Browsing by Author "Strawn, Laura K."
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- 2020 Virginia Tech Eastern Shore AREC Virtual Research Field DayReiter, Mark S.; Deitch, Ursula; Pittman, Theresa; Flessner, Michael; Rideout, Steven L.; Zhang, Bo; Vallotton, Amber; Thomason, Wade E.; Wolters, Bethany; Templeton, Jenny; Lawrence, Cris; Strawn, Laura K.; Neill, Clinton L.; Sutton, Kemper; Britt, Kadie; Boyle, Sean; Pagini, Mika; Kuhar, Thomas P. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020-08-18)Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center Virtual Research Field day includes various presentations and publications of the authors’ above, which are each linked in the body of the publication
- 2022-2023 Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production RecommendationsReiter, Mark S.; Samtani, Jayesh; Torres Quezada, Emmanuel; Singh, Vijay; Doughty, H.; Kuhar, Thomas P.; Sutton, Kemper; Wilson, James; Langston, David B.; Rideout, Steven; Parkhurst, James; Strawn, Laura K. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2022-11-30)This copy of the 2022/2023 Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations replaces all previous editions of the Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations published individually for Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Information presented in this publication is based on research results from the University of Delaware, the University of Maryland, Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, The Pennsylvania State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, West Virginia University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, combined with industry and grower knowledge and experience. This publication will be revised biennially. In January 2023, a Critical Update with important updates for this publication will be communicated through local Extension Agents and Vegetable Specialists. The editors welcome constructive criticism and suggestions from growers and industry personnel who may wish to help improve future editions of this publication. These recommendations are intended for the commercial vegetable grower who has to make numerous managerial decisions. Although the proper choices of variety, pesticides, equipment, irrigation, fertilizer, and cultural practices are the individual vegetable grower’s responsibility, it is intended that these recommendations will facilitate decision-making. Recommended planting dates will vary across the six-state region. Local weather conditions, grower experience, and variety may facilitate successful harvest on crops planted outside the planting dates listed in this guide. This can be evaluated in consultation with the local agents and state specialists. Government agencies and other organizations administrating crop insurance programs or other support programs should contact local Extension agents and/or vegetable specialists for guidance. Not to be used by home gardeners.
- Agricultural Practices Attitudes and Perceived Risk StudyHarrison, Lauren V.; Rideout, Steven L.; Strawn, Laura K.; Cox, Heather (Virginia Tech, 2023-12-11)Though the existing literature does not provide evidence to suggest that genetically modified foods are worse for humans and the environment than organically grown foods, a general tone exists from the public expressing primarily distrust and negativity towards genetically modified organisms (GMOs), pesticides, and growth hormones. This can result in fear/distrust around food, damage to the agriculture industry, and misinformed nutrition advice, leading to further negative outcomes. The purpose of this project was to formally understand the consumer’s attitudes and perceived risk in relation to their knowledge about common agricultural practices, specifically genetic engineering of food. Additionally, the project aimed to identify if there is a correlation between the occurrence of disordered eating/dieting and knowledge, attitudes, and perceived risk of genetically modified organisms. One hundred thirty participants volunteered to take a survey which gathered basic demographic information, prevalence of dieting/disordered eating and eating disorder diagnosis, general knowledge of GMOs and their attitudes and perceived risk in relation to human health, nutrition, and environmental impact. The results provide trends of high self-confidence in knowledge about GMOs, moderate-to-low actual knowledge, neutral-to-negative overall attitudes, and moderate-to-high overall perceived risk. The trends suggest that increasing levels of inaccurate knowledge on the topic of GMOs correlate with increasing negative attitudes towards GMOs. Those diagnosed with an eating disorder reported the highest prevalence of fear of GMOS, followed by those who engaged in dieting or disordered eating. The evidence gives way to the idea that individuals who have a higher involvement in following diets or engaging in disordered eating behaviors are more likely to feel fearful of agriculture- and food-related practices. Based on the findings of this study, a call for improved education dissemination strategies is indicated.
- Agricultural Practices Influence Salmonella Contamination and Survival in Pre-harvest Tomato ProductionGu, Ganyu; Strawn, Laura K.; Oryang, David O.; Zheng, Jie; Reed, Elizabeth A.; Ottesen, Andrea R.; Bell, Rebecca L.; Chen, Yuhuan; Duret, Steven; Ingram, David T.; Reiter, Mark S.; Pfuntner, Rachel; Brown, Eric W.; Rideout, Steven L. (Frontiers, 2018-10-16)Between 2000 and 2010 the Eastern Shore of Virginia was implicated in four Salmonella outbreaks associated with tomato. Therefore, a multi-year study (2012-2015) was performed to investigate presumptive factors associated with the contamination of Salmonella within tomato fields at Virginia Tech's Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Factors including irrigation water sources (pond and well), type of soil amendment: fresh poultry litter (PL), PL ash, and a conventional fertilizer (triple superphosphate - TSP), and production practices: staked with plastic mulch (SP), staked without plastic mulch (SW), and non-staked without plastic mulch (NW), were evaluated by split-plot or complete-block design. All field experiments relied on naturally occurring Salmonella contamination, except one follow up experiment (worst-case scenario) which examined the potential for contamination in tomato fruits when Salmonella was applied through drip irrigation. Samples were collected from pond and well water; PL, PL ash, and TSP; and the rhizosphere, leaves, and fruits of tomato plants. Salmonella was quantified using a most probable number method and contamination ratios were calculated for each treatment. Salmonella serovar was determined by molecular serotyping. Salmonella populations varied significantly by year; however, similar trends were evident each year. Findings showed use of untreated pond water and raw PL amendment increased the likelihood of Salmonella detection in tomato plots. Salmonella Newport and Typhimurium were the most frequently detected serovars in pond water and PL amendment samples, respectively. Interestingly, while these factors increased the likelihood of Salmonella detection in tomato plots (rhizosphere and leaves), all tomato fruits sampled (n = 4800) from these plots were Salmonella negative. Contamination of tomato fruits was extremely low (< 1%) even when tomato plots were artificially inoculated with an attenuated Salmonella Newport strain (10(4) CFU/mL). Furthermore, Salmonella was not detected in tomato plots irrigated using well water and amended with PL ash or TSP. Production practices also influenced the likelihood of Salmonella detection in tomato plots. Salmonella detection was higher in tomato leaf samples for NW plots, compared to SP and SW plots. This study provides evidence that attention to agricultural inputs and production practices may help reduce the likelihood of Salmonella contamination in tomato fields.
- Assessing On-Farm Produce Safety Risks: General PracticesUnderstanding on-farm produce safety risks is essential for all farms who grow, harvest, pack, hold and/or ship fruits and vegetables. Assessing the general practices of a farm operation is the second step to developing and implementing best practices to reduce those risks and reduce potential produce contamination. This publication is the second in a series of seven factsheets to assist farmers in creating a food safety program
- Assessing On-Farm Produce Safety Risks: Harvest StageUnderstanding on-farm produce safety risks are essential for all farms who grow, pack, harvest, hold and/or ship fruits and vegetables. Identifying risks that may be associated on the farm during the harvest stage, is the fifth step to developing and implementing best practices to reduce those risks and reduce potential produce contamination. This publication is the fifth in a series of six publications to assist the industry in creating a food safety program
- Assessing On-Farm Produce Safety Risks: Performing a Hazard AnalysisBardsley, Cameron; Vallotton, Amber; Edwards, Ashley; Strawn, Laura K. (2021)Understanding on-farm produce safety risks is essential for all farms who grow, harvest, pack, hold and/or ship fruits and vegetables. The first step to developing and implementing best practices to reduce risks and reduce potential produce contamination is to perform a hazard analysis, where producers identify risks that may be associated on their farm. This publication is the first in a series of seven factsheets to assist farmers in creating a food safety program
- Assessing On-Farm Produce Safety Risks: Post-Harvest Handling StageUnderstanding on-farm produce safety risks are essential for all farms who grow, pack, harvest, hold and/or ship fruits and vegetables. Developing and implementing best practices to reduce risks and reduce potential produce contamination during the post-harvest handling stage is critical. This publication is the sixth in a series of seven factsheet publications to assist farmers in creating a food safety program.
