Stakeholders' Views about the Benefits, Challenges, and Opportunities of Primary Schools to Implement Farm to School Programs for Children in Southwestern Virginia

Research suggests school-based interventions and health education programs can increase children's fruit and vegetable exposure and consumption to improve their diet quality and reduce the risk of diet-related chronic diseases during adulthood. Nevertheless, children have limited availability and access to fruits and vegetables in school environments, which is a barrier to healthy eating. Farm to school (FTS) programs are one of many synergistic interventions to increase children's intake of locally and regionally produced fruits and vegetables at school. In 2015, the United States (U.S.) Department of Agriculture reported that 42% of U.S. school districts and 57% of Virginia schools participated in FTS programs. However, there is a lack of research on FTS programs in Montgomery County, Virginia. This MS thesis describes a mixed-methods, Q Methodology study to explore the views of diverse stakeholders (n=14) regarding the benefits, opportunities, and challenges to implement FTS programs for children, aged 5-11 years, in primary schools in Montgomery County, Virginia. Objective 1 was used to identify and mapped stakeholders invested in or affected by FTS programs in Virginia. Objective 2 used Q Methodology and factor analysis to identify the views of stakeholders regarding the benefits, opportunities, and challenges of FTS programs in Montgomery County. Results found two factors that summarized all 14 participants' viewpoints. Factor one (n=12), Appreciators of Child-Centered Benefits and factor 2 (n=2), Advocates for Legislative Change. Objective 3 described policies and future actions needed to institutionalize and sustain FTS programs in Montgomery County and southwestern Virginia.