Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:This project engaged Louisville youth, their families and neighbors in food, garden and nutrition education programs that advance the nutritional health, academic success, leadership development, economic well-being and civic engagement, particularly in underserved South and West Louisville schools and neighborhoods with a high percentage of participants in free and reduced-price meal programs. The project placed particular emphasis on the area around Iroquois Urban Farm in South Louisville, one of the most diverse and underserved areas of the city, where Food Literacy project continues to mobilize traditionally marginalized youth and community stakeholders to create a vibrant hub for urban agriculture, fresh food access and education, youth employment, leadership development, community engagement and cultural exchange. Over 9,000 Louisville youth, families and community members were engaged with food, farming and the land throughout the 2-year project. -52 Youth Community Agriculture Program (YCAP) positions were filled by teen young/adult participants. 50% of YCAP Crew Members and Community Food Leaders participated in multiple YCAP seasons amplifying the power of their personal growth experience and community impact. -Over 200 youth, families, neighbors and community stakeholders engaged through Community Advisory Council/ Community Conversations. -96 New American students in danger of aging out of high-school before graduating advanced academic progress through project-based learning as part of our academic YCAP track in partnership with the JCPS' Accelerate to Graduate program. -202 students and their family members gardened, cooked, and broke bread together through our Field-to-Fork Afterschool Clubs taking home no-cost produce shares and other pantry items to practice cooking skills at home. Over 600 individuals were impacted by no-cost mini-shares through the clubs. -1,165 students, families and community members explored wholesome down-to-earth eating and gardening through Truck Farm, FLP's mobile learning garden. -More than 100 volunteers have given their time and expertise to advance the project's goals and objectives. - 4,407 residents were engaged through community events, cooking demos, outreach programs and canvassing. -South Points Farmers Market engaged 5 farmers and reaching 1,133 customers accepting and doubling SNAP and SFMNP vouchers. Over 40% of market sales to low-income seniors. - 1,506 students and 377 teachers and caregivers engaged in hands-on learning experiences to increase fresh food knowledge, cooking skills, and healthy behaviors through Farm-based Education programs. Changes/Problems:FLP faced several significant challenges while implementing this comprehensive project. The scope of the project tested our capacity, highlighted organizational strengths, and exposed areas for growth. One key project output that was not accomplished was the construction of our planned outdoor kitchen and pavilion at Iroquois Urban Farm. While we completed a plan, raised funds and broke-ground on the project with our Mayor and other community leaders, we were not able to complete the project due to a new and unexpected level of uncertainty around the long-term access to the land where Iroquois Urban Farm is currently located. This change required significant adjustments to our plans. We continued to develop the farm as a hub for urban agriculture, fresh food education and access, youth employment and leadership development, community engagement and cultural exchange, despite the lack of infrastructure we planned on having and our inability to make long-term capital investments in the property. We continue to plan and strategize with youth, partners and neighbors to secure our long-term future and vision at the site. 2020 proved to be a year of immense change and transition with the onset of COVID-19, the resulting intense needs in our community, new socially distant ways of operating, severe financial challenges, and the sustained uprising for racial equity in Louisville and beyond. Our team's capacity to adapt and innovate has been critical to Food Literacy Project's ability to navigate the challenges of COVID-19, while sustaining and even growing our impact. We were forced to re-think what it meant to "farm on" under the circumstances, and how our team could continue to provide much-needed healthy food to neighbors - along with the joy of learning by doing - throughout the crisis. FLP adapted quickly to respond to the immediate needs of our community while staying true to our project goals and objectives. USDA NIFA's investment allowed us to continue to advance food security and nutritional proficiency in the wake of the pandemic, while cultivating resilience and community connectedness. We connected with all our Field-to-Fork Club families and home delivered no-cost produce shares and other pantry items (donated by Rainbow Blossom), as well as pots, seeds and at-home learning activities to support families during this uncertain time. We took our clubs on-line and emailed cooking demos for club members and dropped off resulting dishes to neighbors in need. We shared seed packets, soil and other gardening materials and at-home