Shannon M. Coleman, an accomplished academic and extension professional, joined the AgCenter in July 2024 as an associate professor and state specialist in consumer food safety.

Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Coleman earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in food science and technology from Alabama A&M University. She completed a doctorate in animal science with an emphasis in produce safety at Colorado State University.

As an associate professor and state extension specialist at Iowa State University from 2015 to 2024, Coleman contributed to the human science extension and outreach field in 4-H, garden food safety and cottage foods and small food processors. In her extension role, she focused on translating research into practical solutions, addressing the needs of food safety, sustainable agricultural practices and other fields.

At the LSU AgCenter, Coleman focuses on food preservation, cottage foods and retail food safety. Soon after joining the AgCenter, Coleman established a food preservation working group, bringing together representatives from each region to collaborate on developing a train-the-trainer program for agents.

How did you become interested in home kitchen practices and cottage foods?

My interest was sparked during the second half of my doctoral program and my time with Dr. Marisa Bunning at the Colorado State University consumer food safety office. Her team was working on the Food Smart Colorado Series Preserve Smart application in a website format. The application was made in this format to allow easier mobile accessibility of the test recipes. This platform was helpful with the increased interest in technology.

I also witnessed them take their approach beyond the office. Another topic they were addressing was cooking at high altitudes. The team would prepare a recipe throughout the week. Then, one team member would take the recipe to her cabin in the mountains over the weekend to test. On Mondays, we will sit on pins and needles, waiting for her to return to hear whether the experiment worked or whether they would have to go back and adjust. Through their experience, I learned about perseverance. I also picked up the motto to “not ask anyone to do anything you are unwilling to do yourself.”

Dr. Bunning also served as the instructor of my Current Issues in Food Safety course, where she had us complete an independent project centered on extension topics such as cottage foods. The cottage foods law passed in Colorado during that time, and our class project was centered around discussing food safety practices and regulations related to the new law. This activity was a great introduction to the topic I would have to address during my career.

My area of expertise at ISU was food safety and consumer production. The target audiences I worked with were gardeners, cottage food producers, home food processors, and emerging small food processors. During my tenure at Iowa State University, the team worked with the regulators to develop training for cottage food producers that eventually became required training for producers in the state.

What strategies do you utilize in programming development?

As a food safety expert, I often collaborate with team members who are experts in education and evaluation. I have collaborated with curriculum specialists, evaluators and expert faculty to ensure we address topics beyond my expertise. This has led to emerging curricula and resource development for my team. The teams also always include students, which is a great mentorship opportunity and an example of a productive team. For the students, we always make sure that their names are included in the credits, and I provide them with the impact numbers on their curriculum and resources.

My extension team follows the traditional extension program development steps, which include assessment of needs, program design and development, program dissemination and program evaluation. I do not believe in working in silos, as that can hinder innovation which can lead to a loss of diverse perspectives and cross-functional collaboration.

This article appears in the winter 2025 edition of Louisiana Agriculture.

Shannon M. Coleman joined the AgCenter in July 2024 as an associate professor and state specialist in consumer food safety. Photo by Olivia McClure