Shelby County CES

Title:

Accessing Nutritious Foods 1

MAP:

Healthy Lifestyles

Agents Involved:

Corinne Belton, Regina Browning, Walt Reichert

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Local Food Systems

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Home & Consumer Horticulture

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

4-H Leadership Core Curriculum

Situation:

Nutrition education programs and local food systems help families gain access to food and stretch food dollars, help communities decrease hunger, and help local food assistance programs to educate recipients on healthy and safe food preparation methods. Agents, paraprofessionals and volunteers are pivotal in influencing policies, systems and environments and in training consumers and producers to maximize local access to food products from farm to table.

Demand for home horticulture information continues to increase in Shelby County. Shelby County Master Gardener trained volunteers are able to assist county Extension staff in meeting this need for research-based information and public outreach.

Long-Term Outcomes:

*Families will increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables

*Families will gain access to food and stretch food dollars

*Access to local foods in restaurants, retail outlets, schools and other institutions is increased

*Consumer confidence in and demand for local foods is maintained or increased

*The public has a positive perception of EMG volunteers as reliable sources for home horticulture information.

*EMG Volunteers extend the educational outreach of the Cooperative Extension Service in areas such as community gardens, youth gardening, environmentally sustaining lawn and garden practices, and other topics

Intermediate Outcomes:

*Increase number of people who access local foods

*Increase number of youth and adults who plant, harvest and/or preserve produce

*Hunger is decreased

*Producers diversify types and varieties of produce grown and sold

*Producers apply food safety practices and/or procedures

*Producers earn certification for Home Based Microprocessing and USDA GAP

*Participants (certified EMG volunteers) put into practice the skills learned when completing volunteer hours and working with clientele

*Participants engage as facilitators and presenters for classes, lectures, or workshops delivered

*EMG volunteers have positive perceptions of their role as reliable sources for home horticulture information

Initial Outcomes:

*Increase KOSA in healthy eating, food safety and food resource management

*Increase awareness of availability of fresh, local produce

*Increase KOSA in growing food

*Increase food safety handling procedures

*Understand procedures for safe food processing

*Identify production methods and agricultural food products that extend the growing season

*Explain local food needs and purchasing procedures

*Participants gain knowledge in many aspects of home horticulture. This is measured through regular quizzes

*Participants become Certified EMG volunteers when they master the curriculum and provide 30 hours in volunteer service to the local Cooperative Extension Office.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Increase KOSA in understanding sustainable, local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being. Increase KOSA in planting, harvesting and preserving foods.

Indicator: Number who gained KOSA in understanding sustainable, local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being. Increase KOSA in planting, harvesting and preserving foods.

Method: End of program evaluations and self-reporting

Timeline: Annually

Intermediate Outcome: Individuals access more local foods. Individuals plant, harvest and/or preserve their own food. Individuals apply improved food preparation, management and food safety skills. Individuals share new KOSA with others as EMG volunteers.

Indicator: Number of individuals purchasing, planting, harvesting and/or preserving, preparing local foods safely. Number of EMG sharing KOSA with others.

Method: End-of-program surveys, observation

Timeline: Annually

Long-term Outcome: Individuals and institutions seek first to utilize locally grown foods. EMG assist Extension personell in teaching hort programs and answering questions.

Indicator: Number of individuals and institutions who utilize locally grown foods. Number of EMG assisting with Extension programming

Method: Self-reporting and observation

Timeline: Year-to-year over next decade

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Master Gardener Classes

Content or Curriculum: Master Gardener curriculum, guest speakers, Extension publications

Inputs: MG curriculum, guest speakers, Extension publications, specialists, horticulture technician

Date:

Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Garden Tours

Content or Curriculum: MG Curriculum, guest speakers, Extension publications

Inputs: MG Curriculum, guest speakers, Extension publications, specialists, horticulture technician

Date: 

Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Breakfast on the Farm

Content or Curriculum: Local producers and local foods

Inputs: Local foods and farms

Date: June 2020

Audience: Local producers

Project or Activity: Rooted in Shelby

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Proud certification, application

Inputs: Kentucky Proud, agent, volunteers

Date: Year Round

Audience: 4-H School Clubs

Project or Activity: Windowsill Gardening

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum, Gardening information

Inputs: seeds, trays, educational materials

Date: April 2020

Success Stories