Unit 2: Community-Based Participatory Solutions

Unit 2 introduces you to the realities of food insecurity and poor access to healthy food choices for urban populations. It will also show you how community participation in food production can successfully address these unfavorable conditions. You will investigate the potential for local access to healthier foods in a city or neighborhood. You will identify two major challenges/obstacles and two major opportunities/benefits people are presented with in their efforts to establish better food options on the local level. You will contrast the challenges and opportunities in strengthening community through urban agriculture.

Activity 2.1: Overview of Unit 2, Discussion of Concepts and Themes, and Viewing of Slide Presentation and Introductory Videos (approximate time: 60-75 min)

This unit opens up an audio-visual introduction of the Food-Energy-Water Connection slide presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 3.7MB Oct27 17) providing an accessible means for you to follow, and your instructor to convey, important questions, concepts, themes, relationships, and issues central to gaining an understanding of the subject matter.

Audio-visual Perspectives on Community Building through Urban Agriculture

You will engage in a class discussion about your responses to viewing the following videos:

1. Detroit Voices: A Community Calls Out For Change. Fair Food Network. (time – 5:06 seconds)
2. Fair Food Network: Cleveland Urban Agriculture Project. Fair Food Network. ( time – 5:20 seconds)

Activity 2.2: An Interview with an Urban Farmer (approximately 30-45 min)

You will review an essay from a practicing urban farmer in order to understand the challenges, obstacles, benefits, and advantages of being a food producer. In this essay you can explore how to get started, what types of support are available, what kind of food is grown, and what happens with the food once it is harvested. You should take notes that will help you with your summary essay in this unit and Unit 3. The following link can be used for this activity: Urban Farmer Interview (Acrobat (PDF) 6.8MB Oct23 17) As homework, you are to look at the online Food Environment Atlas Food Environment Atlas, as preparation for the next class. The instructor will guide you in using the US EPA's EJ SCREEN. EJSCREEN: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool This screen gives environmental and demographic indicators that tend to overlap in food deserts. You should look for and note the overlaps and relationships displayed between the food desert and environmental justice indicators.

Activity 2.4: Discussion on the Topic — Growing Community by Growing Food (part 1) (approximate time: 40 min)

Referencing video #2: Fair Food Network: Cleveland Urban Agriculture Project. Fair Food Network ( time – 5:20 seconds) and the Food-Energy-Water Connection slide presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 3.7MB Oct27 17) the instructor will lead you and your classmates in discussion and conversation focused on three topics: food skills, healthy food access, and engagement & education. Think about and note: What are the activities and institutions that would give relevance to these three areas we associate with growing community by growing food?

Activity 2.5: Summative Assessment — Concept Mapping (homework assignment)

Using concept mapping, you will illustrate the individual and community benefits that exist from the presence of affordable, accessible, sustainably-grown food in that community. You can design your maps in small groups or individually. You can choose from the concept map templates found in the link Concept Map Templates _ Unit 2 (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 246kB Nov30 16) or create your own to complete the assignment.

What is a Concept Map? A concept map is a type of graphic organizer used to help organize and represent knowledge of a subject. Concept maps begin with a main idea (or construct) and then branch out to show how that main idea or construct can be broken down into specific topics, issues, or parts.

How Do I Build A Concept Map?

1. Start with a main idea, topic, issue, or construct to focus on. If you have been given one (here, individual and community benefits), think about your focus question or directions carefully and fully. (The area for main idea or central focus is generally at the top or in the center of most map templates. This is your starting point on the map.)
2. Determine the key concepts. In this activity, list and categorize the benefits. Reflect upon how the concepts (benefits) connect, relate them to your central focus, and then rank them. Usually inclusive benefits come first (closest to the main idea located on the map.) Next, link to the smaller, more specific benefits (further away from the main idea/central focus of the paper).
3. Finish by connecting benefits through the creation of linking phrases and words that explain the connections. Once the basic links between the benefits are created, add cross links (where they apply), which connect benefits in different areas of the map. This level of linkage further shows the relationships and strengthens your understanding and knowledge of the broader subject.

• Summative assessment: In Activity 2.5, concept mapping Unit 2 Assessment (Acrobat (PDF) 240kB May1 17), illustrate the individual and community benefits that exist from the presence of affordable, accessible, sustainably-grown food in that community.