- Assessing On-Farm Produce Safety Risks: Pre-Plant StageUnderstanding on-farm produce safety risks is essential for all farms who grow, harvest, pack, hold and/or ship fruits and vegetables. Identifying risks that may be associated on the farm during the pre-plant stage is the third step to developing and implementing best practices to reduce those risks and reduce potential produce contamination. This publication is the third in a series of seven factsheets to assist farmers in creating a food safety program
- Assessing On-Farm Produce Safety Risks: Preparing for GAP CertificationUnderstanding on-farm produce safety risks is essential for all farms who grow, harvest, pack, hold and/or ship fruits and vegetables. After a farmer has developed and implemented best practices to reduce risks and contamination during each stage, they are ready to prepare for a GAP audit and certification. This publication is the seventh in a series of seven factsheets to assist farmers in creating a food safety program.
- Assessing On-Farm Produce Safety Risks: Production StageUnderstanding on-farm produce safety risks are essential for all farms who grow, harvest, pack, hold and/or ship fruits and vegetables. Identifying risks that may be associated on the farm during the production stage is the fourth step to developing and implementing best practices to reduce those risks and reduce potential produce contamination. This publication is the fourth in a series of seven factsheet publications to assist farmers in creating a food safety program
- Assessing On-Farm Risks and Documenting Food Safety Practices to Meet Farm to School RequirementsVallotton, Amber D.; Strawn, Laura K. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2021-05-13)Growers wanting to access the farm to school market, need to thoroughly understand a school district’s food safety policies in order to satisfy requirements for food purchases. While a third-party GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) audit and certification is neither a federal or state requirement, some school divisions may still require it in Virginia. Yet, regardless of whether or not an audit is required, recognizing and having a good grasp about potential on-farm produce safety hazards (Figure 1) and incorporating best food safety practices (GAP) for reducing potential produce contamination are critical when selling to schools. In addition, it is important to know how the schools will verify food safety practices (i.e. verbal or written agreements, farm visits, reviewing food safety plan or records, etc.). In this publication, we will take a closer look at the process for identifying hazards to provide a context for addressing them and using a checklist document as a verification tool.
- Assessment of Farmers Market Practices and Characteristics to Inform the Development of Tailored Educational MaterialsDuong, Minh Dao (Virginia Tech, 2021-09-21)Farmers markets (FM) have become increasingly popular almost tripling over the past two decades due to the rising interest in local and/or organic foods. Within this same time period, notable farmers market foodborne illness outbreaks; such as E. coli O157:H7 and strawberries and Salmonella and peas; have occurred, and emphasize the importance of food safety practices at farmers markets. Some farmers may be encouraged to follow Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to limit the contamination of fresh produce; however, GAPs programs are complex and also very driven by wholesale buyers. Furthermore, many FM growers are unfamiliar with GAPs or do not believe it is applicable to them. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was passed in 2011, and shifted the food safety paradigm from a reactive to proactive approach introducing seven different rules including the Preventive Controls for Human Foods (PCHFR) and the Produce Safety Rule (PSR). Each FSMA rule does contain exemptions for smaller-scale operations (e.g., farms, facilities) that allows them to be excluded from the rule, or excluded from certain aspects of the rule. Generally, most FM vendors may satisfy exemptions from the FSMA regulations (e.g., be exempt from the FSMA Produce Safety Rule because of commodities); however, to our knowledge, no studies have assessed the regulatory compliance requirements of FM vendors to the FSMA regulations. This dissertation explored the regulatory requirements of FM vendors, and the accessibility of FSMA materials for these audiences. Additionally, due to the sudden and unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic, an objective was added that explored how COVID-19 influenced behavior changes among this audience. Interviews were conducted and found that all vendors (100%) were exempt from the PCHFR and that most vendors (67%) were exempt from the PSR, some were qualified exempt (28%), and a few (5%) were covered. This study also found that farmers market vendors received information mainly from University Cooperative Extension sources. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted hygiene and health practices at FMs. Market personnel (managers and vendors) implemented many different hygiene and health practices at their markets. The major source of COVID-19 food safety information for market personnel was local and federal government; as well as University Cooperative Extension. Accessibility analyses showed that many FM or COVID-19 resources were not accessible due to populations that rely on produce safety resources generated by Cooperative Extension due to (i) navigation or web accessibility errors, (ii) high literacy level requirements, and (iii) lack of keep (i.e., resources were not up-to-date, or continuously managed or monitored). These findings will inform the development of FM targeted resources, that are also, accessible to a more diverse and inclusive audience. One example is a produce safety resource on the updated agricultural water requirements that is developed to an 8th grade reading level, with no broken links or additional navigations errors, and if a PDF version is available, proper headers and titles.
