There were an estimated 11.1% of households experiencing food insecurity in the U.S. in 2018, meaning that they did not have the adequate resources to access safe, nutritious food at some point in the year. In order to support people experiencing food insecurity and related-hunger, national organizations, regional food banks, and local programs operate to recover, organize, and distribute the food available to them. Food recovery work falls into a regulatory grey-area. Should anyone consuming donated food become ill, the food handlers would not be criminally or civilly liable if they distributed it in good faith. There are no federal regulations covering food handling in food recovery, though some states do have such regulations. As a result, safe food handling guidance, education, and training is offered through organized networks and Cooperative Extension. Participating in educational programs increases safe food handling knowledge, however volunteers and employees in food recovery organizations have also been observed to unsafely handle food. Additionally, these resources can be limited in their scope and some are only accessible through membership in pre-existing networks such as Feeding America. The purpose of this work is to further document how food is handled in food recovery and compliment that by collecting the experiences and perceptions of these food handlers as well as Cooperative Extension educators who support them. This work utilized a mixed-methods approach to quantify behaviors and experiences, which compliments qualitatively collected contextual information. Food handlers serving with a university-based student food recovery program, which works to distribute unserved and unsold food from on-campus dining centers, were observed improperly washing their hands, inconsistently keeping records, and using unclean or otherwise contaminated equipment. These behaviors could be addressed through rolespecific education representing their unique operations. Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) educators were used as a case study to measure their experiences when supporting food recovery, with 41% of respondents having previously supporting an organization or program. Topics covered ranged from safe food handling, network leadership, financial planning, and farming/gardening. VCE educators expressed a sense of altruism when supporting food recovery organizations, but also experienced challenges such as not having enough time to fully engage or the organization not having adequate equipment to enact their support. VCE educators who had not previously supported these organizations expressed wanting to learn more about food recovery work and how VCE can support them. Employees of food banks believe current food safety education could be improved by offering role-specific information in customizable formats so the food handlers can translate their knowledge into action. Future education should also focus on problemsolving, so food handlers feel empowered to react to expected challenges. Lastly, to account for challenges experienced while conducting this research, future projects within the context of food recovery should consider the limited time available of potential participants, offer compensation for their participation, and maximize pre-existing networks when connecting with them. / Doctor of Philosophy / There were an estimated 11.1% of households experiencing food insecurity in the U.S. in 2018, meaning that they did not have the adequate resources to access safe, nutritious food at some point in the past year. In order to support people experiencing food insecurity and related-hunger, national organizations, regional food banks, and local programs operate to recover, organize, and distribute the food available to them. Food recovery work falls into a regulatory grey-area. Food handlers are not criminally or civilly liable should anyone become ill as a result of consuming food when it is donated in good faith, and guidance in the form of food handling regulations for food recovery varies from state-to-state and is not addressed federally. As a result, safe food handling education and training is offered through organized networks and Cooperative Extension. Participating in educational programs increases safe food handling knowledge, however volunteers and employees in food recovery organizations have also been observed to unsafely handle food. Additionally, these resources can be limited in their scope with some only accessible through membership in pre-existing networks. The purpose of this work is to further document how food is handled in food recovery, which will complement the collection of experiences and perceptions of food handlers and Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) educators who support them. Volunteers serving with a university-based student food recovery program, which works to distribute unserved and unsold food from their on-campus dining centers, exhibited a combination of safe and unsafe food handling behaviors which could be addressed through role-specific education representing their unique operations. VCE educators expressed a sense of altruism when supporting food recovery organizations across a range of topics, however they also expressed wanting to know more about their operations and how VCE can support them. Employees of food banks believe current food safety education could be improved by offering role-specific information in a variety of formats paired so the food handlers can translate their knowledge into action. Lastly, to account for challenges experienced while conducting this research, future projects within the context of food recovery should consider limited time potential participants have to serve as well as maximize preexisting networks when recruiting them.

