Extension
It Starts With Us
Basic Life Skill Education
Strengthening and Enriching Families
FCS/4H/Ag
Securing Financial Stability (general)
Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
4-H Communications and Expressive Arts Core Curriculum
Nicholas County has a population of 7,135 according to the census. Of that number 19.4% of the population lives at or below the poverty rate, with an additional 12% of youth (ages 18 and under) who receive SNAP and/or WIC benefits. In addition to that, Nicholas County has over 100 students, grades K-6, in the backpack program and 90+ seniors receiving monthly commodity boxes.
The Nicholas County Extension Service wants to combat these numbers through extension programming focusing on budgeting, parenting skills, gardening/food preservation.
Nicholas County families will have more financial stability and less dependency on local food and clothing banks and assistance programs
Families will practice healthy meal planning and experiment with new fruits and vegetables
Families will develop a monthly budget
Families will practice recommended guidelines for preserving foods
Initial Outcome: Families will develop a monthly budget
Indicator: number of families participating in annual holiday assistance program
Method: attendance sheets
Timeline: ongoing
Intermediate Outcome: Families will practice healthy meal planning
Indicator: increased sale of fruits and vegetables at local grocery and farmers market
Method: survey of producers and grocery
Timeline: ongoing
Long-term Outcome: Families will have more financial stability and less dependency on local food/clothing banks and assistance programs
Indicator: Number of people utilizing local resources
Method: Survey of administration in charge of local programs
Timeline:
Audience: NC Families
Project or Activity: Holiday Assistance Program
Content or Curriculum: budgeting 101, bean game, meal planning resources
Inputs: FRYSC coordinator, families, handouts/publications, worksheets
Date: 2016-2020
Audience: NC Families
Project or Activity: Parenting Classes
Content or Curriculum: Keys to Great Parenting, Parenting Piece by Piece
Inputs: Curriculum, DCBS, local law enforcement, incentive items
Date: 2016-2020 (as needed basis-referrals from DCBS)
Audience: NC Families
Project or Activity: Food Preservation Boot Camp
Content or Curriculum: UK Recommended Food Preservation guidelines, Ball Blue Book
Inputs: produce/local producers, publications, kitchen for hands-on activities, UK specialists
Date: 2016-2020
Author: Madison McAlmond
Major Program: Money Habitudes
Each year Madison McAlmond, FCS Agent, has the opportunity to work with the FRSKY Angel Tree program to provide educational workshops. This year the workshop provided was Money Habitudes. This program combines the focus of money habits and attitudes with a fun card game highlighting individual spending habits. The goal is to take a closer look at what you spend your money on to evaluate if that lines up best with their current money goals. 11 participants worked through their money habitudes thi
Author: Madison McAlmond
Major Program: Food Preservation
The past two years the University of Kentucky saw the need to send two retired FCS Agents to Nicholas County to teach a Food Preservation Workshop through the summer, but not this year due to sharing the opportunity with other counties. Madison McAlmond Nicholas County FCS Agent, Kay Denniston Bourbon County FCS Agent and Benita Peoples Harrison County FCS Agent saw the need to continue these programs in their county to make sure they reach as many citizens as possible.Each agent taught a differ
Author: Madison McAlmond
Major Program: 4-H Agriculture Core Curriculum AND Natural Resources
This year was a continuation of the revitalization to the 4-H summer camping program in Nicholas County. Today the program is a strong and vibrant example of what a summer camping program in a rural county can be and what positive effects it can have on the youth and adults who choose to participate in it. The Camping program is well supported by the community, partnering organizations, parents, and the school system. The county had taken just 26 youth and adults to camp nine years ago in 2010.
Author: Lindsay Arthur
Major Program: 4-H Agriculture Core Curriculum AND Natural Resources
On November 1st, 2019, the Nicholas County Cooperative Extension Office opened their brand new country ham curing house. The purchase of the Country Ham House was made possible by Nicholas County Farm Bureau, Nicholas County Ag Development Council, KADF, Nicholas County Cooperative Extension and the Kentucky 4-H Foundation. This 10ft x 12ft curing barn will allow 4-H youth to learn the lost art of curing meats that has been a strong tradition in Kentucky history for hundreds of years. 7 particip
Author: Madison McAlmond
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
Programming at the county level changed significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic that took over in March of 2020. Youth and adults alike went from having various activities to attend, people to see and things to do to scratching their heads at home wondering what they can do to not only keep themselves busy and engaged, but keep the youth they now have at home active as well. During the first week of the shutdown Lindsay and I put our heads together to try to figure out what we can offer to th
