Source: SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS AND URBAN FARMING TO INCENTIVIZE LATINO AGRICULTURAL CAREER CHOICES
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1013661
Grant No.
2017-38422-27108
Project No.
CALW-2017-03612
Proposal No.
2017-03612
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
NJ
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2017
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2021
Grant Year
2017
Project Director
Liu, C.
Recipient Organization
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
SAN DIEGO,CA 92182
Performing Department
Exercise and Nutritional Scien
Non Technical Summary
The overall goal of our project is to provide innovative solutions to food production by blending indigenous farming knowledge with modern agricultural methods. This will serve to provide our students with flexible skill-sets in the fields of food production and agriculture. The overall approach is inherently interdisciplinary as it entails the teaching of traditional Mesoamerican farming methods, along with modern methods and techniques from the fields of Nutritional Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. To achieve this we will develop lecture and laboratory curricula around a traditionalMilpa(multispecies interplanting farm) while simultaneously introducing students to modern urban agricultural methods and advanced scientific instrumentation. Our plans also entail binational collaborations as our students will have the opportunity to study abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico where they will work alongside indigenous farmers to document and preserve traditional farming techniques that may be lost in subsequent generations. Over the course of this project we anticipate that two or more Latino students will complete Master's degrees, and 40 or more undergraduate students, including at least 30 Latinos, will complete a three-credit lecture course, a four-unit laboratory course, a 150-hour internship, and/or a summer field research. The primary products created upon implementation of this project will be curricula and facilities built around both traditional and modern agriculture technologies that will continue to be utilized for teaching in subsequent years. The hands-on nature of the curricula will enhance academic excellence while providing marketable skills that produce real solutions to the challenge of food security. The recognition of the scientific and cultural importance ofMilpawill attract Latino students whose backgrounds are situated within traditional farming, and incentivize their career choice in agriculture.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
0%
Developmental
80%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1025010200030%
1115010200020%
3025010200020%
4035010200010%
7015010200010%
7035010300010%
Knowledge Area
302 - Nutrient Utilization in Animals; 703 - Nutrition Education and Behavior; 403 - Waste Disposal, Recycling, and Reuse; 102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 111 - Conservation and Efficient Use of Water; 701 - Nutrient Composition of Food;

Subject Of Investigation
5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
3000 - Anthropology; 2000 - Chemistry;
Keywords
Goals / Objectives
The overall goal of our project is to provide innovative solutions to food security through interdisciplinary and binational collaborations, the incorporation of indigenous knowledge, and the development of a pipeline of diverse specialists with flexible skill-sets in the fields of food and agriculture.We will utilize San Diego's priceless indigenous population to teach traditionalMilpacultivation while simultaneously introducing students to advanced scientific methods and instrumentation. The specific objectives of this proposal are to:1) Teach students methods of indigenous and modern agricultural techniques;2) Develop curricula to address the food security challenge;3) Increase the number of Latino students enrolled as STEM majors;4) Provide hands-on experiences in real world projects and promote experiential learning;5) Foster interdisciplinary collaboration;6) Create career opportunities by involving local agricultural and food industry;7) Foster a workforce pipeline to solve agricultural challenges.
Project Methods
Efforts: We will leverage existing coursework at SDSU and develop two new courses: 1) a lecture course (3 credits) covering global food security, industrial and effective farming methods, and the biochemical transformations used to convert matter between different steps of the proposed integrated food-chain; and 2) a laboratory course (4 credits) covering the biochemical analysis of all steps of the integrated 'food-chain' optimized for resource and energy conservation. Students will use scientific instrumentation to characterize food-chain inputs with the goal of optimizing outputs for high nutritional quality. Program graduates will have advanced food production skills that will enable them to pursue rewarding careers in agricultural science. We will incorporate students into the summer field school that encompasses a total of four weeks including one week of instruction on the history, ecology, and culture of the Mixtec region of Oaxaca at SDSU, two weeks of direct engagement in a Mixtec community with farmers, followed by one week to debrief back at SDSU. In addition, we will provide opportunities for experiential learning and community engagement through the Food Security Internship.Milestones: Fall 2017: Development of the lecture courseSpring 2018: Implementation of the lecture courseSummer 2018: Summer field school in Oaxaca, MexicoFall 2018: Establishment of the laboratory facilitiesSpring 2019: Implementation of the laboratory courseSummer 2019: Summer field school in Oaxaca, MexicoEvaluations: The proposed project will be evaluated by 1) number of Latino students enrolled in our proposed courses; 2) standard course evaluation by students; 3) students' exam scores and laboratory proficiency in the proposed courses; 3) improvement in yields and energy efficiency of the proposed research component; 4) student post-graduation career paths and job choices; and 5) involvement of proposed outreach programs with local agricultural industry and Latino community.

Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences are students at San Diego State University, particularly Hispanic students. We seek to incentive their career choices in agriculture. To achieve this goal, we offered three curricula that combined Mixtec indigenous planting methods with modern urban agricultural techniques: 1) Indigenous to Urban Agriculture (lecture and laboratory), 2) Food Security Internship (internship), and 3) Ethnographic Field Methods (field study). A total of 116 students from a wide variety of backgrounds (Anthropology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Foods and Nutrition, Sustainability) were enrolled in the "Indigenous to Urban Agriculture" course. Among 80 students who reported demographic information, 21 were male, 59 were female, 24 identified themselves as Hispanics, and 5 identified themselves as African Americans. The students learned how to leverage knowledge from both indigenous and modern urban agriculture to address food security challenges and had hands-on experiences in constructing farming facilities, amending soil, sowing seeds, setting up drip irrigation, measuring crop growth, managing pests and diseases, harvesting, and analyzing soil and food composition. They also learned about hydroponics, apiculture, chicken farming and egg production. A total of 18 students participated in a 150-hour Food Security Internship. The internship immersed students in food production methods such as organic regenerative farming, hydroponics, tree planting, pruning, and grafting. Thirteen undergraduate students and one graduate student completed a two-week ethnographic field study in Oaxaca, Mexico. The students were from a variety of majors including Anthropology, Art Education, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Foods and Nutrition, International Security and Conflict, Nutritional Sciences, Public Health, and Sustainability. Five of the students were male, nine were female, and ten identified themselves as Hispanics. They worked alongside farmers and their families to learn and document farming and horticultural techniques, erosion management, food preparation, and consumption. The students also investigated the practice of entomophagy in Oaxaca, Mexico and two of them gained authorship in a refereed journal article on this topic. Changes/Problems:When we received the award notification, we have passed the university's deadline for submitting a new course proposal. Therefore, our teaching agenda was delayed for one semester (September to December 2017). When we received the award notification in September 2017, we missed the window for recruiting a graduate student. We recruited a graduate student into our project in September 2018. The PD's laboratories were closed between December 2018 and May 2019 due to construction. Part of the research facilities were inaccessible, and our research projects were delayed for one semester. We budgeted funds for a meta-evaluation. We were informed by USDA NIFA in February 2019 to redirect the fund to student support. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our teaching and research activities were greatly interrupted between March 2020 and May 2021. We requested two 12-month no-cost extensions due to the above reasons. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students had hands-on experiences in the Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class. They cleared and leveled approximately 850-ft2 ground at College Area Community Garden and constructed six raised beds, two greenhouses, a flow hive, and a chicken coop. They planted milpa in the raised beds under the guidance of a Mixtec farmer, set up drip irrigation, measured crop growth, battled with pests and diseases, and harvested the crops. Students also learned advanced scientific techniques for soil and nutrient composition analysis. In addition, we offered training in apiculture, hydroponic food production, chicken farming and egg production. Students who participated in the Food Security Internship at College Area Community Garden and Bonita Creek Tree Nursery learned food production techniques such as land clearing and site preparation; planting, maintenance, and crop harvesting; drip irrigation; and tree planting, pruning, and grafting. In the Ethnographic Field Methods class, students were exposed to the various methods used in qualitative research through the actual field experience. In addition to the indigenous farming and food preparation practices, students learned how to conduct open-ended interviews and produce field notes in line with ethnographic standards. We also involved students in a variety of research projects including 1) investigating the cultural importance of entomophagy in Oaxaca, 2) optimizing growth of mealworms as a source of protein, 3) promoting consumer acceptance of edible insects through information and taste interventions, 4) assessing feasibility of milpa farming in an urban region, and 5) optimizing hydroponic vegetable production. Students received training in experimental design, instrumental analysis, statistical analysis, data interpretation, technical writing, and scientific communication. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A website (https://soula.sdsu.edu/) was created to advertise our project. We kept updating our website to disseminate results. Several news media have reported the achievements of the project. For example, San Diego State University reported our achievements in the 2017-2018 research highlights and chose our photo of a milpa field as the cover. The PD and several students have presented research results at local, regional, and national meetings including the San Diego State University Student Research Symposium, Southern California Food Science and Technology Consortium Meeting, Eating Insects Athens Conference, and Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meetings. One student won third place in oral presentation competition. In 2021, the PD was invited to present this project as an innovative, sustainable solution to food insecurity at the IFT Annual Meeting. Three research articles have been published in refereed journals, one of which was selected as the cover article of Annals of the Entomological Society of America. Two additional manuscripts are under preparation. In addition, we have disseminated the urban milpa and hydroponic food production as sustainable agricultural models to San Diego Unified School District and fellows from St. Lucia's Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Education for possible implementation in school gardens. