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Workshops

New for 2010!

The Symposium will offer two half-day workshops on the afternoon of November 4th, the day before the Symposium kicks off. Each workshop features a research center affiliated with the Friedman School, and with a limited class size of 20 participants, everyone is guaranteed a hands-on and enriching experience.

These workshops are offered at no additional charge (along with conference registration) thanks to a gifts from The Coca-Cola Company.

Please check back soon for full course details..

Note: These workshops will only be available live at the conference, and will run simultaneously so unfortunately participants cannot attend both.

Workshop 1: Intro to the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project
A program to train and support new members of the farm community

Web site: http://nesfp.nutrition.tufts.edu

In the midst of this exciting period of opportunity for local farmers due to a resurgence of consumer and institutional interest in locally-produced foods, demand is outstripping supply in many areas.

The weakest link in the revival of regional agriculture is the beginning farmer. New farmers are critical to sustain our agricultural base and to replace an aging farmer population. However, people interested in starting agricultural careers are increasingly challenged, as barriers to entry are significant and traditional venues for education are declining.

Our Solution? Provide constructive environments and strategies that support new producers and create opportunities for them to strengthen agricultural capacities, share learning experiences, and build better communities by providing access to information, resources, training and technical assistance so that producers can grow healthy, local, fresher food for consumers.

Our half-day training program will introduce participants to the framework of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and lay the foundation to duplicate this successful program anywhere.

Notes:

Workshop 2: Introductory Workshop on Positive Deviance Nutrition & "PD Hearth"

Web site: http://www.positivedeviance.org

Nutrition security does not depend solely on adequate food availability.  In many developing countries, under nutrition exists even when there is access to adequate food, health facilities, and family income.  Behavior and social norms affect the nutrition status of populations, particularly among vulnerable women and children.   

The Positive Deviance Approach is based on the observation that in every community, there are some individuals or groups, whose uncommon behaviors and strategies allow them to have more successful outcomes than their neighbors, even though they face the same constraints and have access to the same resources.

This half day workshop will cover:

Participants will have opportunities to use the basic learner’s guide to practice the essential steps involved in the PD process including mapping and data analysis, discovering common behaviors and beliefs, conducting PD Inquiries, designing with a community an action plan so that members can practice the discovered successful behaviors found during the PD Inquiries.

Notes: