This week, I had the exciting opportunity to visit the Elmhurst Hospital Farmers Market in Queens, NYC. My time there was divided between assisting with cooking demonstrations and conducting interviews about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programming.
Cooking Demonstrations and Community Interaction
At the farmers market, I helped out with the cooking demonstrations, which included cleaning, cutting vegetables, and talking to people about the recipes and nutritional benefits of the dishes being prepared. These demonstrations are a fantastic way to engage with the community, promote healthy eating habits, and show how to use fresh market produce in everyday meals. The hands-on experience was not only enjoyable but also gave me a chance to connect with people on a personal level.
Conducting Interviews
In addition to helping with the cooking demonstrations, I conducted interviews to gather insights on the community’s pest management needs and preferences. At Elmhurst Hospital Farmers Market, I interviewed five people. The pests that people were most interested in learning about were mice, bed bugs, and cockroaches. These insights are important for tailoring our IPM programming to address the specific concerns of the community.
Interview Questions
Here are the questions I used during the interviews:
1) What pests are you interested in learning about? / ¿Sobre qué plagas le interesa aprender?
2) Where do you find information on how to get rid of pests? Which is the most important source? / ¿Dónde encuentra información sobre cómo deshacerse de las plagas? ¿Cuál es la fuente más importante?
3) Would you rather watch a live online presentation at a specific time, or a recording at a time that is convenient for you? Why? / ¿Preferiría ver una presentación en línea en vivo en un momento específico, o una grabación en un momento que sea conveniente para usted? ¿Por qué?
4) When during the week would you be most likely to attend a live presentation? / ¿En qué momento de la semana sería más probable que asistiera a una presentación en vivo?
5) Which platform are you comfortable using to attend/watch a presentation? / ¿Con qué plataforma se siente cómodo/a usando para asistir/ver una presentación?
6) What is your age group? Please select one / ¿A qué grupo de edad pertenece? Por favor seleccione uno:
a) < 18
b) 18 – 27
c) 28 – 43
d) 44 – 65
e) 65 +
7) If you needed to register with your name and email address to watch an online presentation, how would that affect your interest in participating? / Si necesitara registrarse con su nombre y dirección de correo electrónico para ver una presentación en línea, ¿cómo afectaría su interés en participar?
I initially included a question about whether age affects the platform people use, but after a few interviews, I removed it as most people said that it doesn’t matter.
Looking Ahead
This upcoming week, I will be returning to Elmhurst Hospital and also visiting farmers markets in Boro Park and Sunset Park, both in Brooklyn. I’m looking forward to continuing these interviews and further engaging with the community. Each interaction provides more insight into how we can make our IPM programming more effective and relevant.
Postcard handed out to people at the market, promoting Conozca Su Plaga – the IPM Program in Spanish