Teaching Food as the Foundation of Healthy Communities

1. Teaching Food as the Foundation of Healthy Communities John Warford, Ph.D. Florida Agricultural & Mechanical UniversityA Mini-Workshop facilitated at the 2017 Earth Educators Rendezvous University of New Mexico, AlbuquerqueJuly 20th,2017

2. Food - a substance consumed to provide nutritional support for an organism. It contains essential nutrients. It provides energy, maintains life, and stimulates growth. • Everything living feeds. Human life and living entities in all the forms they exist are only as viable the food they consume. • Food Security is a human right. Food Security is the widespread availability and exchange of food, access to affordable, safe food, and food with nutritional and social value. • Ideally, food is affordable, accessible, healthy, and sustainably grown.

3. WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES AND THE WORKSHOP GOAL ACTIVITY # 1: IDENTIFY AND DISCUSS PROGRAMS, FORUMS, PEOPLE, & NETWORKS THAT SEE HEALTHY FOOD AVAILABILITY AND FOOD AFFORDABILITY AS CENTRAL TO COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT. ACTIVITY # 2:IDENTIFY AND DISCUSS ISSUES RELATED TO BOTH TEACHING AND LEARNING INVOLVED IN EDUCATING AND SUPPORTING FOOD SYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS. THE GOAL:HELP WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS DEVELOP AND/OR EXPAND THEIR ROLE(S) IN THEIR LOCAL (OR CHOSEN) FOOD SYSTEM, USING THE INTEGRATE MODULE ”FOOD AS THE FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES” & OTHER IDENTIFIED SOURCES.

4. SOME PLATFORMS AND PLACES TO LEARN ABOUT ANDTEACH ABOUT FOOD AS THE FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES • FEATURED MODULE ON THE INTEGRATE PLATFORM • COMMUNITY EVENTS - FAIRS & FESTIVALS • STAND ALONE WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTATIONS • LECTURES, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, WEBINARS • INTERNATIONAL, REGIONAL, & LOCAL CONFERENCES • IN COMMUNITY CENTERS AND CHURCHES • SCHOOL,COLLEGE, AND UNIVERSITY CLASSROOMS • ONLINE SOURCES

5. ACTIVITY #1: Identify and discuss programs, people, forums, and networks that see healthy food availability and affordability as central to community enhancement. • NOTE THE LEVEL OF IMPACT OR EXPOSURE OF YOUR CHOSEN EVENT S/ ACTIVITIES, PROGRAMS, OR NETWORKS. • NOTE THE FREQUENCY OF THE EVENTS OR ACTIVITIES. • NOTE THE RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED. • ACCESS THE POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH AND PERPETUATION OF THE EVENTS, PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, OR NETWORKS YOU CHOSE. • DETERMINE WHAT WEAKNESSES OR LIMITATIONS (IF ANY) EXIST IN THE EVENTS, PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, OR NETWORKS YOU CHOSE. • IDENTIFY ANY POTENTIAL CHALLENGES THAT EXIST.

6. ACTIVITY #2: Identify and discuss issues related to both teaching and learning involved in educating &supporting food system stakeholders. Add any additional principles not mentioned that should be considered? • TAKE NOTE OF THE NATURE OF THE ISSUES. ARE THE ISSUES THAT SURFACE TECHNNICAL, EDUCATIONAL, POLITICAL, PERSONAL, COMMERICAL AND FINANCIAL, ETC. OR COMBINATIONS THEREOF? • DETERMINE IF THE ISSUES YOU’VE INDENTIFIED ARE COMMON OR UNIQUE. • RESTATE OR REVISE, IF NEED BE, THE PROVIDED PRINCIPLES AND APPROACHES OFFERED IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDES.

