ASHS 2025 Conference

Background: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs have been found to promote numerous positive health and nutrition behaviors, including increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and increased knowledge and self-efficacy in cooking skills. The CSA model can capitalize on this fact by connecting with institutional health and wellness programs. Employers and health insurance companies have funds to support employee wellness and are increasingly interested in programs that focus on the connection between high-quality, nutrient dense foods and health and wellness. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a workplace-based local food health and wellness educational curriculum that was tailored to CSA members. Methods: Family and consumer sciences Extension educators enrolled participants (n=41) in the pilot program in two counties in Florida. The educational curriculum had 6 modules that were delivered bi-weekly over 12 weeks. Each module paired a nutritional topic with local food. Nutrition topics included US dietary guidelines, menu planning, healthy cooking, fruits, vegetables, proteins, whole grains, and legumes. Local food topics included the economic importance of buying local food, ways to purchase local food, seasonal cooking, and regional food specialties. The program had both an in-person and online component, and included fact sheets, educational lectures, and on-farm videos of farmers explaining local crops. Researchers used a matched pre- and post-test design which used theory of planned behavior to assess participants’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and intentions to purchase local food. The National Cancer Institute’s Short Fruit and Vegetable Screener was used to assess dietary changes. Wellness was assess using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Health-Related Quality of Life survey. Results: Participants significantly increased their fruit (p= 0.003) and vegetable (p=0.003) consumption. Participants had significant improvements in wellness indicators, including fewer days that pain limited their activity (p= 0.001), they experienced anxiety (p= 0.015), they felt sad (p=