Introduction
Farm-to-Table food is regarded as a panacea, and many people say that they have healthy diets as they consume farm-to-table food. This approach involves buying food straight from local farmers rather than supermarkets or retail chains (Poole, Mundorf, Englar, & Rose, 2015). However, this is far from being the reality. You should be aware of the major issues associated with this type of food. These include unhealthy proportions and components, and foodborne diseases.
Modern American families try to adhere to the principles of Healthy People 2020 with its promotion of the so-called farm-to-table food and farm-to-school programs (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). However, many people fail. Do you want to know why?
Unhealthy Proportions and Components
One of the major mistake (which is, nevertheless, quite common) is associated with the amount of food and types of foods consumed (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). Many parents do not mind or even encourage large portions. They think that healthy food cannot be unhealthy. In simple terms, they think the more you eat healthy foods, the healthier you become. Furthermore, many think that products produced by local farmers simply cannot be unhealthy as no chemicals are used. For instance, some believe that meat from a farm does not contain as many calories as similar products bought from retailers. Clearly, this is very wrong as excessive consumption of any products can lead to eating disorders and obesity.
It is crucial to make sure that your child has a balanced diet. The consumption of vegetables, meat, fish, fruit, and so on should be well-thought.
Your child should eat a variety of foods to have the necessary energy and good mood to develop properly.
Foodborne Diseases
Foodborne diseases are, unfortunately, quite common and result in approximately three thousand deaths in the United States annually (Liu, Nelson, Mahapatra, & Styles, 2015). It noteworthy that these illnesses occur due to improper production as well as the use of products.
First, producers may violate some rules or fail to comply with major regulations and norms, which leads to the contamination of foods with pathogens or even pests. For instance, farmers can fail to ensure proper quality of soil, which will lead to the contamination of products.
To avoid such issues, you should make sure you know the farmer you are buying from. Do not hesitate to ask about ways used to grow food. Ask if the farmer follows major guidelines of Good Agricultural Practices and/or Good Handling Practices.
Secondly, many people are still unprepared to deal with farm-grown foods. It is crucial to remember that such products require certain temperature and storage peculiarities.
Do not hesitate to ask farmers (or search for the information online) about this aspect.
What Should You Do?
To sum up, it is a good idea to use farm-to-table food. However, it is essential to remember the following:
- Make your diet balanced (see the picture below);
- Do not surfeit;
- Know farmers you buy from;
- Ask questions concerning the quality of products;
- Ask about ways to keep the food fresh or cook properly.
Follow these simple tips, and you will enjoy the benefits of farm-to-table food.
Farm-to-table food and farm-to-school programs have become an indispensable part of the American everyday life. People are becoming more concerned about their diets, which is a positive trend. However, public nurses should be aware of some negative aspects of this trend to mitigate its adverse effects on the public health. Patient education and nursing advocacy have proved to be effective measures that can make a difference. When it comes to safe farm-to-table food, it is important to pay specific attention to such spheres as major factors contributing to health hazards, ways to mitigate risks, healthy diet and lifestyle, vulnerable populations and so on.
Being a public nurse means caring for patients as well as communities. People have to face numerous challenges, and nursing professionals can help them mitigate many health risks. The consumption of healthy food is one of the essential premises of public health. However, people should be taught how to eat healthy food.
For instance, such trend as farm to table is positive as it helps people consume healthy food, but it is still quite a controversial practice.
Explore ways to make a difference in your community.
Production
To understand the central factors contributing to health risks, it is necessary to have in mind the epidemiological triangle (see figure 1). Food provided by farmers (crops and animals) can be affected by various pathogens including but not confined to bacteria, virus, mycoplasmas, and so on (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). Hosts are crops and animals. Greenhouse environment is an important factor that may cause health issues in people.
It is essential to make sure that major stakeholders (farmers and consumers) understand possible hazards associated with farming. Farmers should follow the existing while consumers should know that they have the right to know what exactly they eat and what risks have been addressed.
Consumption
It may be hard to believe, but many people are simply unprepared to handle farm-to-table food as they are not aware of proper storing and cooking techniques (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). It can be effective to educate people on ways to transport, store and cook the food they buy from local farmers.
Vulnerable Populations
It is believed that people consuming unhealthy food are the major potential victims when it comes to farm-to-table practice. Of course, consumers (all people irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity, occupation and so on) should know about the associated risk and ways to mitigate them. However, farmers are also at risk of developing various diseases.
A recent study unveils the prevalence of Livestock-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (LA-MRSA) in farmers and their families (see figure 2). Therefore, farmers should be educated on possible health risks they may face is they do not comply (as well as comply) with certain guidelines and regulations.
How to make a difference?
- Never stop researching and learning more about the issue and ways to address it.
- Educate people and encourage them to live healthy lifestyles and have healthy diets.
- Do not forget that different groups may have different needs and face different hazards.
