Friday, May 25, 2012

Speaker: Karen Baker, RD, LD - Nutrition Affair Director for the Dairy Council

Agency: The Dairy Council

Program Type: The Dairy Council communicates scientific research on dairy related issues and advocate for dairy nutrition.

Funding: Funding comes completely from dairy farms. For every 100 pounds of dairy produced, the Dairy Council receives $0.15.

Mission: NDC disseminates nutrition programs, materials and research to support government recommendations for improved nutrition for Americans, including consumption of at least three servings of nutrient-rich low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products a day. 

Monitor/Evaluation: The federal government oversees the productivity and effectiveness of the Dairy Council.

Role of Nutrition Professionals: Nutrion professionals may work with local farmers to act as a liaison to the NDC.  Nutrion professionals also may oversee dairy distribution and consumption rates in schools to ensure all standards are being met.

5/22/2012

Today we just met with our group and completed a handout brochure on spinach.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Speaker: Paul Clever

Agency: Good Earth Farm

Type of program & Purpose: Good Earth Farm provides a place for education for people from the community about agriculture and livestock.  They also grow produce at the local garden and donate it to local food shelters.

Funding:They are mostly self funded but also receive donations from local sources.


Monitoring/Evaluation:They have no specific monitoring of production or efficiency rates, but they are inspected semi-annually to ensure safety of donated food.

Role of Nutrition Professional: A nutritional professional may have many roles in this typeof work, but mostly it would have to deal with monitoring of the producers and ensuring good quality food is being served.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Speaker: Melissa Alfano - Director of Athens/Perry County WIC

Agency: WIC

Type of program & Purpose: A supplemental food program for pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, as well as infants and children.  Other criteria for the program also includes financial limits.

Funding: 100% federally funded.

Monitoring/Evaluation: Done on a federal level, as well as a survey done by the state dietitian every 2 years.

Role of Nutrition Professional:  Nutrition professionals provide nutrition education, breastfeeding classes and education, supplemental food distribution, coupon distribution and nutrition status assessments.

I think working as a nutrition profession in WIC would be very interesting and a good experience to have even if one was not going to deal exclusively with women, infants and children.

Sunday, May 13, 2012


Name: Annie Laurie Cadmus - Director of Sustainability

Agency: Compost Facility/EcoHouse

Type of program & Purpose: To make Ohio university a more sustainable environment and to act as an example to those around.  The compost facility collects food and landscaping waste from campus and converts it through aerobic means into compost which may be used for fertilizer.  EcoHouse as a sustainable  project for students which allows them to live in the house off campus and live a sustainable lifestyle.

Funding: Sponsored by grants or through OU funds if needed.

Monitoring/Evaluation: The compost facility may be inspected by university officials to ensure safety and efficiency.  All evaluation done on either facility is internal.

Role of Nutrition Professional:  Nutrition professionals may be asked at a facility to develop or implement or maintain a composing system. 

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Speaker: Brittany Pangburn & Joyce Shriner

Agency: 4-H & OSU Extension Program

Program Type: American youth with focus in rural populations assistance in furthering education

Funding:OSU employers, County commissioners, membership fees, fundraisers & tax levees

Mission: Engaging people to strengthen their lives and communities through research-based educational programming.

Monitor/Evaluation: Evaluations of educational classes conducted by those participating in the courses

Role of Nutrition Professionals: Aid in nutrition education of youth and other participants in the OSU extension program.

   4-H seems like a very interesting program, I have personally never heard of it.  I think it could be a fun opportunity in which to participate.  I didn't really catch the role of the nutrition professionals in the OSU Extension part of the program, but it seems like a great and productive program, despite it's financial restrictions.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Speaker: Heidi Anderson, MPH, RD, LD

Agency: Wellworks

Program Type: Wellness for University staff, and community members

Funding: University wellness funds and funds from members' fees

Mission: "To be the highest quality wellness program for our customers and to combine academic and experiential learning for our students."

Monitor/Evaluation: Feedback from clients and members of the program as well as surveys by clients

Role of Nutrition Professionals: Working with individuals in the community to assist in making educated decisions about wellness in their lives.

     Working at a program like Wellworks seems like it would be an interesting experience.  I definitely would be interested in working in an outpatient setting like the nutrition counseling program at Wellworks. 

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Speaker: Janine Faber, MEd, RD, LD

Agency: Meijer - Healthy Living

Program Type: Community education and business marketing

Funding: Program is funded through various sponsors, commonly different products and name brand items sold in the store

Mission: "...to increase sales and promote customer loyalty by creating and communicating health solutions and product knowledge to shoppers."

Monitor/Evaluation: Feedback from customers in the store, and success of product sales

Role of Nutrition Professionals: Nutrition professionals like Janine provide education to the customers in the store directly as well as through educational tools in the store.  They also determine which products in the store are more  acceptable for a healthy lifestyle.

     While I do think it would be interesting to get some experience in the marketing dietetics field; I really don't see myself working there as a career.  I am interested in the community field, but I feel that even though Janine said the businesses pushing certain products don't dictate any of their decisions in the field, I feel as though it would be unavoidable.  I would rather work in a field where solely wellness is the focus and not marketing.