6/7- Farmer's Market

This morning I visited the Farmer's Market with a friend. I couldn't believe how many more stands there are now, compared to the Saturday in may when we collected donations for the Hope Garden. There were so many people out supporting the local farmers and businesses, including several of my professors and the associate dean of one of the colleges on campus. My friend and I purchased bread, a loaf each, from the Crumbs bakery stand- she got cinnamon and I got birdseed bread (phenomenal). We also sample several different breads from the Avalanche stand, and tried PawPaw jelly. She also bought aged cheddar from a local cheese maker (although the name escapes me). I am actually thinking of making a weekly trip to the Farmer's Market this summer to buy some of my produce- especially as more comes in as the season allows. I've always supported the local farmers in Chautauqua, New York, where I've worked the past 4 summers and visited every weekend since I was 8. Now I will have an opportunity to do the same in Athens while I conduct my research this summer.
I was also really disappointed to find the brunch was cancelled... I had been planning my dish since Wednesday and was looking forward to it. Maybe some other time.

6/5 Class

Today was the final day of class; we handed in our take-home exams and discussed the brunch on Saturday, as well as the presentations for Tuesday. Dr. Holben also made available sample needs assessments form years past, for the class to reference, as well as some information from local areas and organizations.
I still can't believe I finished the Thrifty Meal Plan...

6/3 Class

Today we met with Dr. Holben to discuss our needs assessment to date. Our handouts are simply gorgeous (in so many words). We also met to finish up the needs assessment itself, and to discuss our powerpoint presentation. We're so close to being done we can almost taste it- and it tastes like baby greens lol.
Anyways, thats about all we accomplished yesterday, although that little bit speaks volumes.

5/29 Class

Today we finished up our Spanish lessons. Kinda glad, not gonna lie. Our group met afterwards to discuss the progress we've made thus far, and plan out another meeting. Its coming up so quickly; I can;t believe spring quarter is nearly over already. Our handouts are 100% finished, and our needs assessment is 75% finished. We will get that completed Tuesday, then have a week to work out our powerpoint and possibly an activity for our final presentation. Maybe a snack containing local produce with Vitamin C and Iron? Always a possibility.
Thats about it.

5/27 Class

Exciting weekend; I got engaged and stuff :) Today we visited the OSU extension office and talked with Joyce Brown. The details follow...

Name: Joyce Brown
Agency: The Ohio STate University Extension Office- Athens Branch
Funding Source/ Program Type: The Ohio State University Agriculture Program and the USDA
Purpose/Mission: To gove and continue research to those who probably won't go to a university; into the entirety of the country. Saying: "You have problems? We have answers." There are four separate nutrition-related programs which are a part of the OSU Extension: Expanded Food and Nutrition Program- 185% of poverty level; Family Nutrition Program; Masters Food Preservers; Occasional Quantity Cooks. In addition, they oversee 4H
Program Plans, Monitoring, and Evaluation: Evaluation forms for each program and branch are conducted yearly, aimed at those teaching, materials, and low-literacy audiences. Also: Yearly Unified Recording System is submitted every January, which tracks economics, changes, outreach, and presentations. Also recorded: success stories from farmers etc. Planning is done at OSU and the state level. Promote through fliers, radio, TV, letters-to-the-editor, etc.
Role of the Nutrition Professional: Not much for a nutrition/ dietetics student; a Master's degree is required with some background in FCS. Community outreach educators can be employed with no college degree (HS diploma/ GED accepted).

5/22 Class

Today we learned how to speak the basics of Español. I do believe its a good idea to have a language requirement for those going into the profession is certain areas where English is not the primary language spoken, although i was kind of bored during the lecture portion of the presentation. I enjoyed the pronunciation though. I've always been able to "roll" my "r's," which some people find funny because I'm tongue-tied (thats why i never have good, quick responses). Haha.I guess thats about it for today... Have a great Memorial weekend!

5/20 Class

So I submitted my thesis proposal this morning. Crazy. Defending Tuesday, June 3. Class was cancelled today due to our speaker's illness. Our second exam was posted on Blackboard. Our group met last to to work on the needs assessment. I met with Kids on Campus last Friday to discuss with them our project; they said the absolute best thing we could do would be to put lots of pictures, colors, and big fonts on our handouts, in addition to as little writing as possible.
Thats about all I've got to write about today.