Cooperative Extension (CE) is a nationwide system that addresses leading concerns for United States residents from agricultural production to healthy youth development. As 80% of Americans are not meeting the Physical Activity Guidelines (PAG), promoting physical activity is a recent addition to CE priority areas. To build capacity of CE to offer physical activity, training on physical activity within the system is needed. Since yoga is a public health intervention growing in popularity due to its link to flourishing and mental well-being, this is a holistic practice that may target physical and mental health in the United States. Due to the variety of yoga practices one could engage with it is important to clarify the link between physical activity and yoga. This dissertation included four studies to promote physical activity and yoga within CE. Study one established the efficacy of a virtual micro-credentialing program for CE professionals (N = 64) that increased their knowledge about physical activity programming and increased their own physical activity levels. The second study was an iterative and pragmatic investigation of wellness initiatives for CE professionals to increase flourishing and physical activity within themselves. The third study explored the degree to which temperature and tempo of yoga classes impacted measured heart rate and rate of perceived exertion. Preliminary evidence suggests that ~30% of the yoga class contributed to moderate-vigorous physical activity, regardless of the temperature and speed. The fourth study was a systematic appraisal of urban and rural yoga studio offerings. The results included that most studios offer 60-minute classes, focused on asana (movement) rather than the other limbs (components) of yoga. This work also resulted in a studio audit form for CE professionals to assess yoga studios for appropriateness to recommend to their participants. Future work includes scaling out the micro-credentialing program and determining the degree to which knowledge of physical activity leads to physical activity program adoption (study 1); ensuring CE professionals have access to wellness initiatives to avoid burn out (study 2); ongoing investigation of the physiological benefits of yoga (study 3); and testing the utility of the studio audit form (study 4). / Doctor of Philosophy / Physical activity is an important part of living a healthy life and can look different for everyone. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend for people to get 2 days of full body strength training along with 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity each week. Aerobic activity is activity that gets your heart rate up. In the first manuscript of this dissertation, Cooperative Extension professionals were trained in how to promote physical activity and physical activity programming. Cooperative Extension is a nationwide program that helps get research knowledge from the universities to the public. The second manuscript looks at how Cooperative Extension professionals were able to incorporate more mindfulness, yoga, and self-care for themselves through employee wellness programs, and which programs worked best in a practical way. The third manuscript looks at if the physical practice of yoga can increase heart rate to moderate to vigorous intensity zones in order to determine if a typical community-based yoga flow could contribute to meeting the aerobic components of the Physical Activity Guidelines. Based on this study, yoga can help participants get into the moderate intensity aerobic activity zone. The fourth manuscript explores the research and development of a yoga studio audit tool. This tool helps assess yoga studios so that public health professionals can recommend the studio that is the right fit for their clients.

Food systems include food production, processing, distribution, marketing, access, preparation, consumption, and disposal and influences of social, economic, and environmental conditions. Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) has professionals, paraprofessionals, and volunteers with expertise in food systems dimensions integrated into Virginia communities. Current VCE programming has unequal reach for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities. Community health workers (CHWs) are lay outreach workers who are from the communities they serve and can be effective health educators within BIPOC communities who experience health disparities. The CHW model is underexplored in food systems, despite the importance of food systems for health. A scoping review of United States CHW educational food systems interventions found CHW reach to BIPOC communities primarily through education on food preparation and consumption. Garden-based programming educated on the highest number of food system processes, highlighting a potential role of CHWs within food systems. These results guided development of a feasibility evaluation for the CHW model for garden-based food systems programming for VCE, emphasizing reach to BIPOC communities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 VCE stakeholders representing several disciplines. The CHW model is feasible for VCE within the current focus on food systems, diversity, and inclusion. Participatory approaches for programming should be used to incorporate the cultural knowledge of the CHW and to create a welcoming environment for BIPOC communities. The CHW model can connect disciplines to provide accessible and culturally relevant programming to BIPOC communities, thus extending the reach of VCE and potentially creating more inclusive community food systems. / Master of Science / Food systems encompass all processes from food production to disposal and are influenced by social, economic, and environmental conditions in which food travels from farm to fork. Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) provides outreach to Virginia communities by disseminating research-based information through professionals and volunteers in educational programming for topics that include agriculture, gardening, nutrition, and more. Community health workers (CHWs) are public health educators who serve Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) to mitigate health disparities that are exacerbated by unequal distribution of resources within food systems. CHWs are from the communities they serve and thus are uniquely positioned as culturally sensitive educators. This thesis aimed to explore the role of CHWs in food systems education and to evaluate the feasibility of the CHW model for garden-based food systems programming for VCE. A scoping review of U.S.-based food systems interventions found that CHWs have reached BIPOC communities for food systems education that focuses on preparation and consumption of food, but the CHW model has not been widely documented in broad-lens food systems educational programming. Garden-based programs educated on the greatest number of food systems processes. Interviews with 29 VCE stakeholders showed that the CHW model is feasible within the structure and values of VCE. The CHW model can connect traditionally separate disciplines to provide accessible and culturally relevant programming to BIPOC communities, thus extending the reach of VCE and potentially creating more inclusive community food systems.