activities to support families. Teen YCAP Community Food Leaders stayed #HealthyatHome in the spring, working on PhotoVoice projects to document the food needs and issues in their community, growing food at home and creating cooking and gardening content to share online. They engaged in self-study and group reflections on issues related to food security and racial equity, and connected with other farm and food sovereignty groups from around the country through webinars, workshops and zoom meetings. FLP integrated Healthy at Work protocols and resumed on-farm YCAP programs in June. Our young leaders were eager to be part of our community's response and resilience by connecting neighbors with fresh, local foods and have since distributed over 2000 lbs. of farm-fresh produce. We continue to adhere to public health recommendations, maintaining social distancing and limiting program enrollment to ensure the safety of all staff and participants. In addition to the public health, social and economic challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, the Louisville community has been reeling from the impacts of racial discrimination, inequity and violence. This project helped elevate marginalized youth voices, and cultivate youth leadership at a critical time. FLP programs created space for youth to talk about equity principles, improve knowledge about historical contexts for inequities, and positioned young people to influence systems and environments. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided continuous professional development opportunities for youth and young adults through the Youth Community Agriculture Program (YCAP). In addition to the opportunities presented through our programs, Food Literacy Project (FLP) staff offered expertise to school teachers and staff and other local organizations around planning, building, planting, and maintaining school and home gardens. We trained over 60 youth program workers on youth food security issues and nutritional inequality, and on opportunities for youth engagement in hands-on food and agriculture service learning programs. The FLP team, including youth participants, presented at more than 15 conferences and community meetings during the project performance period, including the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education conference, Insider Louisville: Food Insecurity in a Foodie City panel, Sowers of Justice Conference, Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior, Kentucky Hunger dialogue, South Louisville Community Ministries annual meeting, How-To Festival and others. FLP also benefitted from a variety of training and professional development opportunities. The community advisory council has offered new perspectives on community engagement efforts and activities. A local consultant facilitated sessions with the advisory council and staff regarding the transition from old shore (FLP 1.0) to new shore (FLP 2.0). Youth, neighbors and FLP staff and stakeholders have worked and learned together throughout this process. Youth and staff have participated in various trainings, conferences and webinars including the 2019 Community Food Systems Conference. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?FLP shared updates and outcomes results through various streams of communication. Advisory council meetings were important avenue for informing and receiving feedback from stakeholders, partners, and neighbors. Program Newsletters were sent out to volunteers, participants partners, and donors. Several social media posts were developed each week, sharing relevant updates and events with our community online. The South Points Farmers Market, neighborhood canvassing and other community events served as an added opportunity to share our mission and upcoming activities with neighbors in south Louisville. The preliminary results gathered by the University of Louisville in year-one of this project saw opportunities related to FLP's information sharing, particularly in terms of cultivating a shared sense of ownership among Advisory Council members, sharing progress on specific goals, and communicating needs and processes with prospective volunteers and partners. FLP reflected and responded to these findings in order to continually improve our processes for sharing results with communities of interest. We invested in our communications effort in year two, increasingly necessary due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. We hosted more live interactive meetings online with participants and stakeholders, and created more space for information sharing. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, we have continued to build momentum and mobilize youth and community members around Iroquois Urban Farm and connected youth and community development efforts. Finally, project results have been and will continue to be shared through peer-reviewed abstracts, presentations and journal publications. 