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INVESTIGATOR: Moore, L.; Abbott, A.; Contreras, D.; Eicher-Miller, H.; Franzen-Castle, L.; Remley, D.; Geppert, S.; Olson, D.; Schawder, A.; Henne, B.; Mehrle, D.; Nold, R.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
PO BOX 2275A
BROOKINGS, SOUTH DAKOTA 57007

VOICES FOR FOOD: UTILIZING FOOD POLICY COUNCILS TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN FOOD SECURITY AND HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: A collaborative, multi-state (Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota), multi-disciplinary team of nutrition, agriculture, youth, community development, and evaluation specialists from the North Central Region has come together to address food security in rural food deserts. The Project Team proposes an innovative, integrated research and extension project that will: (1) implement a community-based model to enhance food security; (2) use a community based participatory research design in six states to examine outcomes; and (3) utilize on-line distance learning (including eXtension) to document and disseminate best practices. This project proposes to use a community-based approach to target policy changes implemented by local Food Policy Councils (FPCs). FPCs can increase the availability of, and access to nutritious food, thus improving food security in rural food deserts. FPCs determine and drive what food is available in food pantries and how that food is offered to the clients (pre-selected boxes or bags, or client choice). This project is unique in that some of the communities that will be involved already have well-established FPCs, while others do not. Our intent is to gain broad knowledge about the impact of FPCs on food security, as some states will be assisting communities in developing new FPCs, and other states will be providing additional support to strengthen existing FPCs. In order to be sustainable, Extension must augment the traditional approach of "experts" working with individuals and look at the broader strategy of assisting communities in changing policies that may affect food security. For this project, Extension professionals will use community coaching and social marketing techniques in a community development approach to enhance food security. This project is unique in that some of the communities may already have well-established FPCs, while others may not. A Voices for Food kit will be developed and utilized with each community and will include tools for: 1) developing local FPCs; 2) implementing guided client choice food pantries; and (3) integrating, targeted nutrition education resources for use at food pantries. Project Coordinators will be hired in each state and trained in community coaching, social marketing, and evaluation techniques. Only the intervention communities will be coached by the extension Project Coordinators to develop new, or support existing FPCs to change policies to increase the availability of nutritious foods, and move food pantries toward guided client choice, thus enhancing food security.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this project is to enhance food security in selected diverse rural food desert communities. Extension Objectives: 1. Twelve communities will: develop a new or support an existing FPC; provide support to the local FPC to increase the availability of healthy food at the local food pantries; provide support to the local FPC to make policy changes to improve local food pantries by moving them towards a guided client choice system; provide integrated nutrition education to food pantry staff and volunteers to assist clients with making healthy food choices; and, provide integrated nutrition education to clients of local food pantries to assist them in making healthy food choices and preparing healthy, appetizing meals for themselves and their families. 2. A Voices for Food kit of evidence-based best practices for developing FPCs, implementing a guided client choice system, and offering integrated nutrition education appropriate for clients of pantries will be assembled and provided to the 24 communities. 3. Disseminate results via technology, and through face-to-face local, state and national conferences. Research Objectives: 1. Identify and/or develop assessment tools to measure changes in food security that will be pilot-tested in selected communities. 2. Test the following hypothesis: that having Extension Educators engaged with communities through community coaching will lead to stronger FPCs; that greater improvement in food security will occur in communities with FPCs; and that greater improvement in food security will occur in those communities that have stronger FPCs that move food pantries towards a guided client choice system. 3. Assess the perceived value of the Voices for Food kit to the community in developing or improving FPCs. Expected Outcomes: Extension: 1. Develop assessment tools to measure food security and a Voices for Food kit to assist communities; 2. Develop new or improve existing FPCs; 3. The FPCs in the intervention communities will increase the availability of healthy foods at the local food pantries; 4. The food pantries in the intervention communities will move towards a guided client choice system, with integrated nutrition education; and 5. Disseminate results via eXtension and other technology, and through published research manuscripts and presentations. Research: 1. Test the following hypothesis: that greater improvement in food security will occur in communities with FPCs; that having Extension professionals engaged with communities through community coaching will lead to stronger FPCs; and that greater improvement in food security will occur in communities with food pantries that use a guided client choice system, including integrated, targeted nutrition education; and 2. Assess the perceived value that the community has on the effectiveness of the Voices for Food kit in assisting the community in developing a new or improving an existing FPC.