- Author: Rosa Vargas
- Author: Miguel Diaz
- Author: Emily Dimond
- Author: Shannon Klisch
After participating in UCCE's virtual Family Cook Night series, 60% of parents reported intention to not offer a treat as a reward for eating other foods and 80% would try new strategies for picky eaters, promoting healthy people and communities.
The Issue
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of life, including family, work, and education. The pandemic has exacerbated social inequalities, affected access to education for adults and youth and magnified food insecurity for children and families. Two US COVID-19 Impact Surveys indicated that 34.5% of households with a child ≤ 18 years old and 34.4% of households with children ≤ 12 years old were food insecure by end of April 2020. [2]
How UC Delivers
As schools remained in distance learning, CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE in Santa Barbara County worked closely with principals and partners at two elementary schools to find innovative ways to support the health of youth and families during these unprecedented times. Meeting virtually with partners and youth, UCCE educators realized a need for programming that involved the whole family.
UCCE educators hosted two 4-class series of evening classes via Zoom with school leadership to meet this need. Families signed up through their respective schools and got access to the virtual classrooms through school computers and district Zoom rooms. Using the Healthy, Happy Families curriculum, the families learned about topics that promote healthful behaviors. These included how to involve youth in cooking and meal preparation and using words instead of food to praise positive behavior. Families also learned basic nutrition, food safety, and the current USDA dietary guidelines. Throughout each lesson, UCCE educators encouraged families to include their children in the cooking process by demonstrating tasks appropriate for varying levels of child development.
UCCE educators continued to strengthen partnerships with Santa Barbara Food Bank (SBFB), extenders, youth, and families in Santa Barbara County. Families utilized resources available in their homes and supplemental materials provided by the SBFB and UCCE staff. Educators created dynamic lessons that provided families with the opportunity to openly share their experiences, thoughts, and welcomed participation from all family members, including fathers and male guardians. Participation from men in these classes promoted gender equality, an essential step towards addressing the double burden of unpaid caretaking work that disproportionately impacts the health and well-being of women. [4]
The Impact
After attending the classes, adult participants shared that they changed their approach to feeding their children to promote healthful behaviors. Pre- and post-course survey (n=64) results indicated that the proportion of parents or guardians who would not offer a treat as a reward for eating other foods increased from 36% to 60%. Additionally, the proportion of parents or guardians who indicated that they would offer food to their child rejected more than once increased from 36% to 80%. Overall, the Family Cook Nights Series was impactful, educators and families practiced cooking healthy recipes, promoted gender equality, and changed feeding habits to encourage healthful behaviors.
According to Jensen (2020), “besides a direct relation with higher intake of unhealthy foods, frequent use of food as a reward may also increase the risk of being overweight through long-term effects on eating behavior”. [3] This intervention fostered healthy behaviors as part of the UC ANR's commitment to promoting healthy people and communities.
When asked about the class series, one school principal remarked: "Our families enjoyed it and had fun. Cooking is community building. We appreciate the thoughtfulness of the food bank and CalFresh." -Liberty Elementary School Principal
Sources:
1. Nalita James, Virginie Thériault. (2021) Reimagining community and belonging amid COVID-19. Studies in the Education of Adults 53:1, pages 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1080/02660830.2020.1811474
2. Bauer L. The COVID-19 crisis has already left too many children hungry in America. 2020. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/05/06/the-covid-19-crisis-has-already-left-too-many-children-hungry-in-america/. Accessed June 18, 2021
3. Jansen PW, Derks IPM, Mou Y, et al.Associations of parents' use of food as reward with children's eating behaviour and BMI in a population-based cohort. Pediatric Obesity. 2020;15:e12662.https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.1266210 of 10 JANSEN ET AL.
4. Kate Power (2020) The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the care burden of women and families, Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 16:1, 67-73, https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2020.1776561
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- Author: Shannon Klisch
- Author: Emily Dimond
- Author: Rosa Vargas
- Author: Katherine E Soule
During COVID-19, CalFresh Healthy Living virtually developed culinary skills of 18 4-H SNAC Club student leaders, who then led 117 culturally-relevant healthy cooking lessons with family members.