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: Youth, community members and stakeholders were engaged throughout the project in the transformation of the vacant Iroquois Homes public housing complex into Iroquois Urban Farm, a vibrant community resource. During the 2-year project window, Iroquois Urban Farm's capacity for vegetable production increased alongside it's capacity to support youth and community resilience and connectedness. FLP became the spearheading agency of the urban agriculture operation at Iroquois Urban Farm, engaging youth as key drivers. Iroquois Urban Farm produced salad mix, okra, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, peppers and much more over the last 2 seasons, with 2020 soil improvement and crop yields surpassing expectations. Iroquois Urban Farm also became the central hub of FLP's youth development and community-based programs, providing an accessible green space where young people and neighbors could connect, share, learn and lead together. Our South Points Farmers Market (SPFM) reached more than 1000 customers, generating nearly $9,000 in sales, while engaging youth, local farmers and accepting and doubling SNAP and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers. Due to the impacts of COVID-19 in 2020, FLP paused the operation of the SPFM, adopting a produce donation approach to meet the acute needs of our neighbors. We engaged YCAP participants to grow and donate over 2,000 lbs. of fresh fruits and vegetables in collaboration with local food pantries and community organizations. Objective 2: FLP's Youth Community Agriculture Program (YCAP) enabled teens to grow as leaders through engagement with their local food system. 52 YCAP positions were filled throughout the project, with 50% of the teens participating in multiple YCAP seasons. YCAP Crew Members improved nutritional proficiency and became active participants in their local food system and communities. Formerly only a summer program, academic year YCAP employment opportunities were launched in 2018. The program has positioned young people to advance food justice, health and equity while deepening their connection with the land, engaging in meaningful work, and earning much-needed income. Youth participants worked to improvetheir own lives, and to cultivate change within their communities. YCAP participants were key drivers of FLP's farming and food distribution effort based at Iroquois Urban Farm. The youth spent part of their time planting, cultivating, harvesting, and marketing fresh vegetables, creating recipes, and exploring their local food system. They distributed produce through local farmers' markets, food pantries, schools and community organizations, prepared community meals, presentations and social media "take-overs," shared pictures and narratives, and sparked conversations around their local food system. They used participatory research methods like PhotoVoice to examine their local food system and communities, and to engage as healthy food access advocates and community food system ambassadors. They also offered support to FLP's Field to Fork clubs, serving as teaching assistants and role models to younger youth who were learning about gardening and seasonal eating for the first time. "This job isn't like any other job. You get to interact with other people. You get to interact with the community. You get to talk about food justice. Every day on the job is educational and fun." - Marissa "Mango," YCAP "I didn't have Field-to-Fork Club in school, so to see elementary school kids try new vegetables and learn about being healthy is amazing."- Fathma "Fruit," YCAP 96 students used project-based learning, food, and agriculture to advance progress in math, research skills, writing, and social studies through our Academic YCAP track at Iroquois High School and Newcomer Academy's Accelerate to Graduate (A2G) program. A2G students are English Language Learners engaged in an innovative program designed for immigrant and refugee students new to the United States. Through a project-based initiative, students ages 18-21 who are in danger of aging-out of high school before earning their diplomas can graduate at an accelerated rate. In addition to advancing academic progress, the program addressed leadership, social skills, citizenship, confidence, innovation, and character - all critical to ensuring students' future success in school, career, and beyond. FLP also expanded Field to Fork Clubs and Farm-based Education programs to new schools and community-based organizations, engaging 1,702 students as well as their teachers and family members to explore fresh vegetables, how they grow, and how they can be prepared in healthy and delicious ways. Participating students adopted healthy behaviors; the number of students eating 5 or more daily fruit and vegetable servings more than doubled. Finally, we developed new partnerships with Serve KY, the State Service Commission, and the State of Kentucky's SNAP Education Program. These key partnerships are supporting increased program sustainability and impact into the future. Objective 3: Food Literacy Project spearheaded a robust Community Engagement effort, connecting with over 4,000 community members, building support and sharing messages about healthy lifestyles, environmental stewardship and community transformation through food, farming and the land. Community members engaged through open-farm hours and community events-- monthly BreakFESTs/Farm-ily Days, fall and spring events, community meals and cooking demonstrations. We