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1. Teach students methods of indigenous and modern agricultural techniques. The Indigenous to Urban Agriculture course introduced students to the concept of Mesoamerican indigenous farming in a classroom setting followed by hands-on agricultural experiences. In the summer field school, students worked alongside farmers to document and preserve the indigenous agricultural practices such as milpa planting and soil tilling via oxen-driven plowing. In the Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class and the Food Security Internship, students learned and practiced a selection of modern agricultural techniques, including organic regenerative farming, hydroponics, greenhouses, drip irrigation, tree planting, pruning, and grafting. In our research projects, students learned how to optimize the hydroponic systems to produce healthy and nutritious food. We also combined milpa farming with modern agricultural techniques such as raised beds and drip irrigation and involved students in research projects that studied the effects of soil type, crop variety, and cropping system (monoculture vs. polyculture) on crop performance and soil quality. Objective 2. Develop curricula to address the food security challenge. Three curricula were developed to address the food security challenge. The Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class addressed the food security challenge from a multidisciplinary perspective, incorporating scientific insights from the fields of anthropology, biochemistry, environmental science, foods and nutrition, and soil science. It gave an overview of Mixtec culture and indigenous milpa planting while introducing students to hydroponic and greenhouse techniques. The Food Security Internship provided experiential learning activities and immersed students in food production methods including: a. Vegetable production in soil; b. Hydroponic vegetable production; c. Organic regenerative agriculture; d. Greenhouses; e. Drip irrigation; and f. Tree planting, pruning, and grafting. The Ethnographic Field Methods class introduced students to the practices and lives of Mixtec farmers within their community setting. This unique, immersive experience allowed the students to learn: a. Rural farm setting of the Mixteca region; b. Major crops grown in the region; c. Methods used in preparing the field for planting; d. Issues of water shortages and erosion; e. Impact of chemical fertilizer and pesticide use; and f. Food preparation and consumption Objective 3. Increase the number of Latino students enrolled as STEM majors. Our project aims to attract Latino students and incentivize their career choice in agriculture by exploring the cultural roots and technical footing of indigenous agriculture and by demonstrating that methods developed by the ancestors of Latino students are of high scientific value and can be used to solve current agricultural problems. Among 94 students in the project who reported ethnicity information, 31 identified themselves as Hispanics, above the SDSU average of 29% of Hispanic students (Fall 2017 - Fall 2021). One Hispanic student received her M.S. degree in Nutritional Sciences under the support of this project and is now pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Copenhagen. Another Hispanic student in our program received her B.S. degree in Foods and Nutrition and is now pursing her M.S. degree in Sustainable Food Systems at ISARA-Lyon. Both students are still collaborating with the PD on research projects. Objective 4, Provide hands-on experiences in real world projects and promote experiential learning. We engaged students in experiential learning in all our courses: Indigenous to Urban Agriculture, Food Security Internship, and Ethnographic Field Methods. Our hands-on curricula enabled the students to apply what they learned in the class to real-world projects. For example, they researched, designed, and physically constructed six raised beds, two greenhouses, a flow hive, and a chicken coop and run. They also set up two ebb and flow hydroponic systems in our greenhouses and two indoor hydroponic systems. Leveraging these facilities, the students planted milpa in our field site, measured crop growth, collected soil and food samples, and analyzed the samples in the laboratory. They also studied the effects of ultraviolet light exposure and compost tea supplementation on growth performance of mustard greens. In this project, the students learned how to operate the hydroponic system, how to use different sensors to monitor and collect environmental data, and how to measure and analyze plant growth, phytochemical composition, antioxidant activities, and microbiota. Objective 5. Foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Our team is highly multidisciplinary and consists of an anthropologist, a biochemist, an environmental scientist, and a food scientist. We leveraged the combined strengths of three SDSU Colleges: Arts and Letters, Health and Human Services, and Sciences, and attracted students from a wide spectrum of disciplines (e.g., anthropology, chemistry, environmental science, foods and nutrition, and sustainability) to the field of agriculture. Objective 6. Create career opportunities by involving local agricultural and food industry. We worked directly with Agua Dulce Farm, Bonita Creek Tree Nursery, College Area Community Garden, and Mixtec farmers, and provided internship opportunities for the students. Objective 7. Foster a workforce pipeline to solve agricultural challenges. We attracted students from different disciplines to our program and taught them practical techniques from indigenous and urban agriculture for sustainable food production. The students learned advanced food production skills that will enable them to pursue rewarding careers in agricultural science.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Hurd, K. J., Shertukde, S., Toia, T., Trujillo, A., P�rez, R. L., Larom, D. L., Love, J. J., & Liu, C. (2019). The cultural importance of edible insects in Oaxaca, Mexico. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 112(6), 552-559. doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saz018.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Liu, C., Masri, J., Perez, V., Maya, C., & Zhao, J. (2020). Growth performance and nutrient composition of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) fed on fresh plant materials-supplemented diets. Foods, 9(2), 151. doi.org/10.3390/foods9020151.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Woolf, E., Maya, C., Yoon, J., Shertukde, S., Toia, T., Zhao, J., Zhu, Y., Peter, P. C., & Liu, C. (2021). Information and taste interventions for improving consumer acceptance of edible insects: a pilot study. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 7(2), 129-139. doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2020.0057.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Liu, C., Trujillo, A., Toia, T., Shertukde, S., P�rez, R., Larom, D., & Love, J. (2018). Edible insects as food in Oaxaca. Oral presentation at the Eating Insects Athens: Athens, GA, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Stoll, A., Maya, C., & Liu, C. (2019). Physicochemical characteristics and proximate composition of select edible insects in Oaxaca, Mexico. Poster presentation at the San Diego State University Student Research Symposium: San Diego, CA, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Maya, C., & Liu, C. (2019). Growth of indigenous versus hybrid corns in milpa with different soils. Oral presentation at the San Diego State University Student Research Symposium: San Diego, CA, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Toia, T. (2019). Cultural and culinary uses of insects in Oaxaca, Mexico. Oral presentation at the Eating Insects Conference and Tasting Demonstration: San Diego, CA, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Maya, C., & Liu, C. (2019). Indigenous to Urban Agriculture. SoCal Food Science and Technology Faculty Consortium Meeting Student 3M Pitch Contest: Orange, CA, USA. Competition third place.