The Issue
Health disparities, described in Healthy People 2020 as “health differences that are closely linked with social, economic, and environmental disadvantage,” adversely impact people of color in the United States. Eliminating health disparities will require coordinated efforts across all sectors of society and investment in equitable infrastructure so that all Americans have access to the resources needed to live healthy lives[1]. Obesity and diabetes remain two of the most persistent health outcomes with documented disparities between White and African American or Latino populations and is related to differential access to healthy food, housing, healthcare, education, and safe environments for physical activity created by historic and persistent racist policies and systems. During COVID-19, disparities in health outcomes have intensified as parents who are Hispanic or Black and parents with lower incomes were most likely to lose work-related income and to reduce spending on food during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic[2]. In addition, people of color have a higher risk of infection, hospitalization and death from COVID-19, risks that are linked to obesity and obesity-related chronic disease[3].
How UC Delivers
CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties works primarily with youth and families attending schools with high rates of low-income students and families who are Hispanic/Latino. UC educators partner with youth in elementary schools to develop expertise in health and nutrition and to advocate for improved access to healthy and culturally relevant foods through the 4-H Student Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC Club). SNAC Clubs fosters youth leadership, health knowledge, skill building, and career readiness. When schools shut down, UC educators reached out to school administrators to problem-solve ways to continue to partner with and support SNAC Club youth.
Starting in April 2020, 18 youth from two school clubs continued SNAC Club meetings online for nine consecutive weeks. Meetings included cooking and gardening activities, utilizing resources available in students' homes and supplemental materials provided by UCCE staff. During and after the online meetings, youth shared the food they prepared, as well as information about food safety, food budgeting, and the nutritional value of featured ingredients with members of their families. After each session, youth provided their feedback to UCCE educators through an anonymous survey.
The Impact
SNAC Club youth leaders adopted what they learned from UCCE SNAC meetings by delivering a total of 117 lessons to their families and engaging an average of three family members in weekly cooking, nutrition or garden lessons, with some youth engaging up to five family members. Topics taught by youth leaders included healthy recipe demonstration and tasting, the benefits of eating from one or more of the MyPlate food groups, how to make healthy meals on a budget, and cooking with seasonal produce.
Overall, of the six recipes prepared, 92% of youth (n=38) indicated that they would make the recipe again. Youth and their families also commented on changes they would make to the recipes such as omitting onions or adding avocado, tomatoes or cucumber. Several students shared how they involved their families in preparing the recipe together.
Research has shown that programs that enhance cooking skills are supportive of healthy dietary intake, body mass index, and blood pressure[4]. Fostering skill development among youth around preparing healthy foods with and for their families support improved health among low-income and Latino community members and are examples of UC ANR's Public Values of: Promoting healthy people and communities and Developing an inclusive and equitable society for all Californians as we face uncertainty and a global pandemic.
“My family really liked [the baby tomato bites recipe] and said that I should make it again.” – SNAC Club Youth Leader
[1] https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2019/01/29/achieving-health-equity
[2] https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/102254/parents-are-struggling-to-provide-for-their-families-during-the-pandemic_2.pdf
/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>- Author: Shannon Klisch
- Author: Katherine E Soule
Essential services provided by CalFresh Healthy Living, UC delivered over 270 pounds of school garden produce and help farmers markets that accept EBT/CalFresh stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Issue
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds and shelter at home orders impact every aspect of our daily life from school closures to increased unemployment, uncertain access to food is increasing for many Californians. Food insecurity is defined as having limited or uncertain access to adequate food and is linked to a myriad of negative health outcomes. Food assistance programs such as CalFresh (known nationally as SNAP/EBT) and the federal school meals program have demonstrated positive outcomes for decreasing food insecurity.