conducted wide-ranging canvassing operations to speak directly with neighbors near Iroquois Urban Farm. We hosted monthly volunteer projects and weekly open-farm hours, encouraging community members to explore hands-on farming and cooking activities and providing access to natural green space. Truck Farm, FLP's mobile learning garden visited schools, community centers, parks and community events, engaging youth and community members in planting, harvesting and tasting fresh, healthful foods, and encouraging wholesome, down-to-earth eating. Neighbors and stakeholders worked to cultivate a vision for Iroquois Urban Farm and the future of the Food Literacy Project in South Louisville through the Community Advisory Council and community conversations. We hosted regular Community Conversations to invite collaboration with neighborhood residents and stakeholders, invested in building the organization's capacity for change management and network organizing, and formed the Iroquois Urban Farm Community Advisory Council, enabling youth and community members to participate as vision shapers. The Council includes school personnel, neighbors and residents, community agency representatives, elected community officials, and youth. The council's role has been integral to the vision and future of FLP's presence in South Louisville, and their investment in long-term planning even more critical as we continue to work together to secure Iroquois Urban farm's future. A research team from the University of Louisville evaluated FLP's current and future food, garden, and nutritional educational programs, as well as our ability to serve as an effective coalition to mobilize community capacity. The process consisted of data collection, qualitative interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders, pre-post surveys from program participants and a PhotoVoice process. Results are positive, showing strengths in in the areas of model food and agriculture youth development and nutrition education programs, engaging youth and the communities where FLP farms are located, elevating youth voices, involving people in the mission, and coalition building.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Perez A, Brown A, Elmore S, Hartson K, O'Neal C, & King K. (2020). Nourishing food literacy, community health, and sense of place in Louisville, KY. Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior, 52(7), S74.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Elmore, S., Brown, A., King, K., Hartson, K., O'Neal, C. & Perez A. (2020). Centering youth voices in evaluation through Photovoice: Examining the Food Literacy Project. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120(9), A76
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Hartson, K., King, K., ONeal, C., Brown, A., Elmore, S., & Perez, A. (in review). Farmbased education is associated with increased vegetable intake and knowledge of healthy recipes among elementary students. Abstract proposal submitted to Association of Community Health Nurse Educators (ACHNE).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Perez, A., Hartson, K., Brown, A., Elmore, S., O'Neal, C., & King, K. (2020, March). Nourishing food literacy, community health and sense of place in Louisville, Kentucky. Presentation at the 53rd Annual Conference of the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior, San Diego, CA.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Elmore, S., Brown, A., King, K., Hartson, K., ONeal, C., & Perez, A. (in review). Centering youth voices in evaluation through photovoice: Examining the food literacy project. Abstract proposal submitted to Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, NewOrleans, LA.
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The Nourishing Food Literacy, Community Health and Sense of Place project is engaging Louisville youth, their families and neighbors in food, garden and nutrition education programs that advance the nutritional health, academic success, leadership development, economic well-being and civic engagement, particularly in underserved South and West Louisville schools and neighborhoods with a high percentage of participants in free and reduced-price meal programs. 18.8% of all Kentuckians live in poverty and 36.6% are obese. At 20.8%, Kentucky's obesity rate among 10-17 year olds is third highest in the nation, and statistically significantly higher than the national rate. Louisville, is the state's largest and most ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse city. 16.9% of all Louisvillians live in poverty, including more than 1 in 5 Louisville children. 