Extension
It Starts With Us
Healthy Lifestyle and Life Skill Education
Healthy Living and Life Skill Development
Hixson, Hettmansperger, Comley
Food Preparation and Preservation
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Financial Education - General
Nutrition and Food Systems General
All of the issues facing today's individuals and families require they have basic life skills to make the best, most informed decisions which will effect their future, the future of their families, and the future of their community.
The County Health Rankings and Road-maps program ranks Garrard County 51st of 120 counties. This ranking helps to understand overall health of Garrard County residents. According to 2013 County Health Rankings of adults, 12.1% have diabetes, 33.4% are obese, 36.1% are inactive, and 46% report having high blood pressure. Garrard County also has a high rate of deaths by all types of cancers. As the data suggests, increasing opportunities for physical activity, promotion of healthier lifestyle choices, selecting healthy food choices and preparing healthy foods are important to the adult and youth of Garrard County.
Garrard County Extension Council (CEC), other program councils and a local survey of community issues and needs supports the need for healthy lifestyle choices programming. The CEC and the survey also recognized the needs in areas such as financial planning, addressing drug abuse issues among teens and adults, and teaching basic life skills in areas such as, cooking, sewing, financial education, food preservation, needle arts and home environment.
Participants will reduce their risk for weight related or preventable diseases through healthier lifestyle choices resulting in decreased medical and mental health costs. Families will increase physical stamina, increase participation in physical activities and change the local culture to accept and promote active lifestyles among residents in Garrard County. There will be a reduction in 30 day use of substances among youth. Reduced rate of chronic disease and obesity through intake of nutritious foods, use of healthy cooking methods and home food preservation. Persons will become more proficient in basic life skills such as, increasing their emergency savings funds and be more financially secure, perform basic food preparation skills in preparing healthy meals, and be able to make healthy lifestyle decisions.
Participants will decrease use of salt, fat and sugar in diet. Participants will increase consumption of fruits and vegetables from locally produced foods . Data will indicate a decrease in number of youth involved in substance abuse practices. Persons will engage in more daily physical activity, create more physical activity opportunities in Garrard County, and participate in healthy lifestyle choices as it relates to mental health and stress reducing activities.
Increase knowledge of basic food preparation skills, food preservation skills, and safe food handling procedures. Increased fruit and vegetable consumption. Youth and adults will increase their knowledge of the legal, emotional, health and financial consequences of substance abuse. Gain knowledge about the relationship between disease and weight. Gain knowledge, attitudes, skills,and aspirations to increase physical activity. Gain knowledge about financial security and methods for financial planning.
Initial Outcome: Increase knowledge of basic food preparation skills
Indicator: persons reporting food preparation at home using healthy choices
Method: survey of participants
Timeline: year-long as programs are conducted
Intermediate Outcome: More persons will choose to prepare healthy meals at home.
Indicator: people attending programs report more cooking at home
Method: surveys, personal interviews
Timeline: year long
Long-term Outcome: Decrease in chronic diseases related to lack of physical activity and poor food choices.
Indicator: decrease in number of reported cases of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity as these relate to increased chronic disease. Mortality rates as related to chronic diseases.
Method: Health rankings surveys, health screening results, Extension program evaluations and personal interviews
Timeline: year long
Audience: adults
Project or Activity: financial education integrated into other Extension programs
Content or Curriculum: Managing in tough times "Bits and Tips"
Inputs: FCS agent
Date: year round
Audience: adults
Project or Activity: eight session program/small groups
Content or Curriculum: Matter of Balance
Inputs: FCS Agent
Date: winter '21 and 22
Audience: adults
Project or Activity: Extension Food/Cooking programs
Content or Curriculum: Recipes/SNAP-Ed Calendar/USDA recipes/Plate It Up recipes and curriculum
Inputs: FCS Agent
Date: Year long
Audience: adults & youth
Project or Activity: Nutrition Education Program (NEP)
Content or Curriculum: NEP curriculum
Inputs: FCS Agent & NEP Program assistant
Date: year round
Audience: adults/youth
Project or Activity: life skills programming
Content or Curriculum: FCS curriculums/Sewing/quilting/needlearts
Inputs: FCS Agent
Date: year round
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: hiking, canoeing, kayaking to establish baseline appreciation for the outdoors and healthy alternatives to a more commonplace sedentary lifestyle
Content or Curriculum: Hiking Trails, Exploring Your Environment, Natural Resources Core Curriculum (Project WET, Project Learning Tree, Project WILD)
Inputs: Local Resource Funding, Grant Funding, 4-H Agent, volunteers
Date: spring, summer, fall
Audience: adult
Project or Activity: hiking at local parks and nature preserves to start a healthy initiative in our adult population
Content or Curriculum: Hiking Trails, First Aid in Action, Choosing Health
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Volunteers, Preserves and Parks, grant funding, transportation
Date: spring, summer, and fall
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Teaching youth to prepare food properly and look at the ingredients of each food item to determine health and taste. Also, prepare items for entry in county and state fair
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Cooking 101, What's on Your Plate?
