Vol 58 (4), Dec 2014

Abstract

 

As farming practices have moved towards large scale production methods, the average individual has become further removed from the practice of agriculture. As a result, many high school students gain the majority of their knowledge of farming in a classroom setting. This case study was conducted to better understand if gender plays a role in differing experiences, knowledge and perceptions of agricultural practices, local produce and produce consumption among high school students in Northwest Arkansas. Eleventh-grade students (n=50) from three school districts were asked to answer questions about their agricultural and local produce experiences, knowledge and perceptions. Young men were (p=.01) more likely to have taken an agriculture class in high school and were (p=.02) more likely to be able to identify the average farm-to-plate distance of produce. Furthermore, we found that female students were more likely to have positive perceptions of locally grown foods, whereas male students were (p=.04) more likely to believe that there are disadvantages to local foods. However, neither young men nor young women were meeting Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption. Further study is warranted to explore the gender differences and the impact that education may have in the formation of knowledge, perceptions and healthy food choices among high school students.