7. EFFECTIVE TEACHING INCLUDES • COMMITTING TO EFFICACY AND POTENCY IN WHAT YOU HAVE DESIGNED AND WHAT YOU DELIVER. • WORKING TO GET PEOPLE TO THE NEXT STEP – AS OPPOSED TO DEMANDING THEY UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE PICTURE. • UTILIZING THE POWER OF ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST. IMAGINE BEING ASKED THE QUESTION: “WHY SHOULD I CARE?” • TAPPING INTO THE THREE INTERDEPENDENT LEVELS OF HUMAN BEINGS: THOUGHT, DESIRE, AND ACTION. • Encouraging THOUGHTSthat move others into CLARITY (knowledge / wisdom) • Encouraging DESIRESthat move others into LOVE OF LIFE (life-affirming, and good producing) • Encouraging BEHAVIORSthat lead others into ACTS OF SERVICE(for others & self)

8. THREE WAYS PEOPLE LEARN • INFERENCE - IT STANDS TO REASON THAT FOOD IS GOOD FOR PEOPLE. AND THE BETTER THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD - THE BETTER THE FOOD IS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO EAT IT. (INFERENCE IS A CONCLUSION DRAWN OR A LOGICAL JUDGEMENT MADE BASED ON CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE AND REASONING.) • OBSERVATION – I HAVE WITNESSED THE POSITIVE DIFFERENCES AND BENEFITS IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE STARTED EATING BETTER AND HAVE BETTER EATING HABITS. I HAVE SEEN THE POSITIVE BENEFITS THAT RESULT FROM THE THOUGHTS, DESIRES, AND ACTIONS OF OTHERS WHO BUY, COOK, EAT, SHARE, AND GROW BETTER FOOD. • EXPERIENCE – I HAVE PERSONALLY BENEFITTED FROM MY FOOD CHOICES AND FOOD HABITS. I ATTRIBUTE THESE BENEFITS TO FRESHIER, HEALTHIER FOOD. I BUY, COOK, EAT, SHARE, GROW, AND PREPARE THE BEST FOOD I CAN, AS OFTEN AS I CAN. I ACT CONSCIOUSLY TO UNDERSTAND AND FULFILL MY ROLE(S) AND OBLIGATIONS IN A GOOD FOOD SYSTEM.

9. SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLES • PEOPLE MUST SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. LISTEN TO COMMUNITY CONCERNS FIRST… THEN PROVIDE EDUCATION AND TRAINING ON IDENTIFIED ISSUES PREPARING COMMUNITY RESIDENTS TO HAVE A MORE EFFECTIVE VOICE RELATED TO THEIR ISSUES. AND KEEP LISTENING… • EQUITABLE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND UNIVERSITY. EQUAL VOICE IN THE PARTNERSHIP IS PARAMOUNT. SUPPORT AND RELY ON THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DEVELOPED THE CREDITABLITY AND RESPECT IN THE COMMUNITY. SOME OF THEM CAN BE FOUND WITHIN YOUR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION. IT IS WISE SERVE AS A FACILITATOR OF THEIR WORK, MESSAGE, AND PROGRAMS, JUST AS YOU WOULD YOUR OWN &THOSE NOT FOUND IN ACADEMIA. TRUST IS JUST NOT GIVEN TO US SOLELY BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS. EARNING TRUST TAKES TIME AND REQUIRES PROPER TEMPERAMENT. • COMMUNITY BASED PARTICIAPTORY RESEARCH MODEL. EFFECTIVE, SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS ARE ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN PARTNERSHIP SETS PARAMETERS ON THE ROLE OF ACADEMIC RESEARCHER.

10. ACADEMICS RESPECTING COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS PLUS ACADEMICS VALUING COMMUNITY MEMBERS INPUT EQUALS COMMUNITIES WITH INCREASED IMPACT AND INCREASED CAPACITY TO BRING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGES.

11. SOME POSSIBLE OBJECTIVES • DETERMINE IF YOUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE FOOD SYSTEM IS ACCURATE. • HELP STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COMMUNITY- BASED OGRANIZATIONS, YOUR INSTITUTION, & INDIVIDUALS IN THE FOOD SYSTEM. • PROVIDE EDUCATION AND TRAINING THAT INCREASE SCIENCE LITERACY AND THE USE OF RESEARCH TOOLS BY COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS. • CONDUCT RESEARCH RESPONSIVE TO THE IDENTIFIED NEEDS OF COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOs). • DEVELOP ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & FOOD RISK PROFILES FOR COMMUNITIES. • HELP BUILD CAPACITIES OF COMMINUTIES TO PARTICIPATE IN DECISION-MAKING AND ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES. • DEVELOP A POLICY DOCUMENT AND ACTION PLAN FOR ACHIEVING HEALTH GOALS (THAT INVOLVE THE FOOD SYSTEM) SET BY CBOs . • IMPLEMENT THE ACTION PLAN. • CREATE AN EVALUATION STRATEGY & TOOLS TO UTILIZE IN ASSESSING THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT IMPACT.