Twitter Campaign
- #whyfarmtotable
Farm-to-table food is grown and sold directly by farmers, which reduces the risk of food contamination during the production cycle.
- #whyfarmtotablereally
You buy food from a person you get to know well rather than from a soulless retailer who may fake the exact location or name of the farm.
- #foodbornediseasesimpact
Approximately three thousand Americans die each year due to foodborne diseases. Mind what you eat!
- #safetyensured
Farmers obtain quality certificates, follow guidelines and regulations (Sizer & Whitney, 2013).
- #goodpractice
Responsible farmers who care for their reputation follow the guidelines of Good Agricultural Practices and/or Good Handling Practices.
- #safetycontroversy
Farmers may fail to comply with the regulations, which leads to health hazards.
- #notoriouscase
Cantaloupes grown on Jensen Farms caused the outbreak of listeriosis leading to the hospitalization of 147 people and 33 deaths (CDC, 2012).
- #areonlyfarmerstoblame
Foodborne diseases are often caused by improper use of the food provided by local farmers.
- #whoistoblame
People often fail to wash, transport, and store products properly, which is associated with health hazards (Sizer & Whitney, 2013).
- #healthydiet
Buying from a local farm does not mean your diet is healthy. A balanced diet is still your responsibility. Good portions and proportions!
- #knowyourfarmer
Communicate with your farmer, ask questions concerning quality and practices used. You should know what you buy.
- #yourfamily
Encourage your family to use farm-to-table food and have a healthy diet and lifestyle. Being healthy is fashionable again!
- #telleveryone
Become an advocate of farm-to-table food and tell people about the benefits of this practice.
- #betruthful
Do not forget about the controversy associated with farm-to-table food and tell people how to mitigate the risks.
- #learnmore
Do not stop learning more about farm-to-table food as new facts appear every minute. You may, finally, decide whether you need it.
Audio Public Service Announcement Script
- Author:
- Date:
- Name of Script: Farm-to-table food: How to make sure your diet is truly healthy
- Intended Audience: School students’ parents
Video Public Service Announcement Script
- Author:
- Date:
- Name of Script: Farm-to-table food: How to make sure your diet is truly healthy
- Intended Audience: Those concerned about healthy lifestyles (irrespective of age, ethnicity, gender, and so on)
| # | Action on Screen | Speaker and Script |
| 1 | A picture of a balanced diet (a plate with different types of products) that is changed by an image of farm-to-table food | Hello and welcome to another video concerning healthy diets. This time we will discuss peculiarities of farm-to-table food. We will focus on the controversy associated with the trend in question and some tips concerning the best ways to buy and consume such products. |
| 2 | What is the farm-to-table food? The definition provided follows the question. | Farm-to-table food stands for products produced by local farmers and bought from them rather than supermarkets or retail chains (Poole, Mundorf, Englar, & Rose, 2015). |
| 3 | What are the benefits? Pictures of some processes of production of food on large farms and small farms. The contrasting pictures of processed and fresh food.  | The consumption of such products is associated with positive health outcomes and lower risks of foodborne diseases as farmers do not use chemicals in such quantities as large farms do. The food is also healthy as it is fresh (not processed). |
| 4 | The list of the objectives mentioned. | Prior to the discussion of major points, it is necessary to note that farm to table is consistent with Healthy People 2020 objectives. Some of them include the following aims: Reduce outbreaks of certain infections transmitted through food. Increase vegetables, fruits, and whole grains in the diets of those aged 2 years and older, and reduce solid fats and added sugars. Increase the proportion of children, adolescents, and adults who are at a healthy weight. Eliminate very low food security among children in U.S. households. (as cited in Sizer & Whitney, 2013, p. 6) |
| 5 | The Controversy, a video clip featuring working farmers, restaurants serving such food followed by a graph (see Appendix 1) | Of course, you should be aware of some issues associated with this practice. Some farmers may violate some norms and regulations that can have an adverse effect on the quality of products provided (Herman, 2015). One of the most notorious cases was the case of Jensen Farms. The farmers’ decision to change washing techniques caused the outbreak of listeriosis that led to the hospitalization of 147 people and 33 deaths (CDC, 2012). Furthermore, some restaurants may provide fake information concerning the origin of the products, the location of farms, and the like (Herman, 2015). Some people claim that the number of foodborne diseases shows that farm-to-table practice is not timely as the control over small farms is often less strict as compared to large producers and retailers. At that, there is no evidence that the rate of foodborne diseases is related to the farm to table. For instance, the number of farms is steadily decreasing (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2012). However, the number of hospitalizations associated with foodborne diseases is increasing (CDC, 2017). |
| 6 | How to buy A video clip featuring a fair with customers buying from and talking with farmers | First, you should make sure you buy from the producer rather than a retailer or reseller. Go to the farm or fair and buy directly from local farmers. You should talk to people asking them about the products they sell. Such aspects as the use of chemicals, adherence to norms and regulations, particular species and their peculiarities are major aspects to pay attention to. Of course, your neighbors, relatives and even people from the street can also provide some information concerning this or that farmer and the quality of products provided. |
| 7 | How to handle products you buy A video clip featuring people cooking and storing products | According to Sizer and Whitney (2013), people often fail to manage farm-to-table products as they are not aware of the appropriate temperatures, as well as other rules of storage and transportation. People often forget that fresh products spoil much faster as they are not processed and do not contain the number of chemicals processed food can have. Hence, if you are not sure whether you know how to transport, store and even cook this or that product, ask or surf the Internet. |
| 8 | Conclusion A list of the points | To be healthy, you should
|
| 9 | Closing | Thank you for your attention. Hopefully, this information was helpful. Please provide you feedback and ask questions. Also, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, as well as YouTube. Do not forget to share the most valuable tips with people you care. |
Appendix A
The rate of foodborne diseases has been increasing during the past seven years while the rate of deaths remained at almost the same level (CDC, 2017).