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Rosenbloom, A., Lavine, N., Makin, J., Shertukde, S., Zhao, J., & Liu, C. (2020). Inhibition of enzymatic browning during protein isolation from mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae. Poster presentation at the Institute of Food Technologists 80th Annual Meeting: Chicago, IL, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Woolf, E., Maya, C., Yoon, J., Zhao, J., Zhu, Y., & Liu, C. (2020). Informational and sensorial interventions for improving consumer acceptance of edible insects. Poster presentation at the Institute of Food Technologists 80th Annual Meeting: Chicago, IL, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Pentico, D., & Liu, C. (2021). Indoor hydroponic strawberry production. Oral presentation at the San Diego State University Student Research Symposium: San Diego, CA, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Liu, C. (2021). Innovative, sustainable solutions to food insecurity at San Diego State University. Oral presentation at the Institute of Food Technologists 81st Annual Meeting: Online.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Dinh, S., Castro, R., Lu, S., Pentico, D., Love, J. J., Larom, D., P�rez, R., & Liu, C. (2021). Performance of hydroponically grown mustard greens in greenhouse and indoor settings. Poster presentation at the SoCal Food Science and Technology Faculty Consortium Meeting Student Research Poster Showcase: Orange, CA, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Lu, S., Dinh, S., Castro, R., Pentico, D., Love, J. J., Larom, D., P�rez, R., & Liu, C. (2021). Effect of UV light exposure on antioxidant levels of hydroponically grown mustard greens. Poster presentation at the SoCal Food Science and Technology Faculty Consortium Meeting Student Research Poster Showcase: Orange, CA, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Castro, R., Dinh, S., Lu, S., Pentico, D., Love, J. J., Larom, D., P�rez, R., & Liu, C. (2021). Microbiota of mustard greens sprayed with an aerated compost tea. Poster presentation at the SoCal Food Science and Technology Faculty Consortium Meeting Student Research Poster Showcase: Orange, CA, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Castro, R., & Liu, C. (2021). Optimizing growth of hydroponic vegetables. Oral presentation at the SoCal Food Science and Technology Faculty Consortium Meeting Student 3M Pitch Contest: Orange, CA, USA.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: SOULA: Sustainable, Optimized Urban and Latino-driven Agriculture. 2018. Available from: https://soula.sdsu.edu/.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: FOX 5. 2018. SDSU awarded grant for indigenous farming research. Available from: http://fox5sandiego.com/2018/04/30/sdsu-awarded-grant-for-indigenous-farming-research/.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: SDSU News Center. 2018. How Should Your Garden Grow? Available from: http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news_story.aspx?sid=77204.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: SDSU ENS Spring Newsletter. 2018. Foods and Nutrition Faculty Member, Changqi Liu, Receives USDA Grant. Available from: https://ens.sdsu.edu/misc/ens_newsletter_spring_2018web.pdf.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: San Diego State University 2017-2018 Research Highlights. Innovative Solutions to Food Security. Available from: https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/pdf/about_sdsu_research_highlights_1718.pdf.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Stoll, A. 2018. Sustainable, Optimized Urban and Latino-driven Agriculture (SOULA). College Area News, November 2018. Available from: https://soula.sdsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/College-Area-News-November-2018.pdf.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: SDSU ENS Fall 2018 Newsletter. Dr. Lius Research Grant for Summer Field Study at Oaxaca, Mexico. Available from: https://ens.sdsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Fall-2018-ENS-Newsletter.pdf.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: SDSU News Center. 2019. Migrants, Memorials and Mass Incarceration: More Summer Research Abroad. Available from: https://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news_story.aspx?sid=77694.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: San Diego Community Newspaper Group. 2020. SDSU research project underway at Community Garden. Available from: http://www.sdnews.com/view/full_story/27740251/article-SDSU-research-project-underway-at-Community-Garden?instance=sdnews.


Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences are students at San Diego State University, particularly Hispanic students. We seek to incentivize their career choices in foods and agriculture. In this no-cost extension period, we offered special studies projects to teach an integrative farming method that combined Mixtec indigenous milpa interplantingwith modern urban agricultural techniques.A total of 15 students with diverse backgrounds (Chemistry, Environmental Science, Foods and Nutrition, Communication) participated in our project. Four of the students were male, 11 were female, and 5 were Hispanic. The students learned how to leverage knowledge from both indigenous and modern urban agriculture to address food security challenges and had hands-on experiences in amending soil, sowing seeds, setting up drip irrigation, measuring crop growth, managing pests and diseases, harvesting, analyzing soil and food composition. They also learned about hydroponics, apiculture, chicken farming and egg production. One Hispanic student received her M.S. in Nutritional Sciences under the support of our project and she has been accepted into the TALENT Doctoral Fellowship Program at the University of Copenhagen. Changes/Problems:Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to stop all project activities since mid-March and could not finish our planned activities. We have completed construction of two greenhouses fully equipped with hydroponic systems, a chicken coop with 10 chickens housed, and a Flow Hive but have not been able to fully utilize these facilities. We have also collected soil and food samples from our experiments pending analysis. We have funds remaining to cover the materials and supplies needed for the experiments and would like to request an extension of time for completing the analyses. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students had hands-on experiences in our project. They planted milpa in raised beds, set up drip irrigation, measured crop growth, managed pests and diseases, and harvested the crops. Students also learned advanced scientific techniques for soil and food composition analysis. In addition, we offered training in apiculture, hydroponic food production, chicken farming and egg production. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We kept updating our website (https://soula.sdsu.edu/) to disseminate results. Several students presented research results at the San Diego State University Student Research Symposium, Southern California Food Science and Technology Consortium Meeting, and Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting. One student won third place in oral presentation competition. Two research articles were published in refereed journals, one of which was selected as the cover article of the journal. Another study is currently under review. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue to leverage our established farming and research facilities to provide additional research and experiential learning opportunities for the students. We will analyze our research data and prepare manuscript for result dissemination.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1. Teach students methods of indigenous and modern agricultural techniques. In this reporting period, we continued to teach students indigenous milpa farming and modern urban agriculture techniques such as raised beds, drip irrigation, and hydroponics. Objective 2. Develop curricula to address the food security challenge. Although we did not develop new curriculum during the reporting period, we leveraged the curricula developed in prior years to continue teaching food security and food sustainability. Objective 3. Increase the number of Latino students enrolled as STEM majors. Among the 15 students supported in this reporting period, 5 are Hispanics, above the SDSU average of 29% of Hispanic students. One Hispanic student received her M.S. degree in Nutritional Sciences under the support of this project and she has been accepted into a Ph.D. program at the University of Copenhagen. Objective 4, Provide hands-on experiences in real world projects and promote experiential learning. We provided hands-on research experiences in our field site and in the laboratory. The students planted milpa, measured crop growth, collected soil and food samples, and analyzed the samples in the laboratory. They also set up two ebb and flow hydroponic systems in our greenhouse. Objective 5. Foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Our team is highly multidisciplinary and consists of an anthropologist, a biochemist, an environmental scientist, and a food scientist. We leveraged the combined strengths of three SDSU Colleges: Arts and Letters, Health and Human Services, and Sciences, and attracted students from a wide spectrum of disciplines (e.g., chemistry, environmental science, foods and nutrition, and communication) to the field of agriculture. Objective 6. Create career opportunities by involving local agricultural and food industry. We worked with College Area Community Garden and provided an internship for a student. Objective 7. Foster a workforce pipeline to solve agricultural challenges. We attracted students from different disciplines to our program and taught them practical techniques from indigenous and urban agriculture for sustainable food production. The students learned advanced food production skills that will enable them to pursue rewarding careers in agricultural science.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Liu, C.; Masri J.; Perez, V.; Maya, C.; Zhao, J. (2020). Growth performance and nutrient composition of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) fed on fresh plant materials-supplemented diets. Foods, 9(2), 151. doi.org/10.3390/foods9020151.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Hurd, K. J.; Shertukde, S.; Toia, T.; Trujillo, A.; P�rez, R. L.; Larom, D. L.; Love, J. J.; Liu, C. (2019) The cultural importance of edible insects in Oaxaca, Mexico. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 112(6), 552-559. doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saz018.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2020 Citation: Woolf, E.; Maya, C.; Yoon, J.; Shertukde, S.; Toia, T.; Zhao, J.; Zhu, Y.; Peter, P. C.; Liu, C. (In review). Informational and sensorial interventions for improving consumer acceptance of edible insects. Manuscript submitted to Food Research International on April 15, 2020.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Woolf, E.; Maya, C.; Yoon, J.; Zhao, J.; Zhu, Y.; Liu, C. (2020). Informational and sensorial interventions for improving consumer acceptance of edible insects. Poster presentation at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) 80th Annual Meeting: Chicago, IL, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Rosenbloom, A.; Lavine, N.; Makin, J.; Shertukde, S.; Zhao, J.; Liu, C. (2020). Inhibition of enzymatic browning during protein isolation from mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae. Poster presentation at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) 80th Annual Meeting: Chicago, IL, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Maya, C.; Liu, C. (2019). Indigenous to Urban Agriculture. SoCal Food Science and Technology Faculty Consortium Meeting Student 3M Pitch Contest: Orange, CA, USA. Competition third place.


Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences are students at San Diego State University, particularly Hispanic students. We seek to incentive their career choices in agriculture. To achieve this goal, we offered three curricula during this reporting period that combined Mixtec indigenous planting methods with modern urban agricultural techniques: 1) Indigenous to Urban Agriculture (lecture and laboratory), 2) Food Security Internship (internship), and 3) Ethnographic Field Methods (field study). A total of 22 students from a wide variety of background (Chemistry, Environmental Science, Foods and Nutrition, Sustainability) were enrolled in the "Indigenous to Urban Agriculture" course. Six of the students were male, 16 were female, 5 were Hispanics, and one was African American. The students learned how to leverage knowledge from both indigenous and modern urban agriculture to address food security challenges and had hands-on experiences in amending soil, sowing seeds, setting up drip irrigation, measuring crop growth, managing pests and diseases, harvesting, and analyzing soil and food composition. A total of 7 students participated in a 150-hour Food Security Internship. The internship immersed students in food production methods such as organic regenerative farming, hydroponics, tree planting, pruning, and grafting. Six undergraduate students and one graduate student will complete a two-week ethnographic field study in Oaxaca, Mexico from June 22 to July 6, 2019. Two of the students major in Anthropology while the rest of them each majorin Art Education, International Security and Conflict, Nutritional Sciences, Public Health, and Sustainability. Five of the students are female and two are male. All seven students are Hispanics. They will work alongside farmers and their families to learn and document farming and horticultural techniques, erosion management, food preparation, and consumption. The students will also investigate the practice of entomophagy in Oaxaca, Mexico. Changes/Problems:When we received the award notification, we have passed the university's deadline for submitting a new course proposal. Therefore, our teaching agenda was delayed for one semester (September to December 