German, Carl L.

Shimomura, Kathleen Klotzbach

Toensmeyer, Ulrich C.

VanVranken, Richard

English

Research Papers in Economics

 193
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Food System Web Site
Carl L. German, Richard VanVranken, Kathleen Klotzbach Shimomura, and 
Ulrich C. Toensmeyer
Objectives
The overall objective was to design and develop 
the Mid-Atlantic Regional Food System Web Site, 
featuring an easily accessible and searchable da-
tabase of basic and advanced resources. Specific 
objectives were to 1) provide public and private 
entrepreneurial access to a database of current and 
reliable information; 2) provide research informa-
tion, including case studies on farm, retail, direct, 
and wholesale marketing; women’s health; envi-
ronmental issues; and food safety; 3) determine 
methodologies to enhance e-business applications 
of the food-systems web site, including a searchable 
map for product offerings, a classified-ads section 
for product and equipment offerings, a calendar of 
events, and a retail farm market directory; and 4) 
develop a continuous evaluation mechanism for 
feedback for improvement of the food-system 
web site.
Procedures
The site is designed for agricultural producers/
marketers, consumers, and educators. The project 
was funded by the Kellogg Mid-Atlantic Consor-
tium as one aspect of a comprehensive food-systems 
approach being developed by 13 member institu-
tions of higher education.
Lessons Learned
1. Hire a knowledgeable webmaster.
2. Map the site.
3. Lay out the graphical design.
4. Register a website in order to establish the 
site identity on the Internet.
5. Involve all of the principal investigators.
6. Develop an evaluation tool. 
The World Wide Web (WWW) is revolutionizing 
access to and delivery of information, via timely and 
easy-to-use interactive multimedia and multi-disci-
plinary methods. The extension outreach system of 
land-grant universities can utilize this powerful tool 
to enhance educational opportunities for food-sys-
tem professionals and consumers. This three-year 
project is designed to develop extension education 
on the WWW around a food-system model to allow 
delivery of personalized instruction while provid-
ing multidisciplinary answers to complex ques-
tions. Issues facing the industry are complex, and 
an effective method of addressing them is needed. 
Extension education on the WWW developed 
around a food-system model will allow delivery 
of personalized instructions while providing mul-
tidisciplinary answers, which are not logistically 
feasible with traditional programming methods. We 
intent to transform the mode of access to univer-
sity resources in order to maintain the leadership 
position of the Land-Grant System in the delivery 
of research-based and applied information to the 
citizen of the region.
The site is divided into four areas designed to 
attract the greatest audience and maximize the value 
of this effort. These four areas are
1. Agri-Marketing—There are a variety of inter-
est areas, such as Planning a Market, Events 
of Interest Related to Direct Marketing, Clas-
sifieds, and Market of the Month.
2. Local Produce—Where and when to find local 
products.
3. Food and Health—Results of research re-
lated to food and nutrition and education 
programs.
4. Food Safety—Food safety issues as related to 
children, consumers, educators, food industry, 
and recalls.
German is extension specialist and Toesnmeyer is professor, 
University of Delaware, Newark. Van Vranken is Atlantic 
County agricultural agent and Shimomura is Family and 
Consumer Sciences educator, Rutgers University, New 
Brunswick, NJ.

THE MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM WEB SITE

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