Introductory Memo
- To: All Hospital Nursing Staff
- From:
- Subject: Improving patients’ health outcomes through educating them with the focus on farm to table
This memo provides a brief introduction to the dissemination portfolio nursing professionals of this hospital will be able to use when educating patients. First, it is necessary to note that Americans are becoming more concerned with their lifestyles and diets. Such trend as farm to table has become a widespread practice, and more and more families start buying fresh food instead of processed products (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). Healthcare professionals, researchers, and the US government have a similar view on the matter and make a lot of effort to promote this practice. For instance, farm-to-table programs implemented at American schools can be seen as an illustration of this agreement. However, there has been a significant degree of controversy associated with the practice as well. Consumers are not aware of all the peculiarities of the products while farmers do not always comply with the necessary norms and regulations (Herman, 2015). Therefore, health outcomes associated with the production, and consumption of farm-to-table food are not always positive. It is necessary to remember that the rate of foodborne diseases is rather high as these disorders led to 4598 hospitalization cases and caused 77 deaths in 2015 (CDC, 2017). Clearly, patients (consumers as well as farmers) should be trained to handle farm-to-table products properly. Food safety is one of the priorities of Healthy People 2020 as several objectives are developed to ensure food safety and improvements in people’s lifestyles and eating behaviors.
It has been acknowledged that different media can help people process the information effectively. Hence, it is crucial to use different media when educating patients. Nursing professionals can use such materials as a trifold for local school students’ parents, a trifold for healthcare professionals, a Twitter campaign brief, an audio and video public service announcement script. The most important information is repeatedly used in all the types of media to make sure that it will be considered properly. The portfolio includes information that will be helpful to different stakeholders. Each document has quite a wide audience, which is beneficial for the public service effort.
The portfolio can be expanded, and additional materials will be provided. You can also contribute to the expansion of the portfolio as we are all professionals having extensive knowledge and experience as well as a strong commitment to making a difference. If you have any questions or feedback, please, feel free to contact me.
Bibliography
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). (2012). Multistate outbreak of Listeriosis linked to whole cantaloupes from Jensen Farms, Colorado. Web.
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). (2017). FoodNet data and reports. Web.
Dorado-GarcĂa, A., Dohmen, W., Bos, M., Verstappen, K., Houben, M., Wagenaar, J., & Heederik, D. (2015). Dose-response relationship between antimicrobial drugs and livestock-associated MRSA in pig farming. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 21(6), 950-959.
Herman, V. (2015). The farm-to-table backlash is here.Fortune. Web.
Liu, X., Nelson, M., Mahapatra, A., & Styles, E. (2015). Perceptions of information gaps in farm-to-table studies. Food Control, 50, 663-669.
Maronpot, R., Koyanagi, M., Davis, J., Recio, L., Marbury, D., Boyle, M., & Hayashi, S. (2015). Safety assessment and single-dose toxicokinetics of the flavouring agent myricitrin in Sprague–Dawley rats. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 32(11), 1799-1809.
Poole, M., Mundorf, A., Englar, N., & Rose, D. (2015). From nutrition to public policy: Improving healthy food access by enhancing farm-to-table legislation in Louisiana. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(6), 871-875.
Sizer, F., & Whitney, E. (2013). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2012). 2012 census of agriculture. Web.
Liu, X., Nelson, M., Mahapatra, A., & Styles, E. (2015). Perceptions of information gaps in farm-to-table studies. Food Control, 50, 663-669.
Poole, M., Mundorf, A., Englar, N., & Rose, D. (2015). From nutrition to public policy: Improving healthy food access by enhancing farm-to-table legislation in Louisiana. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(6), 871-875.
Sizer, F., & Whitney, E. (2013). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
“We are what we eat” is no longer a saying but a reflection of the contemporary society. Consider your child’s and your family’s dietary traditions and behaviors. Is your diet healthy?