Progress 09/01/20 to 08/22/23
Outputs
Target Audience: Although our episodes were focused on food safety topics specific to Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in the United States, we strongly believe that any farmer listening to these episodes in other locations could glean pertinent information for their farms. We developed a framework for creating educational podcasts and webinars specifically designed for farmers. We recorded, published, and extensively promoted podcast episodes and webinars in both English and Spanish. We held live webinars for farmers to attend and created a new website where these recordings are accessible to the public. We promoted podcasts and webinars through various social media and through farmer service organizations and media (I.e.: agricultural print and online media; extension offices, etc.). Our target audience was farmers from across the United States and beyond. Although our episodes were focused on topics specific to the United States and food safety, and farmers listening to these episodes could glean from these episodes. In order to track the rate of success at reaching farmers, we set up a confirmation pop-up on our website that prompted users to let us know if they were farmers. Through this process we confirmed that out of 680 people that answered the question, 287 were farmers. This number does not represent the total number of listeners of the podcast episodes but helped us gauge if we were reaching farmers. In total, we had 721 listens to all food safety podcast episodes in English and 51 listens to Spanish podcast episodes. We also had 216 views of our English webinar recordings and 13 views of our Spanish webinar recordings, as well as 94 people register for live webinar events. Changes/Problems: FOG requested and was granted a no-cost extension for more time to properly translate and disseminate the Spanish portion of the project and to increase reach of English episodes to farmers. Additionally, FOG had almost 400 people sign up to take our survey but our funding for farmers was limited which meant we could only offer honorariums to 37 respondents. In the future, we will budget more money for compensation for respondents in order to get a fuller picture of the impact of these types of educational opportunities. We would like to see more funding for even further innovative ways to disseminate the knowledge of food safety regulations and prioritize testing as a way to gauge impact and increase in knowledge. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Food safety training is essential for farmers. We developed our podcast episodes and webinars to serve as a simple and accessible way for farmers to receive baseline knowledge on food safety regulations. The information found in the podcast episodes and webinars is both technical and approachable, with the goal of enabling farmers to feel confident in their understanding and implementation of FSMA regulations, inspections and overall food safety processes. Podcast episodes and webinar speakers include perspectives from USDA and local inspectors, farmers and food safety researchers and experts. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Both podcast episodes and webinars were purposefully published via free and public platforms to ensure that a diverse audience is able to access them. To reach a wider audience and target communities, podcast episodes and webinars were marketed through various methods. Marketing campaigns were developed and launched over social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok; through digital and published print media outlets whose main audience is farmers; through targeted email and newsletters; through an information sharing food safety clearing house database; and through word of mouth. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Although this is our final report, we will continue to host and promote our podcast episodes and webinars to increase farmers' understanding of food safety regulations.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: To identify relevant food safety topics that farmers in Florida need to understand how to comply with FSMA regulations. We developed surveys that we used to ask farmers questions regarding their most important food safety-relevant topics. Participants responded to this question, as well as provided information regarding their existing knowledge of food safety regulations and the products they produce. Surveys were disseminated through social media where we regularly correspond with farmers. FOG also sent out surveys directly via our newsletter and our farmer-exclusive email list. We asked respondents about their familiarity with the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), compliance, penalties, and asked about their current concerns with any mandatory food safety regulations required on their farms and for their products. We also asked farmers to provide feedback on specific food safety topics or regulatory requirements that they felt would be important for them to have a better understanding. Objective 2: To carefully craft the style of podcast to improve effectiveness of delivering topics of food safety in English and Spanish that allow a greater number of farmers with different communication preferences to have access to food safety information. Through brainstorm sessions with food safety experts like Dr. Keith Schneider and Michelle Danyluck at the University of Florida's Southern Center, and Trevor Gilbert with the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA, FOG designed a framework for our podcasts and webinars. We took into consideration the target audiences' baseline understanding of topics and terminology to be presented in each episode. These experts helped us choose additional speakers based on their expertise on the subject matter and their ability to communicate that knowledge to a wide audience, and whose style of communication would keep listener attention. We tried different formats for best disseminating information (I.e.: live webinars vs. recorded). Podcast episodes were produced with a number of considerations in mind, including those that were based on our experience and communication with audiences of our own Fresh Take Podcast series. Episodes were kept to 30 minutes on average for easy consumption and listening. Particularly, because for our target audience (i.e., farmers), this is the amount of time they prefer to tune in due to their busy and hectic schedules. Considering that they typically spend most of their day in the field and on the go, the way we designed the episodes were easy to access. We also targeted different learning styles such as auditory, through our podcast episodes, and visual, through our webinars. Additionally, in order to reach a larger audience, both podcast episodes and webinars are available through various free and public platforms, including YouTube, well-known podcast platforms such Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, etc. and our website. Considering that in our state of Florida and throughout the Southeast region and other areas where we expected we could listeners, many producers and agricultural workers are Spanish speakers, who often prefer to receive technical