Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The Food Safety Extension Network (FSEN) was created in 2021 to support the growing need for food safety support in the areas of consumer home food preservation, retail, and cottage foods/home-based businesses. Extension specialists in the southern region recognized a need to enhance the applied food safety research and outreach demands of our stakeholders. The FSEN aims to facilitate expertise sharing, training, and resource creation and dissemination within the land-grant system, facilitated by three subcommittees covering respective industry segments and relevant associated topic areas. The FSEN first gathered in person in June 2022 and spent three days together discussing goals, proposed organizational structure, and funding mechanisms. The FSEN is continuing to establish a model for membership where institutions for collaboration and leveraging resources efficiently across institutions. Simultaneously, efforts are underway to consolidate resources and generate collaborative materials, complemented by the drafting of memorandum of understanding (MOUs) for member institutions and publication guidelines. The FSEN plans to gather in person again in June 2024 to continue this work. Specific objectives include 1)Finalize membership and committee structure models and publication guidelines 2)Complete draft of MOU for university review 3)Make decisions regarding FSEN communications and social media 4)Share updates from subcommittee work and current FSEN-focused FSOP project 5)Networking among new and existing FSEN members 6)Identify technical priority/funding for projects and funding sources.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this project is to support travel and focused time for the Food Safety Extension Network to meet and to officially create a unified network through MOUs, to define structures related to social media, publications, and other FSEN activities, for networking with food safety extension colleagues, and for other updates relevant to FSEN extension efforts. This in-person meeting will provide an opportunity to continue building momentum in how to best engage with FSEN stakeholders in science-based and accessible ways, ultimately improving outreach and extension efforts in food safety.Specific objectives of the meeting include:Objective 1: Finalize membership and committee structure models. Subcommittees addressing the technical areas of the FSEN (home food preservation, retail, home-based businesses) and a leadership committee have been established; additional committees will be established surrounding the broader FSEN structural goals related to communication, publications, funding, evaluation, and membership. Specifics related to a formal membership structure will also be established, included a tiered membership approach. Objective 2: Complete draft MOU for university review. Drafting of an MOU is currently underway. Dedicated time will be planned for the draft MOU to be discussed among attendees to address questions they may receive from their leadership, with the intent of sharing an updated draft MOU for university review following the in-person meeting.Objective 3: Make decisions regarding FSEN communications, publication guidelines, and social media. As the FSEN establishes a more formalized structure, formalized processes need to be established regarding publication and authorship guidelines on FSEN materials, as well as for communicating as a network, including plans for social media.Objective 4: Share updates from subcommittee work and current FSEN-focused FSOP project. Subcommittee leadership will share updates on work to address specific needs of home food preservation, retail, and home-based businesses. Updates will also include a current NIFA FSOP project that focuses on the FSEN's three technical areas. Objective 5: Networking among new and existing FSEN members. Dedicated networking time among meeting attendees will allow for relationship building as well as open discussion about current and emerging challenges facing food safety extension, particularly in filling gaps to address food safety needs related to home food preservation, retail, and home-based businesses. Objective 6: Identify technical priority/funding for projects and funding sources. Attendees will discuss short, medium, and long-term goals for seeking funding for the FSEN to continue work dedicated to addressing the food safety needs of our audience.
Project Methods
The conference organizing committee will work with the meeting facilitatorto plan the agenda and strategy foraccomplishing the objectives. Meeting invitations werevia email to current members of the FSEN as well as food safety specialists outside of the Southern region who have expressed interest in joining the FSEN, all of whom work directly in the FSEN subcommittee areas. We estimate approximately 35-40 attendees representing 15-17 universities. The meeting will be facilitated by a staff development specialist from UGA who facilitated the 2022 in-person FSEN meeting; attendees will participate in small and large group discussions and brainstorming to establish FSEN internal and external processes. The meeting will also include updates on FSEN accomplishments to date, as well as FSOP and subcommittee work.Leaders will be identified to carry out the action items related to the specific objectives; timelines for the various action items will also be established to keep momentum going.A survey will be administered to evaluate the meeting, including content covered and planned next steps for the FSEN.Notes, outcomes, and action items from the meeting will be shared with FSEN members via email; updates from the meeting will also be shared at subsequent subcommittee and quarterly FSEN meetings. The conference organizing committee will also draft a white paper detailing the meeting and outcomes.