The Jones Valley Teaching Farm works to address nutrition and health issues in Birmingham, Alabama through education programs. Their Good Food Program partners with local schools. This report recommends expanding that program by: 1) Increasing outreach to all K-8 schools and providing nutrition education to students, teachers and parents. 2) Evaluating the program's impact on fruit and vegetable consumption using pre- and post-surveys of students in participating vs non-participating schools. The goal is to significantly increase daily fruit and vegetable intake and knowledge of healthy eating among Birmingham students.

1. Jones Valley Teaching Farm (JVTF):
Work In Progress Report
Christopher Deschamp and Roenikya Phillips

2. Background: Birmingham
• Total population: 212, 413
• 27.3% live below poverty line .
– 88, 000 live in a food desert or area of food imbalance
• Comprises over forty three square miles
• 23, 000 of these people are children
• Alabama in general is below national avg. in adequate FV
consumption
• 22.1% of Jefferson county third graders overweight
• 71% of all Jefferson county residents overweight
– Diabetes increased by 140% between 1995 and 2010
– Health related cost avg. spending per obese person:
$1429

3. Background: JVTF
• Created in 2007 in downtown Birmingham
• Developed on 3 acres of unused farm land
• Initially, efforts were generalized
• In 2012, refocused efforts on students:
– Now teaches children about nutrition
• Over 9,000 students in K-8 have been participated in science and nutrition
program
• Recently partnered with Iris Glenn Elementary in “Good Food” Program
– Teacher training and classroom support via kit-based learning
– Provides technical assistance to other school districts
– Science and engineering online competition
– Sells fresh produces
• Pushed for successful removal of deep fryers from Birmingham city
schools

4. Needs Identification: JVTF
• POOR NUTRITION
• LACK OF ACCESS TO FRESH FV
• MAINTENANCE OF HEALTHY EATING HABITS
• OBESITY
• CHRONIC DISEASES

5. Based on the strategic goals and data provided by the Jones Valley Teaching Farm, our problem
list looked like this:
Problem/ Need Supportive Data
Obesity 22% 3rd
graders obese; 71 % of population overweight
Poor nutrition
a. Nutrition
education
Fruit and vegetable consumption 6% lower than national average
Chronic diseases Diabetes increased by 140% between 1995 and 2010[
Lack of access to fresh
fruits/ veg
43 sq. mile food desert radius present in Birmingham
Maintenance of healthy
eating habits
a. Nutrition
education
Health related cost associated with diet-related health issues impact productivity and
workforce readiness; avg. spending of $1429 more per obese person

6. Group Needs Identification:
• Poor nutrition with focus on nutrition
education
• Access to fresh and healthy foods
• Obesity/ overweight
• Chronic diseases
• Maintenance of healthy eating habits

7. Ranking System: Cast 5 Method

8. Evidence-Based Interventions:
• Expanding children’s experiences: the impact of a school garden kitchen program. Gibbs, L
et al, J Nutr Educ Behav. 2013 Mar;45(2):137-46.
– Increased outreach of existing cooking Good Food Program with Glen Iris Elementary
• Expansion would include :
– school based kitchen programs for other local schools
– Posting completed cooking courses on JVTF website
– Distribution of parent newsletter with healthy recipes and sample shopping lists
• Community-based interventions for enhancing access to or consumption of fruit and
vegetables among five to 18-year olds: a scoping review. Ganann R et al. BMC Public Health.
2012 Aug 30; 12:711. Epub 2012 Aug 30.
– Increasing the number of farmer’s market outlets available in Birmingham:
• Note that JVTF currently has the following:
– Pepper Ridge Market: 7am-12pm, Saturdays, April-December
– Railroad Park Farm Stand (located under the pavilion) 4-6pm Wednesdays, May-September
– An on-site farm stand, corner of 7th Ave and 25th St North, 9am-6pm Tuesday-Friday, May-October
– On the menus of several Birmingham restaurants
– The farm also includes 38 community garden plots, which are available seasonally on a sliding scale to
individuals and families, with priority given to those who live or work downtown.
• The Boost study: design of a school- and community-based randomized trial to promote
fruit and vegetable consumption among teenagers. BMC Public Health. 2012 Mar 14.
– Increasing the availability and endorsement of fruits and vegetables at partner school by
partnering with a local grocer/ food producer
• Program would encourage classroom snack time and bi-monthly lesson plans in nutrition education

9. Our Intervention Recommendation
• Selected Intervention: Increase outreach of existing
cooking Good School Food Program with Glen Iris
Elementary
• Cost-effective, as it takes advantage of the direction JVTF
resources are already going
• Addresses transportation problems among schools
• Growing evidence base supports the expansion of such
programs1
• Difficulty for schools to sustain their own gardens
• Focusing on specific schools allows study of best ways to
reach diverse student bodies
1. Among the studies that have found correlations between school or community gardens and increased consumption of and knowledge of fruits and vegetables are:
Expanding Children’s Food Experiences: The Impact of a School-Based Kitchen Garden Program. Gibbs, L. et al, J Nut Ed and Beh, 2013, 45(2); A Garden Pilot Project Enhances
Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Children. Heim, S., et al,” J Am Dietetic Ass, 2009, 109(7); Garden-Based Nutrition Education Affects Fruit and Vegetable
Consumption in Sixth-Grade Adolescents. McAleese, J.D., et al, J Am Dietetic Ass, 2007, 107(4); and Impact of Garden-Based Youth Nutrition Intervention Programs: A
Review. Robinson-O-Brien, R., et al, J Am Dietetic Ass, 2009, 109(2).

10. Intervention Goals/ Objectives
• Goal 1: Expand JVTF’s activities in K-8 schools in the Birmingham
school system.
– Objective 1: Provide web- and mail-based information on JVTF, the
Good School Food Program, and healthy eating habits to school
administrators and faculty at each school 6 months before starting.
– Objective 2: Using the Glen Iris model as a blueprint, expand the reach
of JVTF’s Good School Food program to all nine K-8 Birmingham city
schools by 2019.
• Goal 2: Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables (FV) students
at Birmingham City Schools consume on a daily basis.
– Objective 1: Increase FV consumption in participant schools by 100%
within one school year.
– Objective 2: Utilize teaching materials for both teachers and parents to
use to reinforce FV consumption throughout the year.

11. Intervention Evaluation
• Social Ecological Model
• Informed Consent and IRB Approval
• Goal 1: Expand JVTF’s activities in K-8 schools in the Birmingham school system.
• Survey will test relevant administrators’ and teachers’ knowledge of program goals, teaching lessons, and activities 6
months before implementation, at time of implementation, and 6 months after implementation.
• Teachers and administrators will also be asked for their opinions of particular problem areas and aspects they think
should specifically be focused on for their schools for each test. Concerns that are raised by a high number of officials will
be addressed within the program, and
• Goal 2: Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables (FV) students at Birmingham City Schools
consume on a daily basis.
– Control and treatment groups at participating schools
• Parents and children
– Pretest-Posttest Control-Group
• Pretest at start of school year; posttest at end of school year.
• Questions will test consumption of, knowledge of, and willingness to try FV before and after exposure to JVTF’s Good
School Food program.
– Is there a positive difference between before and after exposure, and is this significantly different from any change that the
comparison group experienced?