5/15 Class

We had a guest speaker yesterday; he visited from the National Dairy Council's American Dairy Association Mideast division, which is based in Columbus. The details:
Name: Mike Simienski
Agency: American Dairy Association
Funding Source/ Program Type: Affiliated with the Nat'l Dairy Council; paycheck comes from the milk farmers and Dairy Check-Off (for every 100 lbs milk sold, council receives $0.15)
Purpose/Mission: There are 4 categories of nutrition communication- health professionals, food service and retail, NFL/ corporate sports promotions, and schools and media.
Goals include to promote nutrition education and health through dairy, targeted mostly to kids and their lifestyles. Promotions include "staying healthy on the run," which focuses on healthy snacking in a busy lifestyle.
Program Plans, Monitoring, and Evaluation: Dairy Management Inc. oversees all, and is essentially a huge umbrella. Under this comes the National Dairy Council, US Dairy Export Council, and American Dairy Association; then the Drink Milk and the Got Milk campaigns.
Role of the Nutrition Professional: Four dietitians are currently on staff; Mike's background includes advertsing and so he does a lot of promotional work. Travelling to schools, etc. and portraying the healthy message associated with dairy is one of the best parts of the dietitian's job; room for research as well.

In addition to a guest speaker, we attended the Research Fair at the Convo... I can't believe I will be presenting my own research there next spring.
Some fantastic work has been done at OU. It was great seeing Ally and Emma's posters; I remember a lot about Emma's from 532 last quarter. I remember Ally's research from Celia and Crystal's presenting during 626 in the Fall. I always saw Ashley Kevesdy's poster, as well as several OU-COM and Rec and Sport Science poster's- both school's my own thesis is affiliated with.

5/13 Class

Saturday was an interesting experience. I was able to see other's points of view in regards to hunger in our region, in a manner which I had not seen before.
At the Farmer's Market, we were stationed at two seperate booths. I began my shift at the Community Food Initiative (CFI) Booth. Rhonda discussed with me the goals of her program, which included teaching kids in the community how to prepare foods in the kitchen. She was selling vegetable plants to raise money for supplies, such as cookware and ingredients. We briefly discussed the Hope Community Garden, then I took my place out in front of the tent. At first, the people I extended fliers to and discussed the program with were very receptive, donating a couple of dollars here and there and asking interested questions. As the time passed, however, people appeared to be more in a hurry and didn't even stop to take a flier. One woman responded, "Honey, I'm so poor myself that I need my own donations." I didn't quite know how to take that, so I thanked her for her time and she was one her way.
It was interesting to me that we didn't raise much money at the Farmer's Market. While I did see people who were obviously in need of financial assistance, I also saw several professors and students who probably could have at least donated their pocket change without missing it, but chose not to. It appears that people who are not native to the Southeast region may not have the understanding and compassion that those who are personally affected do. That being said, I know next time someone is raising money for the less fortunate, I'll donate my change.
It was definitly a learning experience.

5/8 Class

No lecture today; we were given the day off because Saturday we will be working on our service project Halt Hunger on the Hocking. I will be at the donations booth at the Farmer's Market from 11 am- 1pm. Actually, I'm very excited, since my mom and grandma are coming this weekend and making my sibs and I dinner; I'll pick up some local fresh produce to prepare along with our roast turkey.
My group has been developing our handouts, and will be finished with them by Tuesday.
More about the Farmers Market later...

5/6 Class

We turned in our take-home exams today. Then, the class was given time to sit and discuss the group projects. At the end of the class, we were to report to Dr. Holben as to our group's progress and discuss any difficulties or barriers we had encountered. Our group (Natalie, Andrew, Allie, Danielle, and myself) has half of the needs assessment completed, althoguh we need a little bit more research to back up the claims we have made. In addition, we have decided on the topics of the three handouts: Benefits of Gardening; Vitamin C and Iron; and Fiber in the Daily Diet. Our goal is to have these completed by next Tuesday, and finsih the quarter working on our needs assessment and preparing for the final presentation.

5/1 Class

May Day! Today our groups met to discuss our needs assessment project. Our group, garden group B, had made a list of possible hand outs and done an overview of our needs assessment community. We got to sit and discuss ideas and goals with Dr. Holben and Ashley today, so that we have a better idea of the project's main ideas. our group will be designing three handouts: one will focus on the importance of gardening and how to get one started at home; one will focus on the benefits of Vitamin C and iron (as they work together) and what vegetables will provide excellent sources of them; one will focus on the benefits of fiber. Children in the US tend to have low intakes of iron and Vitamin C, and we want to provide an easy source of the nutrients through the gardening. We will develop a way for the children grow baby greens in their large planters, and harvest them at least twice during the 6 week program. in addition, the take home planters will have alfalfa sprouts, which we will provide recipes and tips for preparing.
Fun times.... I'm glad we've been able to get going now :)

4/29 Class

Today we discussed our handouts. The actual handouts were very eye-catching and interesting to look at. I'm not exactly sure what else to discuss about class... Our group talked today about our plans for our project. Since it is going to be really hard to get a meeting together with both Dr. Holben and Ashley Z., we decided that for Thursday's mini presentation we would discuss our outline with the class, then work on developing our needs assessment. Just because we aren't able to develop our handout yet doesn;t mean the needs assessment can't be completed.