- An awareness guideline on consumer food safety in SurinameZweevel, Mayra C. (Virginia Tech, 2021-12-01)The Nationaal Instituut voor Voedselveiligheid Suriname (NIVS) which is established in the context of general food safety and protecting consumers from dangers associated with all foods sold in Suriname, gives the opportunity to develop food safety rules, regulation and raise awareness on topics regarding food safety. One opportunity of this Institute is to create awareness among the consumers who are part of the food supply chain (known as the farm to fork continuum). Historical data show that Suriname is not excluded from foodborne illness. The goal of this project and report was to educate consumers in Suriname on food safety best practices. To the authors knowledge, no reports were found on consumers food safety behavior and knowledge in Suriname. Therefore, these guidelines were developed to educate consumers on food safety behavior, and also food safety best practices based on different international prior studies. These food safety best practices are described under several different topics related to consumer behavior and food handling.
- “Campus Cuisine: Reservations Anyone?”: Development of a Curriculum on Food Safety Best Practices for a University Dining Services WorkforceSoutherland, Anita M. (Virginia Tech, 2022-11-28)Food for thought, every year in the United States, foodborne illness accounts for notable losses of healthy life years. Given that food and water supplies are the basis for human survival, it seems likely that institutions of higher learning would be a logical place for a robust educational platform to be interjected. College students may not thrive securely as healthy, productive adults without foundational food safety skills and knowledge. Therefore, a short, interactive, engaging food safety curriculum was developed for college students working in Dining Services at Pensacola Christian College. The emphasis on collegiate dining services may exponentially mitigate the toll of foodborne illness as college campuses being one of the latter points of preparatory insertion of knowledge for building life skills and seeking advancement in education. The ultimate goal of this training is to provide a basis for food safety practices through strategic and cohesive training within the collegiate arena (in this case one university dining service team of 600-800 students).
- Considerations for Producers Seeking Market Access to SchoolsVallotton, Amber; Haynes, Carol; Grigsby, Trista; Boyer, Renee R.; Strawn, Laura K.; Williams, Robert (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2019-06-11)Discusses important points that food produces need to remember when trying to market their foods to schools.
- Considerations for School Nutrition Directors Seeking to Increase Farm to School PurchasesVallotton, Amber; Haynes, Carol; Grigsby, Trista; Boyer, Renee R.; Strawn, Laura K.; Williams, Robert (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2019-06-11)Discusses important issues regarding locally grown foods being used in schools.
