Piloting a Blended Face-to-Face and Online Course to Develop a - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Piloting a Blended Face-to-Face and Online Course to Develop a Regional Online Local Food Certification Program

Direct Agricultural Marketing Summit

Chicago, IL

Dara Bloom, Emma Brinkmeyer, NC State Extension Eric Bendfeldt, Virginia Cooperative Extension Dave Lamie, Clemson Cooperative Extension October 8, 2019

Outline

• Situation/Rationale
• Blended Program Design and Description
• Results - Outcomes/Impacts
• Creation of Regional Course Series
• Conclusion/Recommendations

Situation / Rationale

Transitioning Graduate Course to Online Course Curriculum (2016 to present)

Site visits Virtual field trips Face-to-face discussions Forum posts

Blended Program Rationale

• 1. Develop local food system educators and

practitioners

• 1. Highlight ongoing local food system

initiatives across the states

• 1. Expand place-based awareness
• 1. Capture and create new regional content

Pilot Blended Program Components

• 1. Completion of online course
• 2. Attendance at face-to-face meetings/field trips/site visits

Online Certificate Series

Primary Goal & Objectives

Increase the capacity of Extension and

• ther professionals* to work with and

educate growers, processors, distributors, buyers, and community members in the development and facilitation of high performing local food systems.

*e.g. non-profits, other state agencies, local/regional governments, and private sector employees

Online Course Series Topics

• 1. Foundations in Local Food Systems Development (prerequisite)
• 2. Farm to Fork: Foundations in Local Food Supply & Value Chains
• 3. The Bottom Line: Economic Realities & Other Considerations of Local

Food Systems

Platform: NC State’s McKimmon Center for Extension & Continuing Education, Moodle

Online Certificate Series

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will understand and utilize (in food systems development):

• 1. A systems approach
• 2. Place-based awareness
• 3. Diverse networks and collaboration

through community leadership

Online Certificate Series

Learning Activities

• Recorded lectures
• Voiceover presentations
• Readings
• Forum posts
• Virtual Field Trips
• Storyline interactive activities
• Podcasts

Online Certificate Series

Student Assessment

Requirements for successful completion of courses

• 1. Post module quizzes.

Must achieve 85% or higher.

• 2. Forum posts based on course activities.

South Carolina Pilot Blended Program

Pilot Participants / Demographics (SC)

All pilot participants were selected based upon their demonstrated direct involvement in food systems work, and being representative of a target market for the course. They also serve as our state level advisory committee for the program, allowing us to quickly develop a deployment plan for future work once the course is completed. Participants included:

• Agribusiness Extension Agent (male, Catawba region)
• Food Systems and Safety Extension Agent (female, Upstate region)
• Food Systems and Safety Extension Associate (male, Lowcountry region)
• VISTA volunteer who became Executive Director of the Catawba Farm and Food Coalition

(NGO) during the course (female, Catawba region)

• Sustainable Farming Director of an NGO, Lowcountry Local First (female, Lowcountry)
• Assistant SARE Coordinator, who is transitioning to Coordinator (female, Upstate)
• Assistant Director of SC New and Beginning Farmer Program (female, Upstate)
• Director of Sustainability for Hospital and Sustainable Ag Director at Technical College

(female, Upstate)

Face-to-Face in South Carolina

• Leveraged Inaugural “Food Forward” event
• Coordinated site visit to Aglanta projects

Take-Aways from F2F in South Carolina

• Chosen F2F events were appropriate for statewide advisory committee level

participants

• Would likely want to do something more local for more grassroots-level

participants

• Challenging to obtain/maintain commitment of all participants
• Could be a good opportunity to engage participants with regional and

statewide LFS coalitions (e.g. food policy councils)

Virginia Pilot Blended Program

Pilot Participants / Demographics (VA)

All pilot participants were recruited and selected based upon their demonstrated involvement in food systems work in Virginia and commitment to online and face-to-face training, with a specific emphasis on attending three in-person sessions.

Participants included:

• Graduate Student, George Washington University
• Healthy Retail Manager, Shalom Farms -- Midlothian, VA
• Market Manager, Williamsburg Farmers Market
• Food System Planner and Co-Owner, Cambium Collective
• Farmer/Social Change Agent, Sun Path Family Farm -- Richmond, VA
• Area Food Safety Extension Agent, Southwest Virginia
• Urban Agriculture Coordinator, Arlington County
• Community Food System Extension Agent, Roanoke County
• Family Nutrition Healthy Retail Coordinator & Farmer/rancher, Southwest Virginia
• Sustainability Coordinator, James Madison University -- Harrisonburg, VA
• Farmer/Rancher and Food Justice Activist, Louisa County
• Program Coordinator, Price’s Fork Community Kitchen, Montgomery County

Face-to-Face in Virginia

Module 1: Introduction of Food Systems, Harrisonburg, VA

Panel discussion with:

• Glen Eco Farms
• Virginia Poultry Federation
• Goldman Farm
• Virginia Farm Radio

Face-to-Face in Virginia

Module 2: Community Engagement & Food Systems Change

Continued discussion about structural disparities, food system failures, and overall values.

