Research priority areas of work (drafted by Michelle Markesteyn Ratcliffe & Anupama Joshi For discussion purposes at the Detroit Short Course – May 2010.

1. National Farm to School Network
Research priority areas of work (drafted by Michelle Markesteyn Ratcliffe & Anupama Joshi
For discussion purposes at the Detroit Short Course – May 2010
Strategic activities:
• Priority area work-groups
o Work-group co-leads:
o Foster effective topical work-groups in the three priority research areas of (1)
academic achievement, (2) economic development, and (3) student knowledge,
attitudes, behavior re. healthy eating, (4) parent and family level outcomes (5)
producer/processor/ distributor /agriculture -end outcomes (6) documenting specific
outcomes in low-income schools (7) farm to school program profiles and statistics
Host annual workgroup meetings
Foster effective collaborations through joint grant proposals….
o Connect with pre-school, child care researchers / work?
• Common templates
o Common templates co-leads:
o Facilitate process that results in the identification of preferred outcome measures and
data collection instruments
o Develop templates / reporting forms
(1) Sites to articulate their program activities
o Work with USDA ERS and REE, CDC, numerous universities and stakeholders to
craft and pilot survey instruments that similarly access data collection
o Connect into existing data collection schemes at the federal and state level; and / or
develop our own system of keeping a pulse on research in this area.
• Annual short course
o Annual short-course co-leads:
o Host an annual short course on research and evaluation at the Farm to Cafeteria
Conferences. Attended by approximately 50-100 people, this is the one annual
opportunity for researchers, practitioners, and funders from across the country,
Canada and Mexico to come together to build skills, network, and collectively move
forward in a coordinated effort.
o Regional events – if the need arises

2. • Online social network – www.datadorksunite.ning.com
o NING co-leads:
o Host online social networking site entitled Farm to School & School Garden Research
Consortium
Intentionally cultivate active membership of key stakeholders
Bi-weekly postings to
• Stimulate robust conversations related to study design, data collection
and analysis
• Dissemination of promising practices
• Collaboration and fostering effective public-private partnerships.
o Only online community for scholars, advocates, funders and practitioners to find one
another and collaborate, blog, post videos, and inform members of upcoming events
o Site currently has 172 members
o Currently working on a map-making feature that would allow researchers to locate
potential study sites
• Webinars
o Webinars co-leads:
o Host monthly webinars on hot topics related to research and evaluation including
updating on current research project and preliminary findings, open RFPs,
presentation on data collection instruments, etc.
• Communications
o Communications co-leads:
o Communicate need for relevant research in the priority areas
Author letters to the editor, viewpoints, opinion pieces, and articles in peer
reviewed journals for a variety of scholarly audiences that outlines needs for,
and direction of national research agenda and priority research areas
o Disseminate research findings
Translate research findings for public and policy makers through key media
markets
• Matchmaking
o Matchmaking and Mentoring co-leads:
o Study sites and researchers
Directly connect sites (schools, farms etc.) with potential research partners
Maintain list of potential study sites
Maintain a list of potential academic research partners
o Mentoring
Directly connect early career entrants into the field of farm to school research
with established professionals