Unpacking Food Literacy with the NRC: Community Food Advisor Programs

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The Nutrition Resource Centre (NRC) has been hosting a series of food literacy webinars, unpacking food literacy, one of which we attended last week – last Thursday they took a look at the Community Food Advisor (CFA) program in Ontario, highlighting some specific efforts through Hamilton Public Health Services’ CFA Program.

The webinar recording and slides are now available online.

Chwen Binkley (MSc, RD) of Hamilton Public Health Services discussed some of the important work happening in Hamilton, including a cooking for kids program at the Hamilton Farmers’ Markets, foods skills and capacity building with community housing clients, and Community Health Educator Navigators that are trained through the CFA program.

Working with a wide variety of individuals from various backgrounds, the CFA Program works to support healthy food systems, instilling food skills and food literacy throughout communities. The advisors are well-trained volunteers that educate on healthy meal planning, preparation, eating and food handling, while putting a focus on nutritious, delicious local food.

The Hamilton CFA program in particular has been in place since 1996.

The CFA-led kids cooking program at the Hamilton Farmers’ Market includes workshops and food demonstrations, with a unique, hands-on concept that accesses people where they already are. And it’s the perfect space for learning – after classes (which the parents attend with their children), parents can enhance their children’s learning by taking them through the market to learn about vendors, availability of produce, and perhaps even pick up ingredients for recipes they just learned.

The program is funded by the city, and of course, local food is used in the workshops.

CFAs in Hamilton also offer support in three community housing locations; the program goals and structure differ among the three communities, based on facilities, needs and resident population. It’s about tailoring to the needs of the community.

With poor eating habits among residents, they’ve seen a real need for food skills education among these housing residents, and they’re working toward building stronger communities through good food. These services include monthly food demos and weekly cooking, with participants cooking, cleaning and bringing home meals.

Also, as mentioned above, a Community Health Educator Navigator Program, which began as a pilot project in 2003 and became funded by the city in 2006, offers free culturally-tailored health education sessions to help women navigate the health system.

The webinar, Food Literacy and Food Skills – Stories from the Field, certainly exposed some great opportunities and examples of what communities can do through food skills and food literacy education.

Hamilton is one of many active CFA programs throughout the Golden Horseshoe.

Though these programs are primary coordinated through their respective Public Health Unit, not all are.

NRC’s next food literacy webinar will be held tomorrow, Thursday, March 12, with Mary Carver of the Ontario Home Economics Association discussing the need for improved food literacy for children and youth. You may register for free here.

 

To learn more about the Community Food Advisor Program, visit the website here:

“The Community Food Advisor Program was developed in 1991 by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and co-funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health. From 2001, the CFA program was coordinated by the Nutrition Resource Centre, at the Ontario Public Health Association. In 2013 the CFA program was transferred to the Ontario Public Health Association, which provides the provincial coordination and administration for the program. The program is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs. The “work” of the program is done at the local level by community volunteers, who are coordinated and supervised by Registered Dietitians and volunteer managers at Public Health Units, community health and resource centres.”