Inputs: 4-H Agent, NEP Assistant, FCS Agent, kitchen supplies, local funding
Date: fall, winter, spring
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Teaching youth the different parts of the plants we use to eat raw or in prepared dishes
Content or Curriculum: Project Learning Tree, Learn, Grow, Eat, Go Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent, FCS Agent, NEP Assistant, fruits and vegetables, local funding
Date: fall, winter, spring
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Teaching youth the value of movement and exercise in variable situations
Content or Curriculum: First Aid in Action
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Local Funding,
Date: fall, spring, summer
Author: Jay Hettmansperger
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
The FCS and ANR agents teamed up to promote home gardening and healthy eating. The Plant, Pick and Eat program was designed to help gardeners throughout the whole process of raising their own vegetables. The ANR agent was responsible for advising on growing the vegetable garden and the FCS agent was to advise on preserving or cooking the vegetables. Twenty one participants started the program by picking up a bag filled with garden tools, seeds, recipe cards and canning and preserving guides. The
Author: Mary Hixson
Major Program: Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)
The Ft. Harrod Area Seminar, "It's Not Your Mothers Sewing Room" was originally planned for a limited audience in-person for March 2020, the seminar format was changed and held as a virtual program with unlimited audience in November 2020. 183 participants viewed the live Zoom program (2.5 hours) which was recorded and made available afterwards (197 views since Nov 2020). A qualtrics evaluation with 70% return was conducted immediately after the program. This seminar was planned af
Author: Mary Hixson
Major Program: Family Development General
Top eight Extension Homemaker Leader lesson chosen in Ft. Harrod Area. With assistance from State Specialist, built power point and lesson handout on this topic for the Zoom lesson.Direct-to-consumer genetic tests (also called DNA genetic testing, direct-access genetic testing, at-home genetic testing, home DNA testing and ancestry or genealogy testing) are popular as they provide insight into health and unlock secrets about family. but it is important to keep the risk and reward in mind.
Author: Mary Hixson
Major Program: Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)
It's Sew Fine: Sewing Expo had been held annually for several years in the northern Kentucky area. Not from the lack of participation or interest, this event could no longer be held as in previous years. FCS Agents and participants of the event had inquired whether the Ft. Harrod Area FCS Extension Agents would continue this event in a different location. With the renovation and additions to the Boyle County Extension Office, this was possible. An area committee was formed consisting of the
Author: Mary Hixson
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Trying to reach youth audience with SNAP-Ed Assistant for cooking experiences during the pandemic. All Garrard County students have Chrome Books for their classroom work and use the format, Google Meets. Collaborating with school administrators and the Community Education Director, we set up a Google Meets bi-weekly cooking school with an international flare. Basing the educational component on Teen Cuisine curriculum and using or creating recipes with individual countries' flavors, each wee
Author: Mary Hixson
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
Refuge for Women is a national network of faith based, restorative homes providing residential long-term care and emergency housing for women that are survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Their mission is to provide a residential healing and equipping experience for women to identify and pursue their dreams. Programs provided are charged with offering life skill development, such as SNAP-Ed programming in foods and nutrition, financial education and adoption of healthy, someti
Author: Mary Hixson
Major Program: Substance Use Prevention and Recovery General
Substance use and substance use disorder (SUD) are pervasive public health problems in the United States, and specifically, in the state of Kentucky. In the year since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, the United States suffered a record 88,000 overdose deaths (CDC, 2021). More specifically, Kentucky counties have seen increases in hospitalizations, infectious diseases, non-fatal overdoses, and other complications related to drug use, all while leading the nation
Author: Mary Hixson
Major Program: Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)
In a collaborative effort with the Lincoln County FCS Extension Agent, in September 2020 we offered our first virtual quilting class in conjunction with the National 'Sew a Jelly Roll Day' event. The sewing community is an easy way to make friends and seek advice from people that enjoy the same hobby as you, which can also fight depression.Sewing is a single focus task, which reduces the likelihood of negative thoughts and can help fight anxiety.By September 2020 after months of shut dow
