by Rob Myers
COLUMBIA, MO--Joshua Miner, a Food Systems Analyst with University of California Cooperative Extension, Alameda County, was recently selected as a recipient of the Food and Society Policy fellowship.
With primary support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, this national program of professional fellowships allows food and agriculture experts to improve communications about food, diet, and health issues pertaining to youth.
Miner, a member of the Berkeley Food Policy Council and other local groups, is a previous co-director of the Berkeley-based Farm Fresh Choice project, which provides access to affordable, high-quality produce from a local farmers' market to families who otherwise lack consistent access to fresh fruits and vegetables. He recently completed graduate work at UC Berkeley, where his research focused on the relationship between U.S. food policy and consumer health at the community level. With UCCE, he will continue working to find ways of increasing both access to, and desirability of, fresh produce among limited-income populations in Alameda County.
Fellowship recipients were selected from all across the country. Eight fellows were chosen from 150 applicants in this highly competitive program. Each will serve for one year. During this time, the fellows will work on issues such as youth obesity and diet, school nutrition, and the overall connection between the way food is produced and the health and
diet of AmericaÃs youth.
The fellowship program is being administered by the Thomas
Jefferson Institute of Columbia, MO, in partnership with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy of Minneapolis, MN.