Providing improved access to farmers markets and other local food outlets for low-income audiences is an increasingly popular nutrition intervention strategy to promote consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and address obesity. The USDA encouraged more farm to fork initiatives and efforts to connect low-income populations with fresh and healthy, local foods through farmers markets through the implementation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Nutrition Education (SNAP-Ed) provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The purpose of this research was to assess the perceived barriers to farmers market access and strategies for overcoming those barriers for low-income individuals and families participating in Cooperative Extension nutrition programming. Data collection procedures included a survey of SNAP-Ed and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) program assistants, focus group discussions with SNAP-eligible individuals, and a photo elicitation study with mothers of young children. Results from these studies provide insight on how to structure program assistant trainings to encourage the inclusion of an optional farmers market orientation lesson in SNAP-Ed and EFNEP curricula; low-income individuals' perception of healthy food, access to and perception of local foods, benefits and barriers to shopping at farmers markets, and the impact of local foods on diet quality; and how to address perceived barriers through Cooperative Extension nutrition programming for the SNAP-Ed and ENFEP target population of SNAP-eligible mothers of young children. Working with farmers markets is an opportunity to form greater synergy between the arms of Extension (Family and Consumer Sciences, Community Viability, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and potentially 4-H) related to supporting local food systems while forming collaborative relationships with local farmers markets and community members. / Ph. D.

The Hampton Roads region of southeast Virginia is largely defined by its abundant water resources. These water resources are also a source of unique issues for the region. Specifically, water quality challenges related to the Chesapeake Bay and recurrent flooding are the major concerns. Green infrastructure (GI) has emerged in recent years as an alternative to traditional stormwater conveyance and detention focused systems. GI practices focus on integrating infiltration, evapotranspiration, and other components of the water cycle into more conventional stormwater management systems. These systems provide several positive benefits, including local water quality and quantity control, community revitalization, and various public health benefits. In addition, GI implementation has seen strong levels of support from the Cooperative Extension System, with Extension faculty and staff around the U.S. supporting local municipalities through GI research, promotion, and program development. Despite widespread interest, GI has been slow to be adopted due to various barriers to its implementation. This study sought to identify the major barriers to the implementation of GI practices in Hampton Roads by conducting a needs assessment. Municipal stormwater staff were invited to participate in an online survey aimed at identifying the most significant barriers in the region. At the same time, local staff with Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) were interviewed to explore their potential to become involved in promoting GI adoption in Hampton Roads. Survey respondents and interview participants found common ground in identifying costs, funding, and maintenance issues as the most significant barriers to GI implementation in Hampton Roads. In addition, VCE staff were found to be well suited to support widespread GI adoption in the region, having familiarity with the GI concept and access to unique resources in the form of knowledgeable Master Gardener volunteers and connections to Virginia Tech. Recommendations for VCE involvement in promoting GI in Hampton Roads include conducting cost studies, developing and hosting maintenance training programs, and taking advantage of partnerships to identify and obtain funding from diverse sources. By focusing on these widely acknowledged challenges at the regional scale, VCE can support GI implementation throughout all of Hampton Roads. / Master of Science / Hampton Roads is a region with a history and economy tied to its local waters. Today, the region is facing significant challenges related to these waters, including frequent flooding impacts on residents and pollution control needs for the nearby Chesapeake Bay. Green infrastructure (GI), a relatively new approach to managing water in cities, could help local governments address these challenges. Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE), an organization formed through a partnership between federal and local governments and land grant universities in Virginia, seeks to meet community needs through community outreach and educational programs. As a community-centered organization with a history of advancing environmental education, VCE may also be an important partner for municipalities in Hampton Roads interested in adopting GI practices. To identify the barriers to GI in Hampton Roads and the potential role of VCE in addressing them, a needs assessment of municipalities in the region with stormwater permits was conducted. Based collected documents, surveys of municipal staff, and interviews with VCE personnel, three major barriers to GI adoption were identified. Permitted municipalities in Hampton Roads are uncertain of GI costs, have limited funds to support GI practices, and lack the knowledge and resources needed to maintain GI practices over time. VCE can help municipalities address these challenges using its many resources. Through its connection to Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, VCE can help in developing cost research studies for Hampton Roads. As an educational organization, VCE can also help municipalities win funding for GI projects that they would otherwise not have access to. Finally, local Virginia Tech faculty at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center and experienced Master Gardener volunteers can work to develop GI maintenance training resources for maintenance staff throughout the region. With its strong background, expert knowledge, and existing connections in the region, VCE can play an important role in addressing the GI adoption challenges in Hampton Roads.

Virginia Cooperative Extension's Family Nutrition Program (FNP), which includes EFNEP and SNAP-Ed, works to help limited-resource families across the state make informed food-choices. Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) lacks open-access physical activity resources representing individuals with varying weights, races, and ethnicities. In 2015, an integrated research-practice partnership was initiated for the development of an evidence-based physical activity resource for peer educators employed by FNP to use. The video suite, Move More, Virginia!, was created as open-access and includes demographically diverse individuals, representative of FNP clients. Study I determined client perceptions of physical activity and preferences for new resources. Study II identified FNP peer educators' perceptions of physical activity, their resource needs, and intent to use Move More, Virginia! resources. Both studies involved quantitative and qualitative data through surveys and focus groups. Formative data collected in Study I revealed the prominent themes related to clients (n=12) were physical activity facilitators (n= 100 meaning units (MU)) and physical activity barriers (n=77 MU). In Study II, peer educator responses(n=15) led to the emergence of four themes related to physical activity itself: barriers to incorporating physical activity within FNP (n=189 MU), physical activity facilitators (n=106), current delivery of physical activity (n=102 MU), and physical activity barriers (n= 16 MU). When prompted to share video specific feedback, the top theme was positive video feedback (n = 115 MU). Identified themes and subthemes provide deeper understanding of the organizational culture within FNP as thoughts, perceptions, and barriers to incorporating physical activity into FNP curriculum are highlighted. / Master of Science / Faculty and staff in the Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Family Nutrition Program (FNP), which includes EFNEP and SNAP-Ed, work to help limited resource families across the state of Virginia make informed food choices. In addition to nutrition, physical activity is related to health status. However, Virginia Cooperative Extension lacks free physical activity resources representing individuals with varying weights, ethnicities, and fitness levels. In 2015, an integrated research-practice partnership was initiated for the development of a physical activity resource for FNP peer educators to use during programming. The collection of videos, <i>Move More, Virginia!</i>, was created as a free resource and to include individuals that represented the community. Study I determined client perceptions of existing physical activity resources and preferences for new resources. Study II identified perceptions of physical activity and the resource needs of FNP peer educators to deliver physical activity programming. The studies involved concurrent qualitative data through focus group interviews and quantitative data through survey distribution. Results showed common client themes were physical activity facilitators and barriers. The top peer educator theme was barriers to incorporating physical activity within FNP. When prompted to share feedback on the <i>Move More, Virginia!</i> videos themselves, the emergent theme was positive video feedback. Thoughts, perceptions, and barriers to incorporating <i>Move More, Virginia!</i> into FNP curriculum are highlighted. These findings will guide future physical activity integration within FNP programs.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, 1963. / Extension Repository Collection. Typescript (carbon copy). Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 170-174).