information in their native language, we translated podcast episodes and webinars into Spanish. We then proceeded to re-record the content of these episodes for anyone who prefer to listen to them in Spanish. Episodes were published and made available online via the FOG website, podcast streaming platforms and YouTube. Objective 3: To establish online marketing channels targeting English and Spanish speaking farming affinity groups and monitor the result of distribution. FOG used a varied set of social media channels to market our podcasts and webinars including: Facebook (<11,500 followers); Instagram (<2,000 followers); Twitter (<1700 followers); LinkedIn (<200 followers); We also used traditional media sources such as food and agriculture magazines, online farmer publications like AgNet Media, and ACRES Magazine, as well as the National Clearinghouse for Food Safety. And to make sure we casted a greater information net, we reached out directly to farmers in our network via our digital newsletters (approximately 4,000 subscribers). In terms of those who actively engaged in the webinar and podcast content, the numbers are as follows: 5,110 individuals accessed our English and Spanish webinars and podcasts, which is higher than expected numbers for an educational series of podcasts and webinars In total, our marketing of the podcast via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram reached more than 660,000 individuals. Our promotional efforts through Edible Magazine, Acres Magazine and AgNet Media translated into 752 visits to our website. Objective 4: To assess the impact of the podcasts and webinars on the farmers by creating a survey after the podcast is published to test the listeners' knowledge that was delivered with the podcast and webinar. FOG created pre- and post-listening evaluations to assess farmers' initial understanding, as well as gain in knowledge of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), compliance, penalties, and other food safety topics covered in the podcasts. Questions in the pre and post evaluations were a mix of true or false and multiple-choice question types. Answers were not shared with participants until after both evaluations were completed. Evaluations were only disseminated to farmers. A participation sign-up form was circulated through social media where we regularly correspond with farmers and directly via our newsletter and our farmer-exclusive email list. Potential candidates were asked to provide their farm name and answer pre-screening questions to ensure they were in fact farmers. From this evaluation we were able to glean a better understanding of participant knowledge prior to listening to podcast episodes and after. On average, participants had a higher number of correct answers after listening to the podcast episodes. We learned from these evaluations that farmers are not generally fully aware or have a complete understanding of the rules and regulations on food safety. We also confirmed that there is a great need for intentionally designed resources, tools and materials that provide more accessible food safety information to farmers. Because our podcasts and webinars will be available in perpetuity, this training and knowledge will continue to be available and impactful for both English and Spanish speaking farmers.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Although our episodes were focused on topics specific to the United States and food safety, any farmers listening to these episodes could glean from these episodes. We developed a framework for creating educational podcasts and webinars (through March until August 2022), specfically designed for farmers. We recorded, published, and extensively promoted podcast episodes. We held live webinars for farmers to attend and created a new website where these recordings are accessible to the public. We promoted the podcasts and webinars through various social media and through farmer service organizations and media ( i.e.: agricultural print and online media; extension offices; etc.). Our target audience was farmers from across the United States and beyond. Although our episodes were focused on topics specific to the United States and food safety, any farmers listening to these episodes could glean from these episodes. In order to track the rate of success at reaching farmers, we set up a confirmation pop-up on our website that prompted users to let us know if they were farmers. Through this process we confirmed that out of 571 people that answered the question, 251 were farmers. This number does not represent the total number of listeners of the podcast episodes, but helped us gauge if we were reaching farmers. In total we had 559 listens to all food safety podcast episodes and 197views of our webinar recordings and had 94 people register for the live event. Changes/Problems:FOG requested and was granted a no-cost extension for more time to properly translate and disseminate the Spanish portion of the project and to increase reach of English episodes to farmers. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?? How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?- We plan to complete, publish and promote the Spanish podcasts and webinar - We will complete evaluations and data-collection from knowledge-surveys. - Continue general marketing of podcast and webinars to farmers - Disseminate results to communities of interest
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: To identify relevant food safety topics that farmers in Florida need to understand how to comply with FSMA regulations. Conducted surveys with famers to identify food safety-relevant topics Objective 2: To carefully craft the style of podcast to improve effectiveness of delivering topics of food safety in English and Spanish that allow a greater number of farmers with different communication preferences to have access to food safety information. FOG brainstormed and designed a framework for our podcasts and webinars; we kep time considerations; and interviewed different speakers who would be interestingto the listeners. We tried different formats for best disseminating information (i.e.: live webinars vs. recorded). The podcast is accessible on different platforms in order to reach a larger audience. We began translation of the podcast episodes and webinar in order to re-record in Spanish in the coming months. Objective 3: To establish online marketing channels targeting English and Spanish speaking farming affinity groups and monitor the result of distribution. FOG used a varied set of social media channels to market our podcasts and webinars including: Facebook (<11,000 followers), Instagram (<2,000 followers), Twitter (<1,700), LinkedIn (<150), and TikTok. We also used traditional media sources such as food and agriculture magazines; online farmer publications (i.e.: Agnet Media). We also reached out directly to farmers in our network via our digital newsletters (4000 subscribers). Objective 4: To assess the impact of the podcasts and webinars on the farmers by creating a survey after the podcast is published to test the listeners' knowledge that was delivered with the podcast and webinar. In-progress
Publications
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