• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Texas A&M Forest Service
  • Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Research
  • Texas A&M College of Agrculture and Life Sciences
Working on Wellness Environments
Working on Wellness Environments (WOW-E) is a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension multidisciplinary community development program
  • Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • What is WOW-E
    • Meet the Team
    • Our PSE Approach
    • The HOP Program
    • WOW-E Counties
  • Stories
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • WOW-E Photo Walks
    • Success Stories
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Technical Assistance
    • WOW-E Technical Assistance Process
    • WOW-E FY 2026 Technical Assistance Cycle
  • Become a WOW-E Community

Hudspeth County November Workshops

November 13, 2019 by kcoats

By: Kelsey CoatsSierra Blanca Park

The Sierra Blanca Community Coalition has begun planning for their Community PSE Start Up Projects. Last week the coalition invited the WoW-E team to do a Walkability and Park Workshop and to do site visits for their nutrition projects.

On Monday, November 4, the Sierra Blanca Community Coalition hosted the Walkability and Park Workshop at Hudspeth County Agrilife Extension. Representatives from Hudspeth County, Ranch on the Rock, and Hudspeth County Agrilife Extension and key coalition members were in attendance. The WoW-E team facilitated the workshop and went on the walking audit conducted by coalition members. The walking audit covered Sierra Blanca Public Park and examined the area immediately surrounding the park.  After the walking audit the coalition discussed what could be improved to make the area more walkable. They identified areas where crosswalks would be beneficial. The coalition would like to improve walkability to the park as well as other everyday destinations. The coalition also discussed creating and naming walking routes in and around the park.

Sketching proposed trails       Coalition discussing crosswalks around park

The coalition’s next steps are to engage the community about walkability. The coalition plans to pilot test proposed crosswalks with pop ups in late winter early spring. In the meantime, the coalition plans to activate the park to engage community members to find out when and where people walk and what would get them walking more.

On Tuesday, November 5, coalition members gave the WoW-E team of two sites where they are building greenhouses. The first site use to have a fully functioning greenhouse that utilized aquaponics for growing fresh produce. The greenhouse has been unusable for the past year and a half due to damage by feral hogs. The WoW-E project inspired community members to start rebuilding the greenhouse. The second site visited is another area community members are going to build a greenhouse. Upon completion of the greenhouses, the coalition has requested business planning for a farmer’s market. The coalition has connections with local convenience stores who would like to sell more fresh produce. The coalition and convenience are discussing working with the WoW-E team on healthy food displays.

Greenhouse construction site       Greenhouse damaged aquaponics system

The WoW-E team enjoyed learning more about Sierra Blanca’s park and hearing community members ideas to make it more walkable as well as the coalition’s ideas for where and how to sell the produce grown at the greenhouses. The team looks forward to watching these projects continue to grow.

Filed Under: Blog, Connectivity, Hudspeth County, Nutrition, Physical Activity, PSE Tagged With: Hudspeth County

Starr County Workshops

October 31, 2019 by kcoats

By: Kelsey Coats

On Tuesday, October 22, the Move Rio Forward working group held a Walkability Workshop and Walking Audit at the Kelsey Bass Museum in downtown Rio Grande City facilitated by the Agrilife WoW-E Team. This focused on two of their Route to Destination (R2D) Community PSE Start Ups in Starr County.

A group discussing a barrier on the route during the walking audit.

A group discussing a barrier on the route during the walking audit.

Move Rio Forward aims to make downtown Rio Grande City more walkable for pedestrians, whether those are locals or visitors. The idea is that people will park in one place and walk around to do their errands instead of driving their car to each place separately. The group also envisions people walking around before or after enjoying a meal downtown.

During the Walking Audit workshop attendees walked the downtown area noting what works and what could be improved for supportive walking environments. In attendance were members of the F.J. Scott Study Club and Woman’s Club RGC, Rio Grande City planners, an Economic Development Corporation representative, a Rio Grande City Public Works representative, members of the Rio Grande City Garden Club, and Starr County Agrilife Extension. The group aims to pilot test pop up crosswalks and signage in early 2020. They also hope that making the downtown area more walkable will revitalize the area and make the community healthier.

