Location: Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory
Project Number: 8040-52000-068-030-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2018
End Date: Aug 31, 2023
Objective:
There is growing interest in urban agriculture and the local foods movement. The objective of this work will be to determine the effects of different growing conditions (urban/rural gardens, commercial production) on protein, carbohydrate, and mineral content of selected fruits and vegetables. The hypothesis to be tested are: i) fruits/vegetables grown in urban gardens will have reduced macronutrient content and higher mineral content.
Approach:
Produce items based on their popularity of production in Baltimore’s urban agriculture community and similar products sold in grocery stores and local Farmer’s Markets will be collected, processed and freeze-dried using standardized procedures. Nutrient profiles will be measured in approved laboratories as established by the USDA ARS Nutrient Data Laboratory.
