Table 1 Project objectives

 1. Examine whether CO-CSAs coupled with tailored nutrition education improve dietary intake and quality among children aged 2–12 in low-income households;

 2. Examine the influence of CO-CSAs and tailored education on attitudes and behaviors related to nutrition, meal planning, and meal preparation;

 3. Contrast CSA models to understand if and how variability in operational characteristics affect participation and intervention effectiveness in low-income families with children;

 4. Estimate the economic impact of a CO-CSA program on the local economy;

 5. Evaluate options for farmers to sustain the CO-CSA, and work with an advisory board, extension, and other stakeholders (e.g. CSA networks) to disseminate findings through development of a toolkit and related electronic resources to maximize impact; and

 6. Develop and evaluate short-course modules and lectures for undergraduate and graduate students related to local food system innovations that are synergistic with the goal of obesity prevention and designed to enhance human capital relevant to U.S. agriculture.