Picture showing the group who attended the workshop in their safety vests ready to conduct the walking audit.

The Walkability Workshop Group ready to conduct the walking audit in their safety vests.

On Wednesday, October 23, the Rio Grande City Librarian brainstormed active play and walkability ideas with the Agrilife WoW-E Team. The Agrilife WoW-E Team received a tour of the historic building the library is housed in and learned about services and programs offered by the library. The Rio Grande City Librarian is looking to incorporate active play and walkability into existing library programs and is looking for ways to encourage children and their families to be more active at the library. Because the library is an everyday place, they also seek to make walking to and around the library easier. They aim to incorporate pop-up play into an event before the holidays this year.

The picture shows the Rio Grande City Library exterior.

Rio Grande City Library

The Starr County Health Coalition met to learn about and discuss other initiatives in the county and how to promote them as well as to get an update on the WoW-E project. The Agrilife WoW-E Team is excited to continue working with these groups on their Community PSE Start Ups in Starr County and looks forward to returning soon.

Increasing walkability is of growing importance to communities around the nation, with several notable benefits.

  • Health: Multiple studies point to decreased risk for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease for residents of a walkable neighborhood than those in sprawling neighborhoods.
  • Finances: Walking is low cost and people often do not have to spend money on gas.
  • Happiness: Traffic and congestion can cause frustration.
  • Community: Walkable areas increase interaction with friends and neighbors. It also can help small businesses thrive.

 

Find out more about the Agrilife WoW-E initiatives on our Facebook page, Working on Wellness Environments- Texas A&M Agrilife Extension. To inquire about our walking audits and walkability workshops click here.

Filed Under: Blog, Connectivity, Physical Activity, PSE, Starr County Tagged With: Rio Grande City, Starr County, Walkability, workshop

Working on Wellness Environments Counties

October 10, 2019 by valeriejauregui

By: Kelsey Coats

Obesity is a major health concern in Texas, and a new program aims to provide support for improving access to healthy foods and connectivity to safe every day places. This will take place in four Texas counties with some of the highest rates of obesity in the state: Starr, Webb, Maverick, and Hudspeth.

Playground equipmentThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s High Obesity Program (HOP) is aiding AgriLife Extension’s Working on Wellness Environments program, which aims to increase access to healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables and safe walking environments and places.

Working on Wellness Environments will focus on these four counties located along the Texas-Mexico border. They are primarily Hispanic, and primarily rural. Each county has an AgriLife Extension coalition leading their communities in the program.

With a population of 64,525 people, Starr County is approximately 1,223 square miles and its two largest urban areas are Rio Grande City and Roma. The county is about an hour and a half west of McAllen, and two hours southeast of Laredo. The three school districts in Starr serve around 17,600 students – that’s almost a third of the population under 18.

Starr County’s Health Coalition is made up of members of the city of Roma, city of Rio Grande City, Starr County, Rio Grande City Economic Development Corporation, Rio Grande City Consolidated ISD, Roma ISD, San Isidro ISD, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Advancement, Texas/Mexico Border Coalition, After School Center in Education, FJ Scott Study Club, Prairie View A&M, and AgriLife Extension.

Roadside stand selling orangesThere is a lack of access to healthy fruits and vegetables, in part because the only major grocery store chain in Starr County is half an hour from Roma. Roma has three major dollar store chains, so many people make their food purchases there, instead. This is a concern of the coalition, which also wants to improve existing and add new physical activity amenities for the population.

