to learn more about the decision-making students got the chance to help make a process for everything from recipes to the real-world business decision. music played in stores, VanOverbeke said. “The course gives students an idea how The class traveled to 1907 Meat Co., an actual business runs and how consumer Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and marketing is done,” he added. “Even if Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt. Students they don’t go into consumer research, they learned about franchise owners and startup know how things are there.” companies as well as how consumer bases This course adds another aspect into a affect company decisions, Norwood said. student’s degree by focusing on prevalent “I love hearing the stories of how each topics within the agricultural industry, owner started the company,” said Cristina Ramos said. Ramos, a food science senior. “It was “It has helped me view the food science amazing to see businesses in the area that degree in a different light,” she added. “We are pushing sustainable, locally produced focus a lot on science and pathogens, but products having such huge support from this adds another aspect and makes it real.” the community.” For this year’s final project, the agriThe faculty designed the course to cultural economics department partnered appeal to both food science and agricultur- with the Noble Research Institute and al economics students as a way to conduct McDonald’s to research how consumers real-world research, VanOverbeke said. view sustainability. “One of my biggest interests is finding “One of our core pillars at OSU is out how people tick and why consumhands-on experience,” Zahl said. “This ers do what they do,” said Andy Zahl, class gave us an opportunity to go into the an international industry and conagribusiness senior. This knowledge sticks with you duct research.” “This is one of the For the project, even when you are biggest reasons I students distributout of the classroom. was interested in ed surveys with a Cristina Ramos the course. series of questions OSU food science senior “Knowing how to consumers to to conduct research and surveying the determine perceptions of McDonald’s public is a big part of the agricultural decision to switch to sustainable beef. industry,” he added. “Knowing our class played a role Students participated in a variety of in helping a massive corporation like research projects focusing on the businesses McDonald’s make such a large business they visited. decision is awesome,” Zahl said. During their visit to Rocky Mountain After collecting data, students presented Chocolate Factory, students taste-tested their findings to a NRI economist. fudge with and without vanilla to see if “Without the consumer, you cannot be they could tell the difference. successful,” Ramos said. “You really have Many of the students could tell vanilla to figure out what people want to buy was missing from the recipe when they and how to market it to make them want tasted the fudge, Norwood said. to buy it. Without knowing those little “Vanilla is such an expensive product,” things, you go nowhere. Norwood said. “In this business visit, “This knowledge sticks with you even
where oklahoma agriculture begins Tune in Saturdays at 7 a.m.
A student tries a variety of flavors and toppings while visiting Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt. Photo by Michelle Helm.
when you are out of the classroom,” Ramos added. “At restaurants or in the grocery store, you see how food is displayed and marketed, and it makes you think about the reasoning behind it.” By completing this course, students have a better understanding of the motives behind consumer choices and can better educate the public, Norwood said. “In the agricultural industry, we get so mad about what consumers are saying,” Zahl said. “We just complain to each other about it. When we are able to truly understand where consumers are coming from, then we are able to create educational components and better understand the consumer and their preferences.”
Michelle Helm
20 Geary, Oklahoma
years and counting cowboyjournal.okstate.edu
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