This qualitative study was undertaken to determine the organizational values shared by the professional employees of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Related topics that contributed to the literature review included human and organizational values, organizational culture, strategic planning, and the philosophical foundations of the Cooperative Extension Service. Focus group interviews were conducted in each of the five administrative districts and on the University of Florida Campus. A total of 40 individuals took part in the group interviews. Transcripts of the interviews were read, coded, and sorted by themes to develop a list of twelve categories of values shared by the professionals interviewed. Coded sections of the transcripts were transferred to a descriptive matrix in order to reduce and simplify the analysis. Three groupings of values emerged from the data and were described as "communities" of values. The three communities were personal, Personal values mission-related, and structural values. were rewards, relationships, and personal history. Mission-related values were organizational history, research-based information, relevance, comprehensiveness, life-long education, diversity, and service. structural values were shared ownership and system linkages. These three communities were depicted in figures that described the relationships of the values to one another. The final discussion described the inter-relatedness of the three communities in the overall organizational structure. Recommendations were made for further study and program development for the Florida Cooperative Extension Service.

Significant support for sustainable agriculture practices exists within the land-grant university system nationwide. Despite this fact, many colleges, including the University of Florida, have not evaluated the individual paradigms held by their faculty. An existing Alternative-Conventional Agriculture Paradigm Scale was modified, improved and converted into an electronic instrument that was administered to a random sample of University of Florida Extension Faculty. It is suggested that data collected through this study serves the following purposes: assist the University of Florida’s decision-makers in better understanding the positions held by their Extension agents; allow improvement of educational programming for Extension agents, agricultural professionals, and communities throughout the state; and provide input for improvement of University-wide policy-making and goal-setting. The study consisted of three phases: a) redevelopment and pilot-test of a new ACAP instrument; b) description of University of Florida Extension faculty’s paradigmatic preferences; and c) determination of any existing relationships between personal characteristics and an individual’s paradigm. A pilot study of the new instrument was conducted with participants belonging to known paradigmatic groups who were not part of the final sample. The survey was found to be reliable with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.94 in a pilot test of 26 individuals. The survey was found to discriminate effectively between the two known paradigmatic groups (t=4.091, p= .001), making it a useful tool in quantitatively assessing agricultural preferences. Following the pilot study, survey research was conducted with a random sample of 188 Extension agents. The majority of faculty aligned with agricultural paradigmatic groups labeled Moderates and Sustainables. Very few of this population aligned with a Conventional paradigm. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a preliminary seven-factor solution. Two individual component factors were found to vary based on Extension discipline and gender, which included Size and Scale of Production and Use of Natural Resources, respectively.

Cooperative extension is one of three components, along with teaching and research that form the mission of land grant universities. The focus of extension work is to take knowledge gained through research conducted at the university, and disseminate the information, in a practical manner to the end user. In most instances, extension work revolves around agriculture. Within the extension system are personnel that help to foster this program of educating clientele who work in the agricultural industry. County level agents are in place to teach and address the needs of local constituents, specialists are generally housed at the university campus and are hired for their expertise in a specific field of agriculture, and administrators help to keep the system functioning. Many studies have been conducted on the leadership characteristics of county agents and extension administrators, however the current knowledge base concerning leadership behaviors of extension specialists is lacking. Traditionally, specialists were strictly used as a resource for subject matter information; however, changes overtime to cooperative extension have seen specialists move to a leadership position that involves leading agents groups and conducting programing that directly serves the clientele. With newly acquired expectations to perform in a leadership capacity, yet without training or educational background to ensure these skills, there is potential for complications to arise. Using a mixed methodological approach, this sequential explanatory study was conducted using Burn’s (1978) transformational leadership as a theoretical framework, with the purpose of examining current transformational leadership characteristics among extension specialists in addition to gaining information concerning demographic and professional information pertaining to this group. The sample group consisted of equine extension specialists, an initial survey was sent which contained questions relating to educational background, make-up and tenure of their position, as well as the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) to analyze self-perceived transformational leadership characteristics. This survey was followed by a voluntary individual interview with the researcher. The purpose of the semi-structured interview was to gain a broader example of the leadership perspectives of this particular group. Although no significant connections could be made concerning demographic information and MLQ leadership scores, the group as a whole registered below average for displaying transformational leadership characteristics, ranking in the 40th percentile for composite MLQ scores compared to the general population. The interview data showed that as a whole there was agreement with the concepts of transformational leadership, however MLQ scores and anecdotal evidence show that practical application of transformational leadership is lacking. Most participants indicated they did not feel prepared for their job, and many indicated that interpersonal relationship skills were used more often than their degree specialization. The findings from this study may help to encourage leadership training focused towards extension specialists, and to emphasize the need for leadership skills within this position.