2017). When we received the award notification in September 2017, we missed the window for recruiting a graduate student. We recruited a graduate student into our project in September 2018 and paid for her tuition and salary for only one year. The PD's laboratories were closed between December 2018 and May 2019 due to construction. Part of the research facilities were inaccessible, and our research projects were delayed for one semester. We have collected soil and food samples from our experiments and await analysis of the samples. We budgeted funds for a meta-evaluation. We were informed by USDA NIFA in February 2019 to redirect the fund to student support. Therefore, we will request a no-cost extension of 12-month to 1) keep offering the Indigenous to Urban Agriculture curriculum, 2) support the graduate student through her degree program, 3) provide additional research opportunities and complete sample analyses, and 4) support more students. We have funds remaining to support such activities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students had hands-on experiences in the Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class. They planted milpa in raised beds, set up drip irrigation, measured crop growth, battled with pests and diseases, and harvested the crops. Students also learned advanced scientific techniques for nutrition composition analysis. Students who participated in the Food Security Internship at College Area Community Garden and Bonita Creek Tree Nursery learned food production techniques such as land clearing and site preparation; planting, maintenance, and crop harvesting; drip irrigation; and tree planting, pruning, and grafting. In the Ethnographic Field Methods class, students will be exposed to various methods used in qualitative research through the actual field experience. In addition to the indigenous farming and food preparation practices, students will learn how to conduct open-ended interviews and produce field notes in line with ethnographic standards. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We kept updating our website (https://soula.sdsu.edu/) to disseminate results. We published the story of our project in a local newspaper (College Area News). San Diego State University reported our achievements in the 2017-2018 research highlights and chose our photo of a milpa field as the cover. School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences at San Diego State University reported the Summer Field Study in its newsletter. Several studentspresented research results at the San Diego State University Student Research Symposium. A research article entitled "The cultural importance of edible insects in Oaxaca, Mexico" was accepted for publication in Annals of the Entomological Society of America. We disseminated the urban milpa as a sustainable agriculture model to San Diego Unified School District and fellows from St. Lucia's Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Education for possible implementation in school gardens. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue to teach the Indigenous to Urban Agriculture course and leverage our established farming and research facilities to provide additional research and experiential learning opportunities for the students. We will analyze our research data and prepare manuscript for result dissemination.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Even as modern agricultural methods have reduced farmers to below 2% of the population, whole generations of Latino farm laborers have migrated to the US, forming vibrant but impoverished communities. Few of these laborers go to college, and once there, they may place little value on their valuable agricultural skillset. These Hispanic students could make great farmers, agricultural scientists, nutritionists, and other such important participants in our future if, 1) their skillsets were recognized, rewarded, and developed; and 2) they were provided a modern agricultural education. Our innovative project recognizes the potential of these underrepresented groups, attracts them by honoring their culture-rich knowledge, and through interdisciplinary collaboration, readies them with flexible skillsets for careers in food, agricultural, natural resources, and human sciences. We brought together strengths of three SDSU Colleges: 1) Arts and Letters, 2) Health and Human Services, and 3) Sciences and developed three curricula that integrate Mesoamerican indigenous planting methods (e.g., milpa) with modern urban agricultural techniques. By demonstrating that methods developed by the ancestors of Latino students are of high scientific value and can be used to solve current agricultural problems, we attract Latino students and incentivize their career choice in agriculture. Our curricula immersed students in the concepts and values critical to food security and sustainable agriculture and engaged them in real-world projects. In this reporting period, 22 students took our Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class, seven students participated in a 150-hour Food Security Internship, and seven students will complete a two-week ethnographic field study in Oaxaca, Mexico (June 22-July 6, 2019). These practical, interdisciplinary curricula will prepare students for future agricultural challenges. Objective 1. Teach students methods of indigenous and modern agricultural techniques. The Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class introduced students to the concept of Mesoamerican indigenous farming in a classroom setting followed by hands-on agricultural experiences. In summer field school, students will work alongside farmers to document and preserve the indigenous agricultural practices such as milpa planting and soil tilling via oxen-driven plowing. In the Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class and the Food Security Internship, students learned and practiced a selection of modern agricultural techniques, including organic regenerative farming, hydroponics, greenhouses, drip irrigation, tree planting, pruning, and grafting. Objective 2. Develop curricula to address the food security challenge. This objective was addressed in the previous reporting period. We offered the three developed curricula in this reporting period to address the food security challenge. Objective 3. Increase the number of Latino students enrolled as STEM majors. Our project aims to attract Latino students and incentivize their career choice in agriculture by exploring the cultural roots and technical footing of indigenous agriculture and by demonstrating that methods developed by the ancestors of Latino students are of high scientific value and can be used to solve current agricultural problems. Among the 36 students supported in this reporting period, 12 are Hispanics, above the SDSU average of 29% of Hispanic students. Objective 4, Provide hands-on experiences in real world projects and promote experiential learning. We engaged students in experiential learning in all our classes: Indigenous to Urban Agriculture, Food Security Internship, and Ethnographic Field Methods. Our hands-on curricula enabled the students to apply what they learned in the class to real-world projects. For example, they planted