On another note- in an attempt to get a few points back from last week's speaker blogs, here are the required notes:
Tuesday
Kay Mavko
Ohio Board of Dietetics
Executive director
Funding source: state government
Mission Statement:
"The mission of the Ohio Board of Dietetics is to effectively protect the public by regulating the practice of dietetics through licensure, and by fairly and consistently enforcing the laws and rules governing nutritional practices."
Accomplish these goals by:
Establishing standards of professional responsibility and practice for Ohio dietitians, issuing licenses and permits, investigating complaints, CEUs, and administering a licensure exam, in addition to other duties.
Agency Type: State (Govt) Agency
Planning/ Monitoring/ Conducting: 5 board members (3 dietitians, PhD educator, 1 public member) meet to discuss complaints, policies, etc. Board renews on semiannual basis to ensure changes
Role of the Nutrition Professional: in Ohio, an RD must also be licensed to practice. If the RD steps outside his.her boundaries,the Board will review the case and determine the best course of action.

Thursday
Name: Jody Shriver, Director Athens/Perry Co. WIC
Agency: Women Infants and Children Special Supplemental Food Program
Type of Program: nutrition education program that provides nutritious foods to promote good health for pregnant women, breastfeeding, and moms/ infants/ kids up to age 5
Funding: USDA; entirely through grants (since early 1970's)
Purpose and Mission: to provide nutrition education, breastfeeding ed and support, health care screenings and referrals, immunization screenings, and supplemental foods such as milk-cereal-eggs-pb-tuna/carrots-formula-beans, as well as provide coupons to purchase healthy foods at local grocery stores.
Planning/ Monitoring/ Conducting: Legislation is found in the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Evaluated by the USDA. May offer few internships; as grant-operated, dont have a lot of money for employees
Role of Nutrition Professional: a non-RD with complete education can work for the program. They offer nutrition advice, referrals, etc. so a nutrition background is very favorable. Many programs do not have an RD on staff due to lack on interest, but will hire one if available.

4/24 Class

Class today began with Jody Schriver from the Athens County WIC program. I'm not a dietetics major, and I never really looked into the program, other than what I already knew. I thought it consisted of yellow vouchers that moms could take to produce stands to feed their children healthier foods. I realized that its more than that; the program requires 3 month health screens, referrals, classes, and several other options to assist the participants in leading healthier lives. Additionally, the women have more stringent qualification guidelines than do those applying for welfare; they must also have children. The program appears to be a very useful and much relied on commodity in most communities.
Following Jody's lecture, we watched a video clip that covered a man dying of pancreatic cancer's talk on Oprah. The video truly touched home for me; a neighbor and family friend recently passed away from a long and brave battle with the disease, leaving behind three young children. Its awful to know that his youngest son probably will not remember his dad, and his oldest and only daughter was a true "Daddy's Girl." I can't imagine what it would be like to lose my dad; my entire family is incredibly close and it would be absolutely devestating. And I just don't know if I would have that same positiv attitude he had if I were going to die long before I should.

4/22 Class

Today was a whirlwind in the life of Melissa. I flew to Pittsburgh from Boston Monday night after running the Boston Marathon earlier that day, stayed with a friend overnight (there was no way I would've been able to drive back). Then I woke up at 7 am (definitely not enough sleep!) to make the 3.5 hours drive back to Athens from Pitt, and got in just in time to make it to class. Phew!
Kay Mavko, from the Ohio Board of Dietetics, spoke to the class on topics pertaining to state licensure and policies within Ohio. Apparently, although I'm a certified and licensed health professional (well, soon to be licensed), I cannot practice any form of nutrition whatsoever, since she told me that athletic trainers are "in the same realm as personal trainers as far as education on nutrition topics." I tend to disagree, and will have to find out more information once I graduate with my masters degree; I'd like to find out if this degree will be worth anything unless I get my RD. Other than that little sidenote, her talk was very informative, and I;m sure the dietetics majors got a lot of useful info from Kay. A very nice lady with a lot of responsibility and experience.

