Describes a mentoring program sponsored by the National Immigrant Farming Initiative that links aspiring Latino immigrant farmers with established U.S. farmers
8 pages., Via online journal., With growing interest in food system solutions to address poor health outcomes related to preventable chronic diseases, organizations and researchers are examining the value of community gardens as interventions to promote individual and community health. Research suggests that participation in community gardens improves access to fresh, healthy foods and increases fruit and vegetable consumption. In addition to these physical benefits, research also documents a variety of social and communal benefits, by expanding social capital, stabilizing neighborhoods, and cultivating relationships. Unfortunately, most of these studies focus on a specific case, cross case, or intervention studies within a geographically specific locale. Learning lessons from successful community garden programs can be difficult because community gardens often rely on the synergy of a complex network of support agencies that assist in various technical and educational capacities. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the use of a framework for program development and evaluation that stakeholders, including extension, can adopt to show program outcomes. The framework used a Delphi approach with a diverse panel of community garden stakeholders to reach consensus about program outcomes. The study demonstrated that the panel could reach consensus on a variety of short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes.
Das, Emmanuel (author) and International Association for Media and Communication Research, London, UK.
Format:
Abstract
Publication Date:
2010-07-18
Published:
India
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 179 Document Number: C36280
Notes:
Retrieved 03/22/2011, Via online. Page 28 in Book of Abstracts: Participatory Communication Research Section of the IAMCR Conference, Braga, Portugal, July 18-22, 2010.
13 pages, via online journal, This study tested whether message tailoring of recipes and food-use tips for low-income households is superior to providing a generic version of the material. The field experiment was conducted in the busy conditions found at community food pantries, and included 10 food distributions at each of six sites. We analyzed the consumption of fresh vegetables 6 days following distributions, and retention of print materials 6 weeks later. Self-determination and reactance theories guided the development of tailoring in an indigenous fashion, allowing each pantry client to choose recipes and food tips thought personally useful. This contrasted against paternalistic tailoring, common in health communication, where a motivational theory is used to regulate the health messages given to recipients. Results demonstrated benefits of tailoring over both generic and control conditions and uncovered the degree of tailoring that produced the largest effects. As suggested by construal level theory, the intervention addressed recipients' immediate and concrete decisions about healthy eating, instead of distant or abstract goals like prevention of illnesses. We documented per-client costs of tailored information. Results also suggested that benefits from social capital at sites offering a health outreach may exceed the impact of message tailoring on outcomes of interest.
Bu Zhong (author), Fan Yang (author), Yen-Lin Chen (author), and College of Communication, Pennsylvania State University
Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education, College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2015
Published:
Elsevier
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 16 Document Number: D10462
10 pages., Via online journal., Agricultural extension systems often fail due to inadequate knowledge of farmers’ information needs and sharing strategies. This study aims to meet an urgent need of studying information needs and sharing strategies among vegetable farmers and vendors in Chengdu, China, whose results might be used in building a center of agricultural information disseminating vegetable production and marketing information. The findings disclose interesting differences between the farmers and vendors regarding their willingness to join such a center, information needs, sharing strategies and preferred information sources. Ample evidences justify the construction of the proposed center of agricultural information, which should not only empower the vegetable farmers and vendors but also enhance the efficiency of the existing vegetable supply chain and food security. Cross-discipline research involving both agriculture and communication scholars, like this, should shed more insights on working out strategies to cope with agricultural challenges.
