals & Progress...34 APPENDIX Friends of Local Foods Brochure | Towne’s Harvest Involvement Brochure 2008 | Towne’s Harvest Garden CSA Program Brochure 2008 | 2008 Newsletter Samples (2) | 2008 Expenditures Detail | 2008 Seeding, Planting Data, & Field Notes | Crop List Detailed Crop Notes | Sustainable Business and Marketing Plan 2008
Towne's Harvest Garden and Community Supported Agriculture Program, Annual Report 2009
(MSU Friends of Local Foods, 2010) Robbins, Sam; Fitzgerald, Alison; Harmon, Alison H.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary...6 About Towne’s Harvest...8 Mission, Vision and Values... 9 The Value of Towne’s Harvest Garden...10 Partner Analysis...11 2009 Plan of Operations and Organizational Structure...12 2009 Expenditures and Income...13 Towne’s Harvest Garden Layout...13 2009 Crop List...14 Production Summary...15 Harvest...15 Crop Yields...16 Labor...17 Community Supported Agriculture Program...18 CSA Distribution Data...19 CSA Member Feedback... 20 Food Bank Partnership... 22 Farmers’ Markets...23 Towne’s Harvest Distribution Summary...24 Integration into MSU Coursework...25 Community Outreach, Events, and Tours...27 President’s Luncheon...28 Publicity...29 Lessons Learned...30 2010 Plan of Operation and Organizational Structure...32 2010 Predicted Expenditures and Income...33 Towne’s Harvest Garden Income & Expenses 2007-2010...34 External Funding for Towne’s Harvest Garden... 37 Towne’s Harvest On-going Goals & Progress...38 Appendix...41 APPENDIX 2009 Budget Expenses Marketing Plan for 2009 Farmers’ Market Operations | Planting Map Farmers’ Market Log | LRES Capstone Experimental Design Farmers’ Market Produce Prices | Planting Schedule Farmers’ Market Income Comparisons | 2009 Crop Notes THG Internship Application | 2009 CSA Member Brochure THG Intern Agreement Form | CSA Distribution Log Intern Hours Record | CSA Weekly Distribution Data ‘Towne’s Weekly’ Newsletter Samples | CSA Value by Crop Culinary Marketing Student Research Posters | CSA Weekly Attendance | Food Bank Distribution Log | Food Bank Weekly Distribution Data and Totals