For Researchers

The Harmony Institute provides an environment for research and study both at Spirit Farm and within the Town of Harmony with resident participation. 

If you are interested in conducting a study, please send a letter of interest along with a brief project summary including background and significance and specific aims to Harmony Institute, 7210 Five Oaks Drive, Harmony, FL  34771 Attention:  HICAB. 

Of primary interest is a Community Health Survey. 

The material will be reviewed by members of the Harmony Institute Center Advisory Board (HICAB) and a response provided within 30 days.

Planting Seeds for Victory in Healthy Habits

 “Planting Seeds for Victory in Healthy Habits” brings together the expertise and resources of Nemours healthcare system, the natural environment of the Harmony Institute’s Spirit Farm, and education services of Harmony Community School in an after school program to help promote healthy lifestyle choices and prevent childhood obesity.

Designed by the Nemours Healthy Choices Clinic in Orlando, with Lloyd N. Werk, MD, MPH as Principal Investigator, the “Planting Seeds for Victory in Healthy Habits” is a 10-week program designed in an effort to instill a greater understanding of healthy eating and activity choices, the importance of reduction in health risk behaviors and positive attitudes to making further behavioral changes and explore and develop a stronger connection to nature.

The project employs a prospective cohort study design with a convenience sample of 6th-7th grade students.  Outcomes of interest include knowledge of healthy habits, health risk behaviors, and beliefs about overweight and obesity risk, as well as anthropometric measure.  The intervention is being viewed as a model for an ongoing school program for replication in other schools within the Osceola District and elsewhere.

Each program day consists of 45 minutes of physical activities including hula hooping, line-dancing, jogging and general calisthenics followed by 45 minutes of various hands-on activities at Spirit Farm. The activities at Spirit Farm include interactions with the various miniature farm animals including exercising, feeding, grooming and overall care as well as learning about gardens and general education of healthy eating through planting vegetable seedlings, weeding and caring for the garden, and finally harvesting the vegetables.  The activities with the animals are designed to specifically relate to the information the children receive about their own health.  As an example, children were shown how to read food labels on products for human consumption and then shown similar labels on animal feed with the idea that their concern for the animal’s well-being would inspire a similar concern about ingredients in foods they consume.

The Harmony Community School is known as the “Home of the Shorthorns.”  The Harmony Institute houses a miniature shorthorn Panda steer named Victory at Spirit Farm.  Victory is transported to the school for special occasions, sports events and fundraisers for the school.