Institutionalized foodservice in health care is evolving. Some hospitals have introduced local foods as a means of improving health and wellness. Investigation into the hospital foodservice literature, however, leaves unclear what percentage of hospitals actually participate in procuring, serving, or promoting local foods to patients and employees. We investigated the factors that contributed to hospitals purchasing or not purchasing local foods for their operations. A census of Ohio hospital

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This reflective essay discusses the development, structure, operation, and transitioning of an online virtual farmers market in rural Ohio. In this model, customers order online and then pick up their fresh, local produce at a specified time and location. Through a combination of practitioner experience in the market's development and informal discussions with people associated with the market's development and management, the authors analyze the positive and negative aspects of the online market structure and implementation, as well as suggest critical steps that may be necessary to export this model to other communities. They also consider potential structural and process improvements that could increase viability and success. A last-minute addendum briefly discusses the potential for this model to become a meaningful response to the COVID-19 issue as well. Disclosure The first author of this reflective essay was directly involved in the conception, planning, fundraising, and implementation of this project, as part of his role as an Extension educator serving the area in which it was conducted. We hope this association will provide helpful insight as others study or consider conducting similar projects. Note: We have used the USDA's spelling of "farmers market," which does not include possessive case punctuation. Funding Disclosure The project discussed in this case study was funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) Grant #15FMPPOH0008. The investigation, reflection, and written review presented herein were not included and had no external funding.

This article explores the literature and practice of how the Cooperative Extension Service does its work and asks if traditional outreach and engagement models have room for innovative delivery mechanisms that may identify emerging trends and help meet community needs. It considers three innovative approaches to the educational mission: sense-making, contextual (typological) framing, and an internal starting with why concept. It discusses how each might offer processes that would help Extension workers identify and act on community needs, and how the approaches could become critical work skills that will help sustain Extension in the future.

Have you ever made a purchase based on a food label? Everyone gives food labels a cursory glance, but for the many consumers who wish to make purchasing decisions that reflect their personal and social values, food labels are critical. How do you decipher the myriad of new symbols, logos, certification claims, and sometimes meaningless information presented in today's marketplace? How do you know which labels contain statements that are not regulated by governmental agencies? Can you differentiate third-party certifications from private company claims? In this commentary, we categorize and review a broad array of new label varieties, claims, certifications, and regulations. We then describe a new online, interactive resource for consumers to help them improve their understanding of food labels. Finally, we inventory additional teaching tools and resources that may provide educators with other food label curricula for consumers.