31.6% of Louisville residents are obese, and chronic, diet-related disease rates are on the rise. Simultaneously, over 120,100 Louisville residents (16.1%), including 28,940 children, are food insecure, lacking access to enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life. The Greater Louisville Project indicates that Louisville ranks 13th among a cohort of 17 peer cities in terms of health outcomes and 14th in terms of its obesity rate. A closer look at Louisville's poverty concentration and health challenges reveals extreme disparities and inequities, with the burden of poverty, as well as low educational attainment and academic achievement, limited food access, chronic disease and death disproportionately impacting low-income residents of color in underserved south, central and west Louisville neighborhoods. Using the Brookings Institute's multidimensional poverty index, a comprehensive approach that examines poverty through five compounding dimensions: low-income (under 150% of the poverty line), unemployment, lack of health insurance, lack of a high school degree and living in a poor neighborhood (where more than 1 in 5 people are poor), The Greater Louisville Project identified neighborhoods in Louisville most challenged by the overlapping barriers that restrict upward mobility and diminish health and wellbeing. Louisville's four poorest neighborhoods are located in south, central and west Louisville, which is also where the highest concentration of Louisville's Black/African American/s and immigrant and refugee residents live. Louisville's history of institutional racism and segregation has had - and continues to have - a significant impact on its multidimensionally poor neighborhoods and the populations concentrated within them. Black citizens in Louisville are much more likely to live in multidimensionally poor areas than white citizens--the correlation is high (0.64) and is unlikely to have happened by chance (p < .0001). Of all 3,228 census tracts in all of Louisville's17 peer cities, the poorest tract in Russell (west Louisville) is the 3rd poorest overall and the poorest tract in Portland (west Louisville) is the 10th poorest overall. Residents in Louisville's poorest neighborhoods are more likely to have poor health outcomes and have a life expectancy 12 years less than residents in Louisville's more affluent areas. This project is placing particular emphasis on the area around Iroquois Urban Farm in South Louisville, one of the most diverse and underserved areas of the city, where Food Literacy project is mobilizing youth and community stakeholders to create a vibrant hub for urban agriculture, fresh food access and education, youth employment, leadership development, community engagement and cultural exchange. The threat to children's well-being is exacerbated in this area where residents are disproportionately impacted by poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, poor health outcomes, educational achievement gaps, and environmental degradation. 55% of residents in this area are white, 31% black, 3% Asian, 4% Other: 7% identify as Hispanic; 9% are Foreign Born; a high percentage of the population is under age 20. The median household income is $29,73. Over 44% of children in the area live in poverty; 67% of individuals are at 150% of poverty level. 33.78% of households utilize SNAP to meet their food needs. 17.55% of households lack access to a vehicle. Over 2,500 residents are unemployed. The area faces the challenge of disconnected youth-- 21% of residents 16-19 yrs. of age are not working and not enrolled in school. Located in the area, Iroquois High School's (IHS) graduation rate (60.8%) is well-below the district (80.6%) and state (89.7%) averages; only 20% of IHS students are considered college/career ready. The area's diabetes death rate exceeds the Louisville Metro average by up to 18%; life expectancy is up to 11 years less than in more affluent, eastern parts of Louisville. These urgent community issues are eroding children's health and quality of life, uprooting families' stability and hindering young people's learning and earning potential, social connection, and civic engagement across their lifetimes. High rates of un/underemployment among teens and young adults are linked to an increased likelihood of dropping out of school and/or becoming incarcerated. In the first year, this project has directly engaged over 5,000 Louisville youth, families and community members: • 20 Teens/young adults learned, earned and acted as community-change agents through Youth Community Agriculture Program (YCAP) employment tracks (Summer YCAP-14 participants; Community Food Leaders Track- 13 participants; 7 of the youth participate in both summer YCAP and Community Food Leader Track) amplifying the power of their personal growth experience and community impact. • 68 Immigrant and refugee students in danger of aging out of high-school before graduating advanced academic progress through project-based learning as part of our academic YCAP track. •117 students and their family members gardened, cooked, and broke bread together through our Field-to-Fork Afterschool Clubs taking home no-cost produce shares and other pantry items to practice cooking skills at home • 993 students and 152 teachers and caregivers engaged in hands-on learning experiences to increase fresh food knowledge, cooking skills, and healthy behaviors through Farm-based Education. • Over 3,000 residents engaged through community events, cooking demos, outreach programs and canvassing. • 1,021 youth and community members were exposed to messages about wholesome down-to-earth eating and gardening through Truck Farm • Over 100 South Louisville residents and community stakeholders engaged in Community Advisory Council meetings and Community Conversations. • South Points Farmers Market engages 5 