Progress 01/01/16 to 12/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include kindergarten through elementary age students, college level students, senior citizens and agricultural producers. Changes/Problems:Year 1 One of the co-PIs (Dr. Whit Weems) accepted another position outside Tarleton State University, so his replacement will need to be identified. Year 2 The original Project Director, Dr. Don Cawthon, has recently retired. Ms. Paula McKeehan has assumed to role of Project Director. Dr. Cawthon's responsibility for the Community Garden efforts have been assumed by Dr. Jim Muir with AgriLife Research at the Stephenville AgriL:ife Research and Extension Center. Year 3 Sodexo allowed collaboration during the Green Image versus Green Impact study, but the partnership did not expand past this project. The Tarrant County College system (mentioned in origianl proposal)was contacted to partner with TSU nutrition and horticulture programs but no official partnership was established. These groups could be contacted for expansion of TSU programs in the future. Other universities have been contacted for future partnership of nutrition programs and development of a consortia. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Year 1 College students have had the opportunity to participate in the following new courses: • Sustainable Food Systems • Composting • Vegetable Gardening • Concepts in Food Studies • Sustainability Erath County Extension implemented a Learn, Grow, Eat & GO! Program that engaged 3rd and 4th graders in developing a raised bed vegetable, after which the students participated in vegetable tastings and food demonstrations. The teachers are now prepared to carry on this program. Erath County implemented a Master Gardener program as part of this project. Year 2 None reported Year 3 The project provided an opportunity to bring in specialist and educate community clientele and Master Gardeners. The information Master Gardeners gained from the programs has been used to educate the community. Sociology students (3) and Dr. Cavazos attended two professional meetings McKeehan served on AgriLife Extension From the Ground Up Conference Committee to plan professional development opportunities for urban health care professionals and educators to learn how agriculture connects to health. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results were disseminated throughout the project via direct communications and demonstration to Tarleton students and the general public in north central Texas. These included courses developed in years 1&2 as well as in additional courses including Plant-animal interaction (undergraduate and graduate). The Erath County Master Gardner Program, initiated by the project in Year 1, continued with community outreach and education in which undergraduate and graduate interns participated. Garden demonstrations continued on the Tarleton campus and the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center, Stephenville. Also findings of Green Image versus Green Impact completed by Dr. Cavazos and graduate students was presented at American Sociological Association Philadelphia Pennsylvania August 11, 2018 Southern Sociological Society. New Orleans, Louisiana. April 7, 2018 Designed brochures with garden resources and websites Publication with garden plants that can be grown in Erath County Retrospective Post-test- Evaluation used to determine knowledge gained and adoption of practices learned from the educational program Educational program to educate participants on rain water harvesting. Participants learned how to make their own rain water barrel and left the program with a barrel ready for use. Information was distributed, interpreted and presented at Civic Club Meetings, Farmers Markets and community activities. AgriLife Extension program evaluations results showed increase in knowledge and information would be adopted by participants. Participants can take information and educate others in the community. Information has been presented to civic clubs, Farmers Markets, Community activities, newspaper, facebook, and educational programs. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Year 1 Fully implement the survey instrument to determine perceptions of the community toward vegetable gardening, identify barriers and find solutions. Develop a social media (website, facebook, twitter, etc) presence to develop interest and disseminate information. Continuing offering new courses developed for this program, and develop additional courses. Continue to collect and analyze data. Year 2 • Re-administer the gardening survey during Tarleton's' service day to gain a cross-comparative analysis of the gardening, eating habits, and access/availability to farmers markets of members of the local community. • Continue the community gardening activities for educational purposes. • Work with the City of Stephenville to turn their 1-acre garden site over to the general public for individuals to used for their own garden plots. This effort will probably be managed and supervised by the Erath County Master Gardeners. • Continue all outreach activities to public school students, college students and the general public to increase awareness of the benefits of fresh vegetable production, healthy eating, and to recruit more non-traditional students into the field of agriculture. Year 3 As the grant concludes, plans to continue programs established or expanded by the Green Thumbs grant include: Growing Up Green gardening and cooking camp will expand to include a Mommy and Me Camp for younger children and parent or guardian and encourage participation and career exploration for older students with a camp just for teenagers. Expansion of both the nutrition and horticulture degreeprograms Continue to utilize campus garden to teach urban students about nutrition and agriculture Dr. Cavazos is working to publish the Green Image versus Green Impact study. Master's Gardner's programs (Rain Barrel Harvesting, Farmers Markets, Spring Turfgrass Workshop, Museum & Butterfly, and Tomato workshops) will continue and have plans for expansion.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Year 1 Conducted the following workshops: • Growing up Green Day Camp Green Chef • Growing Up Green Day Camp, Green Gardening • Better Breathers Healthy Food Demonstration at their Community Garden at the Texas Health Outpatient Cent • Healthy BBQ Cooking Workshop at the Better Breathers Club • TSU Child Development Center Green Day Camp Established the Erath County Master Gardener program. Established two community garden sites, with two more to be implemented in 2017. Conducted research using undergraduate students on methods and practices in hay bale gardening. Established novel experiments in the use of 4x5 round bales for gardens. Conducted bale type gardening trial using six bale feedstocks to determine yields vs decomposition rates. Established bale garden at BBC using wheat straw bales. Collected data on decomposition and compared yields to conventional raised bed gardens. Examined dairy vs equine composts in bale and raised bed regimes. Collected data to be analyzed and reported. Year 2 Numerous outreach activities we conducted to reach non-agriculture college students, public school students, greater Erath County community, and retired citizens of the area. Topics for the outreach activities included vegetable production, food preparation, healthy eating and life cycle nutrition. New courses were developed/modified to support a sustainable