milpa in our field site during the reporting period. Objective 5. Foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Our team is highly multidisciplinary and consists of an anthropologist, a biochemist, an environmental scientist, and a food scientist. We leveraged the combined strengths of three SDSU Colleges: Arts and Letters, Health and Human Services, and Sciences, and attracted students from a wide spectrum of disciplines (e.g., anthropology, art education, chemistry, environmental science, international security and conflict, foods and nutrition, public health, and sustainability) to the field of agriculture. Objective 6. Create career opportunities by involving local agricultural and food industry. We worked directly with Bonita Creek Tree Nursery and College Area Community Garden and provided internship opportunities for the students. Objective 7. Foster a workforce pipeline to solve agricultural challenges. We attracted students from different disciplines to our program and taught them practical techniques from indigenous and urban agriculture for sustainable food production. The students learned advanced food production skills that will enable them to pursue rewarding careers in agricultural science.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2019 Citation: Hurd, K. J.; Shertukde, S.; Toia, T.; Trujillo, A.; P�rez, R. L.; Larom, D. L.; Love, J. J.; Liu, C. The cultural importance of edible insects in Oaxaca, Mexico. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, DOI: 10.1093/aesa/saz018.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Toia, T. 2019. Cultural and culinary uses of insects in Oaxaca, Mexico. Eating Insects Conference and Tasting Demonstration: San Diego, CA, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Maya, C. 2019. Growth of indigenous versus hybrid corns in milpa with different soils. San Diego State University Student Research Symposium: San Diego, CA, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Stoll, A.; Maya, C. 2019. Physicochemical characteristics and proximate composition of select edible insects in Oaxaca, Mexico. San Diego State University Student Research Symposium: San Diego, CA, USA.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: San Diege State University 2017-2018 Research Highlights. Innovative Solutions to Food Security. Available from: https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/pdf/about_sdsu_research_highlights_1718.pdf.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Stoll, A. 2018. Sustainable, Optimized Urban and Latino-driven Agriculture (SOULA). College Area News, November 2018. Available from: https://soula.sdsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/College-Area-News-November-2018.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: SDSU ENS Fall 2018 Newsletter. Dr. Lius Research Grant for Summer Field Study at Oaxaca, Mexico. Available from: https://ens.sdsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Fall-2018-ENS-Newsletter.pdf.


Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences are students at San Diego State University, particularly Hispanic students. We seek to incentive their career choices in agriculture by creating curricula that combine Mixtec indigenous planting methods with modern urban agricultural techniques. During this reporting period, we have developed and implemented three curricula: 1) Indigenous to Urban Agriculture (lecture and laboratory), 2) Food Security Internship (internship), and 3) Ethnographic Field Methods (field study). A total of 68 students from a wide variety of background were enrolled in the "Indigenous to Urban Agriculture" class. These students have a variety of majors which include Anthropology (1), Chemistry (14), Environmental Science (16), Foods and Nutrition (28), and Sustainability (9). Among 32 students who reported demographic information, 5 were male, 27 were female, 10 identified themselves as Hispanics, and 4 identified themselves as African Americans. The students learned how to leverage knowledge from both indigenous and modern urban agriculture to address food security challenges and had hands-on experiences in constructing farming facilities, planting crops, and analyzing nutrient composition. A total of 11 students participated in a 150-hour Food Security Internship. The internship immersed students in food production methods such as organic regenerative farming, hydroponics, tree planting, pruning, and grafting. Seven undergraduate students completed a two-week ethnographic field study in Oaxaca, Mexico. Three of the students majored in Foods and Nutrition, two in Sustainability, one in Environmental Science, and one in Chemistry. Three of the students were male, four were female, and three identified themselves as Hispanics. They worked alongside farmers and their families to learn and document farming and horticultural techniques, erosion management, food preparation, and consumption. The students also investigated the practice of entomophagy in Oaxaca, Mexico and two of them gained authorship in a conference presentation. Changes/Problems:When we received the award notification, we have passed the university deadline for submitting a new course proposal. Therefore, the proposed curricula, Indigenous to Urban Agriculture, was not offered in the first semester. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students had hands-on experiences in the Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class. They cleared and leveled approximately 850-ft2 ground at College Area Community Garden and constructed six raised beds, two greenhouses, and a chicken coop. They planted milpa in the raised beds under the guidance of a Mixtec farmer and analyzed nutrient composition of the seeds. Students who participated in the Food Security Internship at Agua Dulce farm and Bonita Creek Tree Nursery learned food production techniques such as: 1. Land clearing and site preparation; 2. Planting, maintenance, and crop harvesting; 3. Drip irrigation; and 4. Tree planting, pruning, and grafting. In the Ethnographic Field Methods class, students were exposed to the various methods used in qualitative research through the actual field experience. In addition to the indigenous farming and food preparation practices, students learned how to conduct open-ended interviews and produce field notes in line with ethnographic standards. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A website (https://soula.sdsu.edu/) was created to advertise our project and disseminate results. Several news media have reported on the achievements of the project. An investigation on entomophagy practice in Oaxaca, Mexico during the summer field study was presented at the 2018 International Conference "Eating Insects Athens", in Athens Georgia, August 13-15th, 2018. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue to teach the Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class and the ethnographic field study. Additional research and plantings in raised beds, greenhouses, and improvements to the chicken coop will be leveraged to engage students in research. We will also explore additional experiential learning opportunities for the students.