farmers reaching 780 customers and benefitting an additional estimated 1,400 consumers. • More than 100 volunteers have given their time an expertise to advance the project's goals and objectives. Changes/Problems:One key project output that was not accomplished was the construction of outdoor kitchen pavilion at Iroquois Urban Farm. While we completed a plan, raised funds and broke-ground on the project with our Mayor and other community leaders, we were not able to complete the project due to a new and unexpected level of uncertainty around the long-term access to the land where Iroquois Urban Farm is currently located. The land at 1400 Bicknell is not likely to be Iroquois Urban Farm's permanent home and, as a result, the pavilion/outdoor kitchen was not constructed there. FLP will take next steps toward investing in a permanent home through consulting with professionals, local stakeholders and partners, the community advisory council, and CFLs in the coming year. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In addition to the youth development opportunities presented through our direct education programs, FLP staff has offered expertise to school teachers and staff and other local organizations around planning, building, planting, and maintaining school and home gardens. The team also presented at a total of 10 conferences and meetings during the reporting year, including the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education conference, Insider Louisville: Food Insecurity in a Foodie City panel, Kentucky Hunger dialogue, South Louisville Community Ministries annual meeting, How To Festival, Franklin County Farmer's Market, UPS Air Group, Veritas Senior Learning, and two corporate awareness picnics. A total of 261 people received information through these presentations. FLP has also received and benefitted from a variety of training and professional development opportunities. The community advisory council has offered new perspectives on community engagement efforts and activities. A local consultant led a workshop with the advisory council and staff regarding the transition from old shore (FLP 1.0) to new shore (FLP 2.0). Staff has participated in various trainings and conferences throughout the year, including a number of youth trainings through Louisville's Building Louisville's Out-of-school-Time Coordinated System (BLOCS). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?FLP shares regular updates and outcomes results through various streams of communication. Advisory council meetings are an important avenue for informing and receiving feedback from stakeholders, partners, and neighbors. Newsletters are sent out to volunteers, partners, and donors three times each year. Several social media posts are developed each week, sharing relevant updates and events with our community online. Neighborhood canvassing and other community outreach efforts serve as an added opportunity to share our mission and upcoming activities with neighbors in south Louisville. The preliminary results gathered by the University of Louisville saw opportunities related to FLP's information sharing, particularly in terms of cultivating a shared sense of ownership among members, sharing progress on specific goals, and communicating needs and processes with prospective volunteers and partners. In the coming year, FLP will reflect and respond to these findings in order to continually improve our processes for sharing results with communities of interest. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Food Literacy Project (FLP) will continue to implment high quality, effective nutrition eductaion programs and to strengthen our organizational capacity to sustain our efforts to improve nutritional health in Louisville over the Long-term.FLP is an organizational in transition from an external farm-based education provider to a community-based organization collaborating with youth, families, neighbors and community stakeholders on complex food system and community transformation initiatives. Informally, we have referred to this organizational shift, from destination and external service provider to neighbor, community partner and mobilizer, as FLP 2.0. We have embraced the opportunity to be a neighbor at Iroquois Urban Farm and are leveraging the opportunity to respond directly to the needs of our community. In the coming year, we will continue deepening our impact and exploring new models of community engagement and ownership, fully shifting into and embracing FLP 2.0. The USDA's support is enabling FLP to continue to move further along the community engagement continuum toward collaboration and empowerment, so that we are working together with limited resource youth, families and community members, sharing information in all aspects of the decision-making process, and inviting constituents to drive the direction of our work. While land is central to FLP's mission statement - youth transforming their communities through food, farming and the land - our ability to invest in the organization's future is hampered by uncertainty and lack of land security. This year has reinforced the need to secure our future and identify a permanent home location for the Food Literacy Project. We will prioritize