How UC Delivers
Staff from CalFresh Healthy Living, UC in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties (UC) lead a working group of the local Food System Coalition to increase the utilization of CalFresh Food and Market Match benefits at local farmers markets. Farmers markets provide an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic. As social distancing orders were put in place, market managers reached out to UC for support so the markets could stay open and safe for the community and vendors. In response, UC staff mobilized County resources to support social distancing measures at markets where EBT/CalFresh is accepted. Support provided by UC staff includes onboarding, supervision, and ongoing training of County Disaster Service Workers to staff high-traffic markets, signage to direct customers in following social distancing protocols in both English and Spanish, social media posting, and circulation of a media release to let the community know that the markets are safe, open, and accessible for people with CalFresh benefits.
To further support the food system and food security efforts, UC staff in partnership with school garden stakeholders, continue to provide the essential service of maintaining school gardens to ensure food is harvested and does not go to waste. UC staff have created videos educating students on what is growing in their school garden, healthy recipes and showing home gardeners how to plant seeds and harvest food safely.
THE IMPACT
These efforts have resulted in the harvest of over 270 pounds of produce from three school gardens. This food has gone directly back to the community through use in school meals and local food pantry distributions. Ongoing harvests and re-planting of these gardens are scheduled to ensure food resources are maximized.
Additionally, the County Disaster Service Workers have provided over 65 hours of food safety and social distancing support to farmers markets that accept EBT/CalFresh and offer the market incentive Market Match. The collaboration and training provided by CalFresh Healthy Living, UC has made it possible for markets to stay open and provide a safe and reliable source of food for low-income clients throughout San Luis Obispo County. Indeed, the staff has heard community members saying that farmers markets feel to them like one of the safest places to shop for food during the pandemic.
Supporting and enhancing food assistance programs such as acceptance of CalFresh at farmers markets and school food programs and pantries has been shown to increase access to fruits and vegetables and strengthen local and regional food systems. Collectively, these efforts support UC ANR's Public Value: Safeguarding abundant and healthy food for all Californians, particularly as we face uncertainty during a global pandemic.
Quote
“I am so thankful for this help and for you for making this happen for [our farmers markets]. I don't know that I would be able to manage this without the volunteers. Thank you again.”
– Farmers Market Manager on the support of workers to keep the markets open and support social distancing efforts.
CalFresh Healthy Living, UC in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara is creating, posting, and sharing new content daily in both English and Spanish. You can follow them on Facebook (El Exito Es Salud, UC CalFresh SLOSB), YouTube (Spanish language channel coming soon), or Instagram (@elexitoessalud, @ucceslosb)!
/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>- Author: Shannon Klisch
- Author: Katherine E Soule
After participating in 4-H SNAC programs, 95% of youth participants reported they learned how to be a better leader, supporting increased health outcomes in their communities.
The Issue
Youth in low-income communities of color face health inequities. While 14.6% of all California adolescents ages 12-17 are classified as obese, rates are much higher among Latino adolescents (20.2%) and highest among adolescents in very low-income households (20.4% vs. 12.7% among the highest income households). Further, according to a recent study, youth who feel more connected at school face a 48% - 66% reduction in risk of poor health outcomes in adulthood.
How UC Delivers
Over the course of the 2018/19 academic year UC staff from the CalFresh Healthy Living and 4-H programs in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties worked with 5th and 6th grade youth in two low-income, Latino communities through weekly after school 4-H Student Nutrition Advisory Councils (SNAC). 4-H SNAC members had the opportunity to learn and practice meeting facilitation skills, in-depth training on nutrition and physical activity education, and become leaders in health and nutrition education on their school campuses. In addition to the after school club meetings, 4-H SNAC members had the opportunity to participate in two 6-hour intensive trainings including the Leadership Academy and the Culinary Academy in partnership with their school district. The Leadership Academy included training in 4-H Officer positions, presentation skills, and included a mini career pathways fair where youth learned about their own interests in relation to different careers. All of the career pathways professionals were from the community and included a dentist, engineers, a health educator, a college professor, and firefighters.