Head north along the Rio Grande River to find Webb County, which is a two-and-a-half-hour drive south of San Antonio. This county is around just over 3,360 square miles with a population of 275,910. Laredo is Webb County’s largest city and its three school districts that serve around 68,200 students. Webb’s coalition contains members from Webb County Community Action Agency, Bethany House, Cigna, Las Promesas de Laredo, Jeff Jones Laredo Rotary Club, University of Texas Health San Antonio-Laredo Campus, Texas A&M University Colonias, Border Region Behavioral Health Center, Serving Children and Adults in Need, and AgriLife Extension.

One of the objectives of Webb’s Coalition is to better understand their healthy food environment and systems and make enhancements with efforts tied to a local food pantry and University community garden.

Road showing fast food chains in townFurther north along the Rio Grande, about two hours northwest of Laredo and two and a half hours southwest of San Antonio, Maverick County’s population of 58,485 people live in approximately 1,279 square miles. The majority are in Eagle Pass. The county’s three school districts serve around 15,600 students – nearly a third of the residents are under 18.

Maverick’s Coalition has members of Maverick County Precinct 1, Area Agent on Aging Middle Rio, City of Eagle Pass, Eagle Pass ISD, Maverick County Hospital District, Methodist Healthcare Ministries- Wesley Nurse Program, Southwest Border Area Health Education Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, South Texas Rural Health Service Inc., Behavioral & Substance Abuse Counseling Prevention Education, Texas Department of State Health Services, United Medical Centers Health Education Program, and Prairie View Extension Maverick.

Like the other counties in the program, residents of Maverick County need better access to healthy food choices. That’s one of the coalition focuses, which also include increasing parent involvement in community health and wellness. Other areas of emphasis include creating more opportunities to be healthy in the workplace and possible park improvement for increased access.

Dirt roadFinally, an hour and a half east of El Paso and eight hours west of San Antonio, Hudspeth County is the largest of the HOP grant areas, with 4,570 square miles, but only 4,795 people. Its three major towns are Sierra Blanca, Dell City, and Fort Hancock. The two school districts serve about 500 students.

Hudspeth’s coalition has members from the County Commissioner Court, Hudspeth County Park Management, Emergency Management, Sierra Blanca Community Enhancement Organization, 4-H Youth, SBISD School Board, and Texas A&M AgriLife.

Hudspeth’s large land size, small population, and lack of water are barriers to access to fresh fruits and vegetables and this is a focus of the coalition. Most residents drive to Van Horn, in Culberson County, or El Paso to get their groceries. The coalition wants downtown areas to be more walkable since there are few places to walk to and people are largely dependent on cars. The coalition has also expressed a desire to reopen the public library, which could be an everyday place to walk or bike.A stop sign in a rural community

The Working on Wellness Environments team is excited to work with and learn from these counties and coalitions and expand their work and best practices to other Texas communities.

Resources

https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/quickFacts.aspx (district enrollment numbers)

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts (population, land area, race and Hispanic origin)

Filed Under: Blog, Nutrition, Physical Activity, PSE

Serving Schools Local Food

October 3, 2019 by valeriejauregui

By: Rebekka Dudensing and Sue Beckwith
Farm to School cartoon image of Texas with a farm from squaremeals.org

Photo from square meals.org

October is Farm to School month. Throughout this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and, in Texas, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) celebrate the connections between farmers and communities, especially youth. The Farm to School program helps students access healthy, local foods and learn about food production and healthy food choices.

The Farm to School program also helps farmers access an important local market. Schools can provide a good market opportunity for farmers. Some farmers may enjoy the opportunity to interact with students as well. However, working with an institutional market can also challenge farmers to have a consistent and sufficient supply of fresh produce in kid- and cafeteria-friendly formats. Both TDA and the national Farm to School Network offer resources to help farmers decide if serving schools is a good option for their business.

Home Grown For Texas Schools sign in a garden

Photo from square meals.org

A 2018 study by the Texas Center for Local Food, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and Texas State University found that price may be a smaller issue than seasonality, delivery schedules, and product form in serving school markets.