Face-to-Face in Virginia

Module 3: Regulatory Policy & Frameworks for Local Food Systems Development

Takeaways from Virginia Experience

• Course provides a solid foundation
• Gauge everyone’s experience up front
• Rigor and opportunity for deeper dive
• Improving the food value chain and the bottomline
• Improving food access and addressing structural issues
• Have the participants financially vested in the course in some way
• Reality of people’s time, schedules, and travel constraints
• Expanding opportunity for video, audio, and short technical clips
• Learning curve for navigating course site

Evaluation Methods

• 1. Pre-Course Survey to Assess Knowledge/Confidence
• 1. Post-Course Survey to assess:
• a. Knowledge/Confidence and Aspirations
• b. Satisfaction - strengths and weaknesses of course to glean information

for improving course.

• 2. Pre/Post-Tests for each Module to assess knowledge change
• 1. 3-Month Post-Course Interviews

Percentage of Potential Practice Changes After Completion of Blended Program

Programs

Fostered a systems approach for future work:

• “The overview of foods systems is worth knowing and sharing to get a broader

understanding of food from the farm to the table.” Enhanced place-based awareness:

• “The course has been a critical tool to improve knowledge of food systems and

identify key opportunities and resources within my community.” Encouraged utilization of diverse networks and collaboration through community leadership:

• “Largely through exposure and networking with other folks across the state

working in local food system initiatives.”

Did we achieve our SLOs?

Benefits of Blended Model

What did you like most about this course? Online + face-to-face model:

• “The combo of online and in person lessons.”
• “Independence and flexibility in timeline for completion.”

Networking and in-person conversations:

• “Meeting the other students and learning about their work. Discussing challenges,

concerns, and gaining understanding of where people are coming from.”

• “I appreciated the honesty we achieved with each other, specifically in talking

about equity and racism in the food system.” Regional awareness:

• “It [the course] presented a regional and national viewpoint to build from.”

Lessons Learned from Pilot Blended Program

Organization and communication are key to success:

• Meeting schedule should be set in advance
• Have participants financially invested to ensure attendance
• Have a dedicated point person for online learning facilitation

Face-to-face meetings are invaluable:

• Pilot participants stressed their value to:

○ Further conversations and deepen understanding ○ Draw on the strengths of the group ○ Learn from real-life examples in their regions ○ Challenge and stretch present working assumptions ○ Network

• Consider modifications to face-to-face meeting requirements (2 of 3, for example)

Regional focus has merit:

• Pilot participants saw benefits in learning about LF projects beyond their localities

Creation of Regional Course Series

“This effort [food systems work] is, in fact, crossing state lines, crossing regional lines within this country.” ~Pilot Participant~

Conclusions & Recommendations for Practice

“It [the program] presented a regional and national viewpoint to build from.” ~Pilot Participant~

Next Steps

Enrollment is open to anyone at localfoodcourses.org

Thank you to our Program Advisers

▪ Abbey Piner, CEFS ▪ Becky Bowen, NCSU, CRD ▪ Carlos Moses, NCCE, 4H ▪ Dave Lamie, Clemson University ▪ Davon Goodwin, SAIC ▪ Debbie Hamrick, NC Farm Bureau ▪ Eric Bendfeldt, Virginia Coop Ext ▪ Jeff Bender, Bender Produce Farms ▪ Jillian Mickens, Open Door Farm ▪ Julius Tillery, Resourceful Communities ▪ Karen Stanley, DHHS ▪ Kathleen Liang, CEFS, NCA&TSU ▪ Kelly Flynn, Clemson University ▪ Kenrett Jefferson-Moore, NCA&TSU ▪ Morgan McKnight, NCCE, FCS ▪ Nancy Creamer, CEFS, NCSU ▪ Susan Kelly, NCCE, CED, ANR/CRD ▪ Thomas Moore, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

Thank you to our Partners and Funders,

• ur pilot participants for amazing feedback,

and to all our content contributors.

This project is supported by the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward numbers ES13-119 and ES17-134. Any opinions, findings, conclusions,

• r recommendations expressed in this work are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily

reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.