Kent State Interns

One of the current trends in school foodservice is the idea of farm-to-school programs, where schools purchase produce directly from local farmers to serve and use with their meals. The farm to school programs are typically well received; children will have the opportunity to eat fresh, local produce while schools support their neighborhood economies. Unfortunately, farm to school programs may not be practical. The article below, titled “School kitchens take fresh approach for healthier foods: But fledgling farm-to-school programs pose challenges for districts, especially during start-up” discusses some of the barriers schools face when they are working with such programs. The state of Wisconsin has over 100 schools participating in the program. Larger districts like Green Bay may have difficulties receiving enough vegetables, while smaller districts lack the equipment to prepare the produce. A farm-to-school coordinator also made the point that foodservice workers might not have ...

While looking through the newest edition of the Journal of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, I came across this article  about Cooperative Extension and opportunities for dietitians.  I wasn't too familiar with Extension positions and was interested in learning more about it and thought maybe others would too so I decided to share. The Cooperative Extension system is a nationwide noncredit educational network through more than 100 universities and is funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.  Extension programs cover agriculture, leadership development, 4-H youth development, natural resources, community and economic development and family and consumer sciences, which includes nutrition.  The role of Extension educators is to develop, implement, and evaluate nutrition education programs for a variety of audiences. An RD credential is not required to be a Extension Nutrition Specialist.  Currently there are RDs working in Extension, but it i...

A vote by the Public Health Council of Massachusetts ended a four-year-old state program aimed at reversing the obesity epidemic. They voted to end letters that Massachusetts public schools sent parent’s about their child’s weight, following criticism that the practice led to bullying and excessive costs for schools. Public schools will still be required to continue student weight and height screenings in grades 1, 4, 7, and 10 to help officials gather data regarding obesity trends and identify possible system-wide solutions. New rules allow school districts to make the information available to parents/guardians upon written request.             While the program saw success of the percentage of students who are overweight or obese dropped 3.7 percentage points between 2009 and 2013, there were problems with the program. Schools stated it was too expensive to send the letters and instead sent them home in the child’s backpack...

In line with the advice and accounts of many of our speakers, preceptors and readings for our internship, cultivating partnerships with other professionals is a great way to expand our impact.  I have attached a link about a unique project (Edible History) backed by the Cleveland based non-profit St. Clair Superior Development Corporation that presents an exciting opportunity for partnership.  "The pilot Edible History project is located in Cleveland's St Clair Superior neighborhood. A pre-civil war home will be a model for creative reuse that will engage the public in healthy eating and lifestyles. The house will serve as a food cooperative distribution center and a place for learning studios to occur. Neighboring vacant land will create an edible apothecary helping supply the cooperative and surrounding neighborhood. The learning studios will offer an array of classes, such as neighborhood history, cooking classes, health and wellness seminars, and healthy ...

Does the Government Shut-Down Affect School Meals? According to Mandy Monacao, MS, RD, School Meal Manager at Children’s Hunger Alliance, school meals should not be directly affected by the government shut-down. However, there is definitely an indirect affect that could face school meal programs very soon should the government shut-down continue long-term. The funding provided to schools for students who are eligible for free and reduced lunches comes from the United States Department of Agriculture which is currently shut down because it is part of the government. At the end of each month, schools send a report to the U.S.D.A for a reimbursement check for eligible meals.   Due to the shut-down, s chools have not received the reimbursement check for September. According to the U.S.D.A, there is enough funds to cover school meals throughout October, but not much more. School officials are preparing contingency plans in case the shut-down continues. Man...

This is an interesting article that further supplements previous posts about the use of Facebook and other social media as an effective form of recruitment to nutrition programs.  This article more focuses on online surveys and education programs and states that further research should be done to determine social media recruitment's effectiveness for on-site programs, actually referencing the article Ashley found.  Overall, the research study found that Facebook was a low-cost and effective strategy to recruit low-income people to nutrition programs and also effective for those people to evaluate the program. Enjoy, Brian W. 

I found this great  article on the evaluation of Food Banks across the country and their efforts to bring healthier foods and options to the agencies they serve.  As we know from Chris V, the nutrition manager at the Cleveland FoodBank (CFB) who came into to speak to us in class about his job, the CFB has many initiatives and a growing amount of policies and procedures to better serve agencies with healthier options.  This article takes a qualitative look at where other Food Banks are in this process.  Enjoy! Brian W.