Schools surveyed acknowledged that price was a key concern in purchasing food due to the financial requirements of the school nutrition program. Still, schools surveyed said they were willing to pay slightly more for locally grown produce if they had a reliable source. Texas farms don’t grow popular salad vegetables like tomatoes and carrots through the winter when many youth are in school. School leaders understand that. But some managers need to be convinced that farmers in their area are able to provide a consistent product volume throughout the growing season.

Food managers also try to reduce time and costs by limiting deliveries. Some buyers said they need a single vendor to bring as many products as possible. Farmers may benefit by pooling their product for delivery.

Schools also admitted that they need consumer-ready products, such as chopped broccoli florets and slices carrots. They often lack the staff and facilities to process fresh fruits and vegetables in a raw, whole form. And while staff may not have time to peel carrots, many kids are used to eating baby carrots (which are really larger carrots cut down to a cute, consumer-friendly size). School buyers, were willing to pay more for vegetables processed into more convenient forms, such and diced bell peppers to save labor costs.

Many parts of the state, especially more rural areas, have limited participation in the Farm to School program.  Click hereto learn more about joining the Texas Farm Fresh Network.

Links to:

TCLF Study: https://texaslocalfood.org/price-study/

Farm to School Network: http://www.farmtoschool.org

Texas Farm to School Planning: http://www.squaremeals.org/FandNResources/TexasFarmFresh/FarmtoSchool.aspx

Learn more about what your school is doing: https://farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov/find-your-school-district/texas

 

Filed Under: Blog, Nutrition, PSE Tagged With: Nutrition

Welcome!

July 26, 2019 by valeria.jauregui

Working on Wellness logo. Two Ws and a star in between them.

Welcome to the Working on Wellness Environments Blog! 

Working on Wellness Environments (WOW-E) is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded High Obesity Program (HOP). The HOP funds land grant universities to leverage community extension services to implement evidence-based strategies that increase access to healthier foods and safe, accessible places for physical activity. (CDC Implementation Guide)

The goal is for all populations – regardless of age, education, environment, gender, income, race/ethnicity or sexual orientation – to obtain equal opportunities to be healthy. This should be specifically tailored to their needs, environment, and unique characteristics. (CDC Implementation Guide)

Family riding bikes down the street togetherThere are three important sectors that will be used to coordinate these efforts: Communication, nutrition/food systems, and physical activity. Communication will help engage, inform, and educate coalition and community members to make healthy living easier by joining listservs and participating in webinars. Coalition members will also write and adopt organizational level healthy nutrition standards in institutions such as hospitals, after-school and recreation programs, health centers, faith-based organizations, food pantries, and early care education. (CDC Implementation Guide) In addition, coalition members will collaborate with partners and subject matter experts to improve the food system and increase access to healthier foods by attending workshops, requesting technical assistance, and acquire tool kits to work in teams and community groups to improve local food systems: distribution, procurements and sales, food hubs and outlets, purchasing collective, innovative practices. Finally, coalition members will learn best practices for organizational and community opportunities to develop active-friendly routes by improving local connectivity and active friendly routes and places through planning, policies, and environmental design. (CDC Implementation Guide)

The WOW-E team is composed of several subject matter experts in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, food systems, early childcare education, technical assistance providers and educators, and local county agents from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Prairie View A&M Extension, in addition to other state agencies.

WOW-E is currently active in four counties: Hudspeth, Maverick, Starr, and Webb. Using policy, system, and environmental interventions identified by local leaders and groups conducting local assessments, policy changes will be implemented for a healthier, more active way of living.

If you would like to follow our efforts, please subscribe to our blog.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: blog, welcome, wowe

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 14
  • Page 15
  • Page 16
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Texas A&M University System Member
  • Compact with Texans
  • Privacy and Security
  • Accessibility Policy
  • State Link Policy
  • Statewide Search
  • Veterans Benefits
  • Military Families
  • Risk, Fraud & Misconduct Hotline
  • Texas Homeland Security
  • Texas Veteran's Portal
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Open Records/Public Information