Food & Family – OSU Extension Local Foods Signature Program

IMPACT. 1: Over two million Ohioans are food insecure. Connecting these families with local food resources and teaching them how to grow/raise their own food can help them be more secure. -- 2. Food is at the center of many traditions. Recognizing and celebrating the role of food in familial, regional, ethnic, and religious customs can bring communities together. -- 3. Family meals are highly connected to healthier choices. Families who eat meals together tend to consume more fruits, vegetables and fiber, and less fried/fatty foods and empty calories.OSU PARTNERS: College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; OSU Extension; Department of Food Science and Technology; Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center; College of Engineering; Department of Food, Biological and Agricultural Engineering; College of Education and Human Ecology; Department of Human Sciences; Ohio AgrAbility Program; John Glenn School of Public Affairs; Knowlton School of ArchitectureCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: AmeriCorps VISTA; Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet); Godman Guild Association; Innovative Farmers of Ohio; Local Matters; Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission; Ohio Department of Agriculture Ohio; Ecological Food and Farming; Association; Ohio Farm Bureau; Ohio Farmers' Market Management Network; Ohio MarketMaker; Rural Action Council of Ohio; Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program; United Way of Central OhioPRIMARY CONTACT: Kate Shumaker (shumaker.68@osu.edu)Food serves many roles in a family. It's more than sustenance. Food is a way to connect, to show love, to celebrate or honor, to teach, and more. Ohio State University Extension's Local Foods Signature Program addresses the critical need for outreach education around the broad topic of local food systems. One of our themes, Food and Family, features education centered on nutrition, food safety, food preservation, food budgeting, wellness, and developing healthy lifestyle choices