4/17 Class

So today in class, we briefly discussed Tuesday's video (see previous post for details). We took notes on food security for the remainder of class. I can;t fathom the 12.6 million households that are food insecure, at least moderatly. I have never, ever worried about where my next meal will come from. I'm spending $400 this weekend, just to run the Boston Marathon! And there are children in the next city who have to get their backpack filled with food tomorrow afternoon, just so they will be ale to eat through the weekend. I feel guilty. I also wonder, though, about some parents. And I don't want the following to be taken the wrong way. My grandpa was an auto mechanic for 40 years and my grandma worked as a secretary; my dad did not go to college. He was in trade school for a semester after high school, then went to Mexico and drove a bus for 6 months before coming back to Cleveland. Then he worked his butt off, learning accounting, starting at the ground level of a real estate rental company. My dad worked his way through the ranks in his 26 years at the company; and he was one of the top-paid employees, working with MBA's and the like. It may be that he had people on his side, rooting for him, but I believe his sweat and blood (figure of speech) were a huge component how he got to be where he is today. And so I wonder how many people living in poverty are still in poverty because there are no other options, or is it because they simply do not realize their potential in life?
Just something I've been thinking about this quarter.

4/15 Class

We watched a 60 Minutes clip in class entitled Waiting in the Food Line. The story addressed a food line in Marietta, Ohio, near the Thanksgiving holiday. When the clip was over, Dr. Holben asked the class to share their views. No one spoke. My take...
The story, which portrayed several families and couples, showed us that people waiting for food aren't necessarily the typical welfare-supported individuals- most often, one wouldn't be able to pick them out of a crowd. Many times, its people in between jobs, or those who have a few extra expenses that month and the food supply in the pantry wore out before the paycheck came. One family was supported by the father, working full time at $7.50/ hour, trying to support a wife and four children. To make the payments each month and feed the family, the oldest son and his parents volunteered their services at their church, cleaning and repairing, for $65 per week- something they came to depend on. That family touched me more than the rest of the stories. It made me feel guilty and disappointed in myself that I spend so much money on groceries each week, for just myself! I couldn't believe that while they are struggling to buy food, I just swipe my debit card without another thought. Although this year I've learned to conserve money more, I still spend more than I should on things that aren't necessary. And while my parents no longer pay for my education, they did support me through 4 years at a private liberal arts college (although I had a 1/2 tuition scholarship, it still wasn't cheap).
The video made me realize yet again how lucky I am, and how I take so much for granted. I have every opportunity possible, and I don't always realize that. Perhaps now I will finally realize this, and make the most of it.

Here is the link to the clip:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/08/60II/main535732.shtml?source=search_story

4/10 Class

Today, we discussed health policies and nutrition. we took notes regarding topics like the National Nutrition Policy, which envelops food labels, dietary guidelines, food assistance programs, food safety concerns, and related issues; as well as how to put legislation into action and the formation of a bill into a law. We went old-school and watched part of SchoolHouse Rock, which I used to watch when I was in elementary school ("conjunction junction, whats your function?" Haha, excellent. We were also assigned our agencies; I'm working on a handout for Fruit and Veggies More Matters. This is fantastic; hopefully I can incorporate some of what I learn into my thesis, or at least our summer program.

4/8 Class

Dr. Holben was at a meeting today, so the groups met to discuss the community projects. My group, which consists of 4 other students, is Group 1 and will be working together (though somewhat minimally) with Group 2 to create a handout for the Kids on Campus Gardening program. We will also be conducting a needs assessment of the group. We attempted to brainstorm handout ideas, but without knowing what the true goals of this program will be during summer 2008, and without Ashley or Dr. Holben there to give us a heads up, we couldn't accomplish too much. We're planning to sit down with Dr. Holben on Thursday to get some feedback, then meet as a group following class and begin our project.

4/3 Class

Today in class we covered an overview of nutrition assessments. Class was mainly lecture; however, we also discussed the two quarter projects. I was assigned to Group 1 of the Kids on Campus group, which was my first (and second) choice. Pretty pumped; this will tie in nicely with TAKE ACTION, the program I will be headlining for my GA and as part of my thesis this summer. We also discussed the agency project; I have to decide which of the options I would most like to work with. I'm thinking I will probably pick the ones closely associated with my thesis; that way, I can simultaneously work on the 529 project while also checking out what Athens has to offer for my participants. For Tuesday, we a few articles to read over, as well as have our groups meet to begin to discuss our projects.

4/1 Class

Today was the first day of class! We primarily reviewed the syllabus, discussing due dates and project options. Dr. Holben also asked each class member to describe his or her goals for the quarter, including how he can help accomplish them. The class ended with an ice breaker, as we have a mix of juniors, seniors, and grad students who may not know each other.