- Correlation of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in Irrigation Water to Environmental Factors, Fecal Indicators, and Bacterial CommunitiesGu, Ganyu; Strawn, Laura K.; Ottesen, Andrea R.; Ramachandran, Padmini; Reed, Elizabeth A.; Zheng, Jie; Boyer, Renee R.; Rideout, Steven L. (2021-01-08)Outbreaks of foodborne illnesses linked to fresh fruits and vegetables have been key drivers behind a wide breadth of research aiming to fill data gaps in our understanding of the total ecology of agricultural water sources such as ponds and wells and the relationship of this ecology to foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes. Both S. enterica and L. monocytogenes can persist in irrigation water and have been linked to produce contamination events. Data describing the abundance of these organisms in specific agricultural water sources are valuable to guide water treatment measures. Here, we profiled the culture independent water microbiota of four farm ponds and wells correlated with microbiological recovery of S. enterica (prevalence: pond, 19.4%; well, 3.3%), L. monocytogenes (pond, 27.1%; well, 4.2%) and fecal indicator testing. Correlation between abiotic factors, including water parameters (temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen percentage, oxidation reduction potential, and turbidity) and weather (temperature and rainfall), and foodborne pathogens were also evaluated. Although abiotic factors did not correlate with recovery of S. enterica or L. monocytogenes (p > 0.05), fecal indicators were positively correlated with incidence of S. enterica in well water. Bacterial taxa such as Sphingomonadaceae and Hymenobacter were positively correlated with the prevalence and population of S. enterica, and recovery of L. monocytogenes was positively correlated with the abundance of Rhizobacter and Comamonadaceae (p < 0.03). These data will support evolving mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of produce contamination by foodborne pathogens through irrigation.
- Cyberbiosecurity Importance in Relation to Small Fermentation Businesses and How to Integrate it into Known Hazard Planning ToolsKnapp, Jordan; Strawn, Laura K.; Wiersema, Brian D.; Eifert, Joseph D.; Hamilton, Alexis M. (Virginia Tech, 2024-08-07)Cyberbiosecurity threats are on the rise in many various industries (Drape et al., 2021). With attacks on water treatment plants, medical facilities and more, awareness for what cyberbiosecurity is, what it looks like, and how to implement countermeasures into known hazard planning tools is dire. This project set out to address these issues in the context of small fermentation businesses. A survey was conducted but, due to low response rate, there was no statistical nor quantitative analysis performed on the survey results. The information gleaned from the survey was used to better guide how a factsheet would be created and used to gauge, what the fermentation community in North Carolina and Virginia was aware of in relation to food safety, the Food Safety and Modernization Act, and cyberbiosecurity. A factsheet was designed to guide small fermentation businesses on how to identify cyberbiosecurity is, what hazards exist, how to implement control measures into known hazard planning tools, and what methods exist to better protect their businesses.
- CyberBioSecurity through Leadership-as-Practice DevelopmentKaufman, Eric K.; Adeoye, Samson; Batarseh, Feras; Brown, Anne M.; Drape, Tiffany A.; Duncan, Susan; Rutherford, Tracy; Strawn, Laura K.; Xia, Kang (2022-03-28)CyberBioSecurity is an emerging field at the interface of life sciences and digital worlds (Murch, 2018). The solution to the global cyberbiosecurity challenge is not merely technical; society needs cyberbiosecurity professionals who engage in leadership with a boundary-crossing approach that involves collective effort. Such an approach emerges from leadership-as-practice development (LaPD), characterized by its efforts to “change patterns and thinking that could transform a culture of mediocrity to one of excellence and resilience'' (Raelin, 2020, p. 2). While LaPD has been used in some professional learning contexts and it aligns with some signature pedagogies of the professions, the opportunity remains for embedding LaPD in graduate education to meet the needs of emerging fields. The objective of this proposed project is to catalyze transformative cyberbiosecurity graduate education in a way that increases cognitive integrative capability among cyberbiosecurity scientists and professionals. As noted by Pratch (2014), “leaders who possess integrative capacity are better able to assess problems and find workable solutions than those who do not” (p. 1). In this project, we intend to embedding LaPD in online graduate and train-the-trainer modules, testing various pedagogies associated with boundary-crossing graduate education. The approach will include use of collaborative leadership learning groups (CLLGs), which are “anchored in practice, bringing together learners who can identify and work together on the challenges they face collectively” (Denyer & Turnbull James, 2016, p. 269). Our specific research questions include: What signature pedagogies best support the emerging discipline of CyberBioSecurity education? To what extent do collaborative leadership learning groups (CLLGs) increase students’ cognitive integrative capability?