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Even as modern agricultural methods have reduced farmers to below 2% of the population, whole generations of Latino farm laborers have migrated to the US, forming vibrant but impoverished communities. Few of these laborers go to college, and once there, they may place little value on their valuable agricultural skill-set. These Hispanic students could make great farmers, agricultural scientists, nutritionists, and other such important participants in our future if, 1) their skill-sets were recognized, rewarded, and developed; and 2) they were provided a modern agricultural education. Our innovative project recognizes the potential of these underrepresented groups, attracts them by honoring their culture-rich knowledge, and through interdisciplinary collaboration, readies them with flexible skill-sets for careers in food, agricultural, natural resources, and human sciences. We brought together strengths of three SDSU Colleges: 1) Arts and Letters, 2) Health and Human Services, and 3) Sciences and developed three curricula that integrate Mesoamerican indigenous planting methods (e.g., milpa) with modern urban agricultural techniques. By demonstrating that methods developed by the ancestors of Latino students are of high scientific value and can be used to solve current agricultural problems, we attract Latino students and incentivize their career choice in agriculture. Our curricula immersed students in the concepts and values critical to food security and sustainable agriculture and engaged them in real-world projects. In this reporting period, 68 students took our Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class, 11 students participated in a 150-hour Food Security Internship, and seven students completed a two-week ethnographic field study in Oaxaca, Mexico. These practical, interdisciplinary curricula will prepare students for future agricultural challenges. Objective 1. Teach students methods of indigenous and modern agricultural techniques. The Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class introduced students to the concept of Mesoamerican indigenous farming in a classroom setting followed by hands-on agricultural experiences. In summer field school, students worked alongside farmers to document and preserve the indigenous agricultural practices such as milpa planting and soil tilling via oxen-driven plowing. In the Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class and the Food Security Internship, students learned and practiced a selection of modern agricultural techniques, including organic regenerative farming, hydroponics, greenhouses, drip irrigation, tree planting, pruning, and grafting. Objective 2. Develop curricula to address the food security challenge. Three curricula were developed to address the food security challenge. The Indigenous to Urban Agriculture class addressed the food security challenge from a multidisciplinary perspective, incorporating scientific insights from the fields of anthropology, biochemistry, environmental science, foods and nutrition, and soil science. It gave an overview of Mixtec culture and indigenous milpa planting while introducing students to hydroponic and greenhouse techniques. The Food Security Internship provided experiential learning activities and immersed students in food production methods including: a. Vegetable production in soil; b. Hydroponic vegetable production; c. Organic regenerative agriculture; d. Greenhouses; e. Drip irrigation; and f. Tree planting, pruning, and grafting. The Ethnographic Field Methods class introduced students to the practices and lives of Mixtec farmers within their community setting. This unique, immersive experience allowed the students to learn: a. Rural farm setting of the Mixteca region; b. Major crops grown in the region; c. Methods used in preparing the field for planting; d. Issues of water shortages and erosion; e. Impact of chemical fertilizer and pesticide use; and f. Food preparation and consumption Objective 3. Increase the number of Latino students enrolled as STEM majors. Our project aims to attract Latino students and incentivize their career choice in agriculture by exploring the cultural roots and technical footing of indigenous agriculture and by demonstrating that methods developed by the ancestors of Latino students are of high scientific value and can be used to solve current agricultural problems. Among 32 students in the project who reported ethnicity information, 10 identified themselves as Hispanics, above the SDSU average of 29% of Hispanic students. Objective 4, Provide hands-on experiences in real world projects and promote experiential learning. We engaged students in experiential learning in all of our classes: Indigenous to Urban Agriculture, Food Security Internship, and Ethnographic Field Methods. Our hands-on curricula enabled the students to apply what they learned in the class to real-world projects. For example, they researched, designed, and physically constructed six raised beds, two greenhouses, and a chicken coop and run during the reporting period. Objective 5. Foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Our team is highly multidisciplinary and consists of an anthropologist, a biochemist, an environmental scientist, and a food scientist. We leveraged the combined strengths of three SDSU Colleges: Arts and Letters, Health and Human Services, and Sciences, and attracted students from a wide spectrum of disciplines (e.g., anthropology, chemistry, environmental science, foods and nutrition, and sustainability) to the field of agriculture. Objective 6. Create career opportunities by involving local agricultural and food industry. We worked directly with Agua Dulce Farm, Bonita Creek Tree Nursery, College Area Community Garden, and Mixtec farmers, and provided internship opportunities for the students. Objective 7. Foster a workforce pipeline to solve agricultural challenges. We attracted students from different disciplines to our program and taught them practical techniques from indigenous and urban agriculture for sustainable food production. The students learned advanced food production skills that will enable them to pursue rewarding careers in agricultural science.

Publications

  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: SOULA: Sustainable, Optimized Urban and Latino-driven Agriculture. 2018. Available from: https://soula.sdsu.edu/.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: FOX 5. 2018. SDSU awarded grant for indigenous farming research. Available from: http://fox5sandiego.com/2018/04/30/sdsu-awarded-grant-for-indigenous-farming-research/.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: SDSU News Center. 2018. How Should Your Garden Grow? Available from: http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news_story.aspx?sid=77204.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Liu, C.; Trujillo, A.; Toia, T.; Shertukde, S.; P�rez, R.; Larom, D.; Love, J. 2018. Edible insects as food in Oaxaca. Eating Insects Athens: Athens, GA, USA.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: SDSU ENS Spring Newsletter. 2018. Foods and Nutrition Faculty Member, Changqi Liu, Receives USDA Grant. Available from: https://ens.sdsu.edu/misc/ens_newsletter_spring_2018web.pdf.