The Nutrition Science
Department at the Sage Colleges recently released
a study on the effects of a Field Goods weekly produce
subscription on the health, well-being and finances of subscribers. The
results show a direct correlation between a Field Goods subscription and
healthier eating habits, increased satisfaction with
eating habits and saving money.
Interdisciplinary academics,
community engagement, international exposure, and artistic and
athletic endeavors are among the pillars of the educational experience at the Sage Colleges. Sage enrolls more than 3,000 students in
bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs at the coeducational undergraduate
Sage College of Albany; the undergraduate
Russell Sage College for women in Troy; the graduate-level
Esteves School of Education,
School of Health Sciences and
School of Management with programs on
both campuses; and via the Internet through
Sage Online.
Founded
in 2011, Field Goods delivers bags of small-farm-grown fruits and vegetables to customers at
workplace and community locations. It
currently delivers local produce, bought from more than 70 small
farms, to more than 2,000 customers in nine Hudson Valley counties from
Saratoga to Yonkers.
Subscribers receive a weekly
delivery that includes about seven fruits and vegetables selected for
them from small farms. Subscriptions cost $20, $25 or $30 per week and
include an informative, fun and educational newsletter, In
The Bag.
The
Field Goods study was conducted from April to November 2014. Subscribers completed
a survey prior to receiving their
first Field Goods bag and again approximately three months after their
first Field Goods purchase. A total of 367 new Field Goods subscribers
participated in the study.
Among
the study’s findings, people with Field Goods subscriptions eat
healthier, eat more servings of vegetables,
eat a greater variety of fruits and vegetables, are happier with their
diet and that of their families, make fewer trips to the grocery store
and spend less on food.
“Maintaining
a healthy diet is one of the most critical and cost-effective ways to
improve health and reduce
the costs of illness,” said Donna Williams, founder of Field Goods.
“Numerous respected research studies have demonstrated that a diet rich
in vegetables and fruits can reduce risk of many diseases. Knowing this,
we embarked on this study to evaluate the direct
impact a Field Goods subscription has on the health and wellness of our
2,000+ subscribers.”
Rayane AbuSabha,
associate professor of nutrition science and dietetics program director
at the Sage Colleges, said it was encouraging to see that easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables could have such a positive effect on
people's eating habits so quickly.
"As someone who studies barriers to eating
produce, it's great to see innovative solutions that
can really make a difference in fighting these challenges," AbuSabha said.
According
to the study, after just three months, about 40 percent of subscribers
reported they were eating
healthier since joining Field Goods and ate, on average, 55 servings of
vegetables per week, compared to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's
national average of 11.2 servings per week.
Results
also showed that subscribers’ happiness with their diets increased by
almost 50 percent. Subscribers with
children also showed a significant increase in satisfaction with the
quality of their family’s diet. When first surveyed, 84 percent of
respondents thought their family’s diet needed improvement; after just three
months, this figure dropped by more than 20 percent.
The
findings also noted an increased variety of fruits and vegetables consumed
by Field Good subscribers, who added
on average two new vegetable categories to their diet. Variation is key
to increasing nutrients needed for a healthy diet. It also revealed
that Field Goods subscribers spent on average $20 per month less on
groceries. There was also a reduction in trips to
the grocery store.
“The
majority of our customers receive their Field Goods bags at their
workplaces as part of their employers' wellness
initiatives," Williams said. "This study demonstrates the effectiveness of our program. There is significant discussion about the effectiveness
of workplace wellness programs. We hope to establish that addressing
poor diet as the root cause (pardon the pun) of
so much illness is a smart and simple way to battle healthcare costs. In addition, our mission of supporting sustainable farming helps
organizations create a culture of wellness and environmental
responsibility.”
To review a summary of the study’s findings, visit the
Field Goods website. For
For more information, contact
info@field-goods.com,
call 888-887-3848 or go to www.field-goods.com.
--Jennie Grey
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