12. A FEW REASONS TO TAKE ADIFFERENT APPROACH TO OUR CONNECTION TO FOOD • DETOXIFICATION (as a basic life-perpetuation and health need) • THE INTENTIONAL CREATION OF NEW HABITS (as a commitment to self-improvement and an opportunity to set a better example to others) • TRANSFORMATION AND BALANCE (as a recognition that growth is life affirming and balance is the preferred state in nature and the universe) • COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT (as an obligation to put into practice our understanding that the collective and the continuum makes our social and moral development possible.

13. A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE MODULE “FOOD AS THE FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES” • MODULE GOAL: TO USE THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS ESTABLISHED AROUND FOOD AS A FOUNDATION FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT REGARDING THE CREATION AND PERPETUATION OF HEALTHY COMMUNITIES. • MODULE STRUCTURE: THREE UNITS OF INTRO/INTERMEDIATE LEVEL INSTRUCTION BUILD ON A GEOSCIENCE SYSTEMS BASE SUPPORTING PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICAL SKILLS APPLICATION - INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. • THIS MODULE IS COMPLETE WITH VIDEO LINKS, POWER POINT SLIDES AND NOTES, INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDELINE PAGES FOR EACH UNIT, STUDENT MATERIALS, AND PRIMARY & SECONDARY REFERENCES. WITH A RANGE OF ACTIVITY TYPES, EACH UNIT HAS A SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT. UNIT #1 HAS BOTH A FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT AND A SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT.

14. A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE MODULE “FOOD AS THE FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES” • MODULE AUTHORS: JOHN WARFORD, RICHARD S. GRAGG III, AND CYNTHIA HEWITT. • MODULE TESTERS AND TEST LOCATIONS: JOHN WARFORD (FLORIDA A & M UNIVERSITY - 2X), CYNTHIA HEWITT (MOREHOUSE COLLEGE), AKIN AKINYEMI (FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY) • MODULE TEAM LEADER: RICHARD SCHULTERBRANDT GRAGG III • MODULE DEVELOPMENT CHIEF LIASION: FELICIA DAVIS • MODULE EDITOR: DAVID GOSSELIN • MODULE CONSULTANTS: CHERYL YOUNG, FELICIA DAVIS, AND BAKARI MCCLENDON • PROJECTED DATE PLACED ON INTEGRATE WEBSISTE: FALL 2017

15. STRENGTHS OF THE MODULE • INCORPORATES SYSTEMS THINKING INHERENT TO GEO-SCIENCE INTERACTIONS AND HUMAN/ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS. • SHOWS SYSTEMS THINKING IN ACTION BY USING REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES OF CHALLENGES RELATED TO RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING. • OFFERS A FOUNDATIONAL OPTION TO SUPPORT OTHER MORE ADVANCED AND INTERMEDIATE LEVEL GEOSCIENCE BASED MODULES AND COURSES. • OFFERS PRACTICAL, FIRST-CONTACT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS TO ENTER THE GEOSCIENCES AND GEOSCIENCE RELATED FIELDS. • DELIVERS ITS CONTENT USING GROUP LEARNING AND A VARIETY OF HANDS-ON,INTERACTIVE STUDENT-CENTERED ACTIVITES. • PRESENTS EASILY ACCESSIBLE PRIMARY TEACHING MATERIALS, USER-FRIENDLY FOR BOTH INSTRUCTORS AND STUDENTS, AND IS BACKED BY A MULTITUDE OF VERY USEFUL SECONDARY SOURCES. • PRESENTS A SET OF LEARNING UNITS EASY TO INSERT INTO A WIDE RANGE OF COURSES FROM GEOSCIENCES AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES TO SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES.

16. MODULE UNITS & THEIR LEARNING GOALS • UNIT #1: THE FOOD ENERGY WATER CONNECTION • IN UNIT #1 STUDENTS INVESTIGATE THE COMPONENTS OF ENERGY AND WATER - AS THEY RELATE TO FOOD PRODUCTION. THEY ALSO LEARN HOW FOOD IS CONNECTED TO THE DYNAMIC ELEMENTS OF ENERGY AND WATER. • LEARNING GOALS • STUDENTS WILL EXPLAIN THE ROLES OF EACH COMPONENT AS IT RELATES TO THE OTHERS IN THE SYSTEM. • STUDENTS WILL EXPLAIN THE SET OF CONNECTIONS THAT MAKE UP THE SYSTEM IF THE SYSTEMS BREAKS DOWN OR THE CONNECTIONS ARE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED. • STUDENTS WILL IDENTIFY THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS INVOLVED IN FOOD PRODUCTION, BASED ON THE ROLES OF ENERGY AND WATER IN THAT PRODUCTION. • STUDENTS WILL EXPLAIN AND SUPPORT THEIR CHIOCES. • SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT • IN SHORT ESSAY FORM, STUDENTS DESCRIBE THE ROLES OF ENERGY AND WATER IN FOOD PRODUCTION AND PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF REAL WORLD CHALLENGES TO FOOD AVAILABILTY.

17. MODULE UNITS & THEIR LEARNING GOALS • UNIT #2: COMMUNITY BASED PARTICIPATORY SOLUTIONS • UNIT #2 INTRODUCES TO STUDENTS TO THE REALITIES OF FOOD INSECURITY AND POOR ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS WITHIN URBAN POPULATIONS. IT ALSO SHOWS HOW COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN FOOD PRODUCTION CAN SUCCESSFULLY ADDRESS THESE UNFAVORALBE CONDITIONS. • LEARNING GOALS • STUDENTS WILL INVESTIGATE THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCAL ACCESS TO HEALTHIER FOODS IN THEIR HOME CITY OR NEIGHBORHOOD. • STUDENTS WILL IDENTIFY TWO MAJOR CHALLENGES OR OBSTACLES AND TWO MAJOR OPPORTUNITES OR BENEFITS PEOPLE ARE PRESENTED WITH IN THEIR EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH BETTER FOOD OPTIONS ON THE LOCAL LEVEL. • STUDENTS WILL CONTRAST THE CHALLENGES OF AND OPPORTUNITIES IN STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY THROUGH URBAN AGRICULTURE. • SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT • USING CONCEPT MAPPING, STUDENTS WILL PRESENT MULTIPLE REASONS WHY AND HOW THE PRESENCE OF AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, SUSTAINABLY-GROWN FOOD BENEFITS A COMMUNITY AND THE INDIVIDUALS IN THAT COMMUNITY.

18. MODULE UNITS & THEIR LEARNING GOALS • UNIT #3: FOOD SYSTEMS IN ACTION • UNIT #3 EXAMINES THE FOOD SYSTEM IN ACTION, THROUGH A LOOK AT THE ROLES & CONTRIBUTIONS OF KEY PRODUCERS, DISTRIBUTORS, & FACILITATORS COMMITTED TO ESTABLISHING INTEGRATED NETWORKS CENTERED ON “HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS.” • LEARNING GOALS • STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO DISCUSS EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES THAT BUILD LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. • STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO PREDICT CONSEQUENCES TO HUMAN HEALTH, THE ECONOMY, AND THE PHYSICAL & BUILT ENVIRONMENT AS A RESULT OF EXISTING UNSUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS. • SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT • IN A WRITTEN ESSAY, STUDENTS WILL GIVE THE PERSPECTIVES AND ARGUMENTS OF EIGHT DISTINCT ROLE PLAYERS BASED ON A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SCENARIO. THIS SCENARIO CENTERS ON THE DYNAMICS OF FOOD SYSTEM AND ITS FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS.

19. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI would like to thank Dr. Richard Gragg, for his leadership and his role as my principal writing partner in the development of this module. I would like to thank Dr. Beverly Wright& the staff of the Deep South Center for Environment Justice and Maisha Mitchell of the Tallahassee Food Network for their vision, work, forums, and materials that constantly advance my perspective of community. I would like to thank Cathy Manduca for her advocacy and the confidence she has displayed in me and our InTegrate / NAGT /HBCU connections.I would like to thank the members of our HBCU Working Group for their fellowship, advice, insight, and tolerance of me.I would like to thank Dr. Charles Wright for his willingness to teach me how to grow food and cultivate the land. • I