agriculture undergraduate program, and surveys were administered to college students and adults to determine their perceptions on gardening and nutritious eating. Tours of teaching and community gardens were conducted for public school and college-level students, as well as the general public to promote fresh vegetable production and healthy eating. Various food preparation activities/demonstrations were conducted for public school students, college students and the general public to promote healthy foods and eating habits. Year 3 26 Master Gardeners: received 354 hours of education, provided 1488 volunteer hours, drove10,148 miles. The group's main focus of hours is landscaping a Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden. Rain Barrel Harvesting Program Farmers Market Spring Turf grass Program Museum Butterfly & Hummingbird Project Tomato Program, and Facebook page. Agent purchased a 14X16 storage building and garden tools to assist agent and master gardeners with community education and garden work. Garden and healthy cook demonstration for Tarleton Service Day.Collaborated with Communications studies to reach non-agriculture majors and students from urban areas Conducted a garden, nutrition and aquaponics educational event for Stephenville 4th grade students. Continued partnership with AgriLife Extension- Meal Management Students helped conduct Dinner Tonight Healthy Cooking School Growing Up Green Summer Day Camp offered for 4th year.Camp participation and interest has grown every year. Enrollment in nutrition and sustainability courses continue to increase due to creation of Food and Nutrition minor and major concentration.Several of the classes were developed as part of this grant. Nutrition concentration and minor has provided educational opportunities for non-agricultural students to receive information on nutrition and food sustainability.Many of the nutrition minors are nursing students from urban areas. Food Preparation students hosted two 4-H Food and Nutrition project workshops Meal Management students conducted healthy recipe demonstrations as the Texas Health Outpatient Center Increase interest in nutrition and food sustainability led to the exploration of collaboration with other institutions to develop a consortia for nutrition students. Hired two new faculty/staff members in horticulture to replace Dr. Don Cawthon. On-campus garden improved with wheel chair accessible path, gravel between the raised beds and a new irrigation system.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Green Image versus Green Impact presented by Dr. Robert Cavazos, Robert Brandon Eary, Scott Doty, and Keelyn Taylor
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Progress 01/01/17 to 12/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences reached during this reporting period include kindergarden through elementary age students, college level students,senior citizens and agricultural producers.. Changes/Problems:The original Project Director, Dr. Don Cawthon, has recently retired. Ms. Paula McKeehan has assumed to role of Project Director. Dr. Cawthon's responsibility for the Community Garden efforts have been assumed by Dr. Jim Muir with AgriLife Research at the Stephenville AgriL:ife Research and Extension Center. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Re-administer the gardening survey during Tarleton's' service day to gain a cross-comparative analysis of the gardening, eating habits, and access/availability to farmers markets of members of the local community. Continue the community gardening activities for educational purposes. Work with the City of Stephenville to turn their 1-acre garden site over to the general public for individuals tp used for their own garden plots. This effort will probably be managed and supervised by the Erath Copunty Master Gardeners. Continue all outreach activuities to public school students, college students and the general public to increase awareness of the benefits of fresh vegetable production, healthy eating, and to recrit more non-traditional students into the field of agriculture.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Numerous outreach activities we conducted to reach non-agriculture college students, public school students, the greater Erath County community, and retired citizens of the area. Topics for the outreach activities included vegetable production, food preperation, healthy eating and life cycle nutrition. New courses were developed/modified to support a sustainable agriculture undergraduate program, and surveys were administered to college students and adults to determine their perceptions on gardening andnutritious eating. Tours of teaching and community gardens were conducted for public school and college-level students, as well as the general public to promote fresh vegetable production and healthy eating. Various food preperation activities/demonstrations were conducted for public school students, college students and the general public to promote healthy foods.
Publications
|
Progress 01/01/16 to 12/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences reached during this reporting period include kindergarden through elementary age students, college level students and senior citizens. Changes/Problems:One of the co-PIs (Dr. Whit Weems) accepted another position outside Tarleton State University, so his replacement will need to be identified. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?College students have had the opportunity toto participate in the following new courses: Sustainable Food Systems Composting Vegetable Gardening Concepts in Food Studies Sustainability Erath County Extension implemented a Learn, Grow, Eat & GO! Program that engaged 3rd and 4th graders in developing a raised bed vegetable, after which the students participated in vegetable tastings and food demonstrations. The teachers are now prepared to carry on this program. Erath County implemented a Master Gardener program as part of this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Fully implement the survey instrument to determine perceptions of the community toward vegetable gardening, identify barriers and find solutions. Develop a social media (website, facebook, twitter, etc) presence to develop interest and dessiminate iinformation. Continuing offering new courses developed for this program, and develop additional courses. Continue to collect and analyze data.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Conducted the following workshops: Growing up Green Day Camp Green Chef Growing Up Green Day Camp, Green Gardening Better Breathers Healthy Food Demonstration at their Community Garden at the Texas Health Outpatient Cent Healthy BBQ Cooking Workshop at the Better Breathers Club TSU Child Development Center Green Day Camp Established the Erath County Master Gardener program. Established two community garden sites, with two more to be implemented in 2017. Conducted research using undergraduate students on methods and practices in hay bale gardening. Established novel experiments in the use of 4x5 round bales for gardens. Conducted bale type gardening trial using six bale feedstocks to determine yields vs decomposition rates. Established bale garden at BBC using wheat straw bales. Collected data on decomposition and compared yields to conventional raised bed gardens. Examined dairy vs equine composts in bale and raised bed regimes. Collected data to be analyzed and reported.
Publications
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