from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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School food service staff are integral to the success of farm-to-school (F2S) cafeteria projects, yet most food service staff have relatively little power or authority as many work part-time, are paid low wages, rarely receive benefits like paid sick leave or health insurance, and are often excluded from decisions that affect their work. The structure of these positions can limit the success and sustainability of F2S initiatives, and there is little research to understand the lived realities of school food service staff participating in cafeteria projects.
In a new JAFSCD article, “Engaging, empowering, and evaluating farm-to-school projects with photo voice,” Shoshanah Inwood, Joy Rumble, Sarah Meeks and V. Ryan Haden center food service staff and describe how the visual narrative tool photovoice can provide these staff members with a voice and ownership in F2S cafeteria projects through engagement, empowerment, and evaluation. This case study provides concrete tools and tips for working in a school setting, addressing institutional review board (IRB) protocols, training food service staff to use cameras, strategies for building trust with participants, designing evaluation questions, and outcomes. Corresponding author Shoshanah Inwood can be contacted at inwood.2@osu.edu.
KEY FINDINGS - Photovoice enabled food service staff to shift from passive participants to active team members energized by their new ability to share their likes, dislikes, and preferences for various elements of the F2S project.
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To create a shared sense of project ownership and minimize the risk of taking pictures in a school setting with minors, each kitchen was provided was a university-owned camera, and researchers and participants co-created ethical photography guidelines.
- Including a session on how to take pictures with a professional photographer reinforced the project as a professional-development activity and increased the fun factor.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH - Photovoice is an effective strategy for engaging school food service staff and evaluating F2S projects from the perspective of those implementing the changes and those most affected by the project. Since schools are vulnerable settings, upfront planning on issues related to IRB and camera use can avoid potential pitfalls in photovoice projects.
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Photo above is Figure 3 from the article. Photos taken by food service staff to demonstrate their attitudes toward recipes and ingredient preparation. (a) The staff member explained, “Thumbs down: Butternut squash is hard to cut up. Did not have enough time.” (b) Thumbs Up: “Apple and orange slices go well. Thumbs up for fresh fruit.” Photos by Wayne County F2S Project Participant #5.
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Read the full book review by Tristian Lee of U of Wisconsin-Madison. |
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