P85 The Seed to Supper Program and Its Effect on Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Low-Income Beginning Gardeners in New Mexico

Abstract

ObjectiveTo assess whether Seed to Supper, a beginning vegetable gardening program designed for adults gardening on a budget, is associated with healthy behavior changes among participants.Use of Theory or ResearchThe Diffusion of Innovation theory guides the Seed to Supper program and its use of a train-the-trainer model utilizing Master Gardener volunteers.Target AudienceTwenty-two adults who participated in Seed to Supper classes in 3 counties in New Mexico.Program DescriptionUsing a train-the-trainer model, New Mexico State University Master Gardener volunteers were trained to teach the Seed to Supper series in the community at SNAP-Ed and EFNEP eligible sites. Each series consisted of 6 classroom based garden education lessons. Topics covered included planning, soil, planting, garden care, and harvesting.Evaluation MethodsParticipants completed a pre- and post-intervention survey. The surveys collected information on participants’ gardening experience, learning goals, and fruit and vegetable consumption. The Master Gardener volunteers were trained in data collection methods.ResultsThe survey showed positive results, with 62% of participants reporting eating fruits more often and 33% of participants eating vegetables more often after completing the Seed to Supper series.ConclusionsThe findings from this pilot test suggest participating in the Seed to Supper series can increase fruit and vegetable consumption among adults. To assess whether Seed to Supper, a beginning vegetable gardening program designed for adults gardening on a budget, is associated with healthy behavior changes among participants. The Diffusion of Innovation theory guides the Seed to Supper program and its use of a train-the-trainer model utilizing Master Gardener volunteers. Twenty-two adults who participated in Seed to Supper classes in 3 counties in New Mexico. Using a train-the-trainer model, New Mexico State University Master Gardener volunteers were trained to teach the Seed to Supper series in the community at SNAP-Ed and EFNEP eligible sites. Each series consisted of 6 classroom based garden education lessons. Topics covered included planning, soil, planting, garden care, and harvesting. Participants completed a pre- and post-intervention survey. The surveys collected information on participants’ gardening experience, learning goals, and fruit and vegetable consumption. The Master Gardener volunteers were trained in data collection methods. The survey showed positive results, with 62% of participants reporting eating fruits more often and 33% of participants eating vegetables more often after completing the Seed to Supper series. The findings from this pilot test suggest participating in the Seed to Supper series can increase fruit and vegetable consumption among adults.