evaluating and identifying viable options for our "forever home" in the coming year with the Community Advisory Council, which will poise us to galvanize resources and invest in the land and infrastructure needed to fully realize our vision for Food Literacy Project in south Louisville. FLP is currently developing a partnership with Kentucky's SNAP Education program, which will provide growth opportunities for our overall programmatic efforts beginning in 2020. Through initial conversations and reviewing the SNAP Education objectives, the similarities in our respective missions are evident, beginning with our shared roots in the social ecological model. With the added partnership of SNAP Education, FLP programs, including YCAP, community engagement, Truck Farm, community advisory council, Iroquois Urban Farm operations, South Points Farmer's Market, farm-based education, and Field to Fork clubs will continue to grow and be strengthened in the coming year. The 2019-2020 school year will be the first full school year of YCAP employment, which will be an opportunity for evaluation and further programmatic growth and development. YCAP CFLs and community advisory council members will continue to be leveraged in community engagement efforts, including farm operations, family events, outreach, and the South Points Farmer's Market, in addition to efforts surrounding our permanent home. The University of Louisville's process evaluation found that FLP could better engage community members who want to volunteer their time. FLP plans to utilize a VISTA in the coming year to develop a volunteer recruitment and engagement strategic plan, which will provide a framework for improvement in this area. Another initial finding from the process evaluation was the opportunity for FLP to engage more members of mosques, temples, and black and Hispanic churches, as well as coordinating with other organizations working with the same populations to work together on projects. The next step as we realize FLP 2.0 is intentional outreach to south Louisville schools, community centers, and places of worship, where people in the neighborhoods are already gathering. In the coming reporting period, we will be creating space for unique program opportunities to meet people in these places and spaces, furthering our goal of becoming a vibrant hub for urban agriculture, fresh food education and access, youth employment and empowerment, leadership development, community engagement, and cultural exchange.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
? In the first year, the Food Literacy Project (FLP) engaged over 5,000 youth, families and neighbors: 20 teens learned and earned through the Youth Community Agriculture Program (YCAP). 2019 Summer YCAP engaged 14 youth to grow local, organic produce for people in Louisville, and provided youth with the knowledge and skills to be change agents for healthier communities. We expanded YCAP with new year-round employment and leadership opportunities. We piloted a YCAP academic-year employment track in 2018, bringing on our first two teens, Tha "Coconut" Yea and Kasia "Watermelon" Jalouk, as Community Food Leaders (CFLs). The CFLs were/are an integral part of FLP's ability to establish Iroquois Urban Farm. Three additional youth were employed as CFLs in Spring 2019, and we have increased enrollment to 8 youth this fall, 7 of whom also participated in the summer YCAP employment track. Students are driving the agricultural operation at Iroquois Urban Farm and actively helping to shape FLP's long-term future in South Louisville. YCAP Crew Members grew fresh, healthy produce on two urban farms, while also learning how to market and sell produce, how to prepare it, and why food access, cooking, and nutrition are essential for healthy communities. They then sold produce at 2 different farmers markets (both of which are in neighborhoods defined as food deserts); taught younger students about farming, nutrition, and cooking at Iroquois Urban Farm; explored what others are doing to improve food access, health, and nutrition in Louisville; and spoke openly about their experienceto community leaders and peers. Over 60 immigrant and refugee students have used project-based learning, food, and agriculture to advance progress in math, research skills, writing, and social studies through our Academic YCAP track at Iroquois High School. 37 were engaged during the 2018-2019 school year and another 31 students started a new year of project-based learning through the program this August. We expanded our partnership with Iroquois High School's Accelerate to Graduate (A2G) program. In addition to advancing academic progress, the program addresses "soft skills" such as leadership, social skills, citizenship, confidence, innovation, and character - all critical to students' success in school, career, and beyond. Food Literacy Project spearheaded a robust Community Engagement effort, connecting with over 3,000 community members and neighbors, building community support and sharing messages about healthy lifestyles, environmental stewardship and community transformation through food, farming and the land. Community members engaged through open-farm hours and community events-- monthly BreakFESTs/Farm-ily