The Impact
“Today I learned how to be a better presenter. I also learned about different jobs, what I want to be when I grow up, and how to be a better leader.” - 4-H SNAC Youth
A total of 32 youth attended at least one of the 6-hour academies. Of the 4-H SNAC members that participated in the Leadership Academy, almost all agreed that due to their participation they learned how to be a better leader (95%) and improved their presentation skills (95%). Qualitative data collected from the Leadership Academy show themes of improved recognition of career pathways, enhanced confidence and presentation skills, and increased confidence in being a leader. Of the 4-H SNAC members that participated in the Culinary Academy, a majority reported that they learned new culinary skills including how to chop vegetables with a knife (97%), how to prepare a healthy snack (97%), how to measure wet and dry ingredients (88%), and how to follow a recipe (91%) because of participating in the culinary academy. In addition, 79% agreed that they could teach others about cooking, and 84% considered themselves a good cook after the academy.
Positive youth development activities are specifically recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a step that schools can take to promote connectedness among youth and thus better health outcomes in adulthood. By creating programming focused on increasing youth confidence to lead, greater awareness of career pathways, and improved ability to teach others about cooking nutritious foods, UCCE is improving individual and community health and wellness, contributing to the public value of promoting healthy people and communities.
/h3>/h3>/span>/h3>/h3>- Author: Surendra K. Dara
UC Cooperative Extension Advisor Surendra Dara organized a conference on biologicals that drew growers from California, other states, and outside the U.S. 95.7% of those surveyed plan to use information learned on nearly 70,000 acres which they farm, manage, and influence.
The Issue
The term biologicals in agriculture refers to biocontrol agents such as parasitic wasps and predatory arthropods, microbial and botanical pesticides, biostimulants and other bio-based inputs used for pest management or improving crop health and productivity. The potential of many biologicals is not fully explored mainly because of the stigma that they do not perform well compared to some synthetic inputs. There is a need among growers, crop advisors, and pest control advisors to learn about the basic and applied aspects of biologicals, successful field examples, and associated regulatory aspects, improving the use of biologicals in crop production and protection for more sustainable food production.
How UC Delivers
UC ANR Cooperative Extension Advisor Surendra Dara organized an Ag Innovations Conference focused exclusively on biologicals. Held in March 2019 in Santa Maria, the biologicals conference and trade show drew nearly 180 people from California, other states, and outside the United States. The conference offered a platform for the farming community, agricultural input industry, and researchers to come together, network, learn about growers' concerns, and discuss the potential of biologicals in promoting sustainable agriculture. Topics presented at the conference included regulatory updates; how to improve soil organic matter and soil microbiome; microbial and botanical biostimulants, their mode of action, and use strategies; biological and microbial studies; and alternative uses for entomopathogenic fungi. The trade show allowed vendors to showcase their products and technologies and meet with the farming community to understand their needs.
The Impact
A large attendance and overwhelmingly positive feedback at the conference and through anonymous surveys indicated the success of this outreach effort. Out of the 138 survey responses, 97.1% indicated that the information presented at the conference was useful. Participants specified that they learned the differences and similarities of biologicals, the benefits of biologicals and their influence in farming, information on implementing biological control agents into an Integrated Pest Management program, state of the industry and discussion of trends in ag biological products, and new microbials. 95.7% of respondents plan to use information they learned on nearly 70,000 acres which they farm, manage, and influence. As shown in Dara's research, using biologicals in agricultural systems can improve soil and plant health. For example, in a 2017 field study of tomatoes, silicon, microbial, botanical, and nutrient materials improved processing tomato yields by 27 to 32% compared to the standard fertility program. Biologicals are more sustainable because they allow for the efficient use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, reducing groundwater contamination and avoiding resistance problems for pests and diseases, respectively. In this way, UC ANR enhances the ecological sustainability of agriculture, contributing to the public value of protecting California's natural resources.
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