Date of Award

Spring 4-26-2022

Advisor(s)

Pablo Bose

Teresa Mares

Martha Caswell

Project Description

The Vermont Foodbank, and community organizations statewide, have been working towards creating systems in which community members who receive produce have their cultural preferences taken into consideration. The Janet S. Munt Family Room, a non-profit organization that provides programs and services to parents and young children, is the leading distribution site for the Vermont Foodbank’s gleaning program. Every month, thousands of pounds of fresh, local vegetables are distributed at their programs. In addition to gleaned produce, the Family Room was a recipient of the Vermont Foodbank’s culturally appropriate community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares in 2021, which distributed targeted, responsive, local produce to organizations and families in Chittenden County. My project aims to gain insight into how families involved with the Family Room programming and produce distributions utilize their fresh vegetables, the ways in which cooking classes can be a catalyst for increased vegetable consumption, and if receiving produce significantly contributes to a family’s overall food security. Interviews with participating families include questions about how they cook with the vegetables, how they store the vegetables in their home, and how the Vermont Foodbank’s vegetable selection and distribution outlets could be improved to meet their needs. With the information gained through a mixed-methods approach, this paper will be shared with the Vermont Foodbank and community partners, aiming to list recommendations for improving programs and services for community members in Chittenden County.

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

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