Days, fall and spring events, community meals and cooking demonstrations. We conducted wide-ranging canvassing operations to speak directly with neighbors near Iroquois Urban Farm offering information about the South Points Farmers Market and Double Dollars program as well as programs and engagement opportunities. FLP ensured Iroquois Urban Farm was included on the summer 2019 Cultural Pass, increasing its visibility and accessibility to Louisville youth and families in our south Louisville target area and beyond. Truck Farm, Food Literacy Project's mobile, edible learning garden visited schools, community centers, parks and community events, engaging an additional 1,021 youth and community members in planting, harvesting and tasting fresh, healthful foods, sharing a message about how to grow food anywhere, and encouraging wholesome, down-to-earth eating. Neighbors and stakeholders work to cultivate a vision for Iroquois Urban Farm and the future of the Food Literacy Project in South Louisville through the Community Advisory Council and community conversations. We hosted regular Community Conversations to invite input on our project from neighborhood residents and stakeholders. We invested in building the organization's capacity for change management and network organizing. We formalized the Iroquois Urban Farm Community Advisory Council, enabling community members to participate as vision shapers and decision makers. The Council includes school personnel, neighbors and residents, community agency representatives, elected community officials, and youth. Community residents and youth are not only being heard but are also actively collaborating with FLP on the development of Iroquois Urban Farm. Their role has been integral to the vision and future of FLP's presence in South Louisville, and their investment in long term planning even more critical as we now face a new and unexpected level of uncertainty around Iroquois Urban Farm's permanent location. FLP became the spearheading agency of the urban agriculture operation at Iroquois Urban Farm, engaging youth as key drivers. We faced soil challenges and have invested heavily in soil regeneration efforts. We've worked to mitigate compaction and to enrich the soil through strategic planting and cover cropping. Iroquois Urban Farm has produced salad mix, okra, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, peppers and more this season. In its first two seasons, our South Points Farmers Market (SPFM) reached more than 1,000 customers and generated over $9,700 in sales, while engaging youth, and accepting and doubling SNAP and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers. South Points Farmers Market has one of the highest redemptions of senior vouchers in the city and has partnered directly with Neighborhood Place to ensure seniors are informed about the SFMNP vouchers and how to redeem and double their benefits at the South Points Market. 993 students and 152 teachers and caregivers engaged in hands-on learning experiences to increase fresh food knowledge, cooking skills, and healthy behaviors through Farm-based Education. Forty-nine percent (49%) of student participants had never been to a farm before their experience with Food Literacy Project. Hundreds more students were reached through school garden-based education programs. Preliminary evaluation results indicate that, among students participating in yearlong farm-based education programs, the percentage of students eating the recommended 5 or more daily fruit and vegetable servings nearly doubled- increasing from 23% at baseline to 43% at the program's close; students' mean daily fruit and vegetable servings increased by half a serving- from 2.6 servings/day to 3.2 servings/day; the percentage of students that had eaten a vegetable they harvested themselves increased by over 30% (from 48% at baseline to 79%); the percentage of students that reported knowing how to prepare a healthy recipe using vegetables increased to 72% (compared to 40% at baseline). 117 students and family members gardened, cooked, and broke bread together through our Field-to-Fork Afterschool Clubs, taking home no-cost fresh produce shares to bring change to the family table. Students increased engagement in cooking and gardening activities at home and improved nutritional proficiency throughout the 10-week program. At the close of the program, 81% of students reported that they knew how to prepare a healthy recipe using vegetables and 73% indicated that they helped to prepare meals at home on a regular basis. A research team has been completing a process evaluation around key project objectives. The process evaluated FLP's current and future food, garden, and nutritional educational programs, as well as our ability to serve as an effective coalition to mobilize community capacity. So far, the process has consisted of data collection, qualitative interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders, pre-post surveys from program participants. Preliminary results are positive, showing strengths in the areas of engaging youth and the communities where farms are located, involving people in the mission, and including a variety of key players.
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