Enhance access to local healthy foods by assisting producers in identifying new market opportunitiesPlan of Work

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Hickman County CES

Title:
Enhance access to local healthy foods by assisting producers in identifying new market opportunities
MAP:
Creating Local Food Systems
Agents Involved:
Melissa Goodman, Paula McCuiston, ANR, Lisa Dodson
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Local Food Systems
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Nutrition and Food Systems General
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Agriculture
Situation:

Nutrition Education Programs help families gain access to food and stretch food dollars; communities to decrease hunger; and local food assistance programs to educate recipients on healthy and safe food preparation methods. Extension staff, paraprofessionals and volunteers are pivotal in training consumers and producers to maximize local access to food products from farm to table.


Currently, Hickman County has a Farmer's Market that is in it  4th full operating season. The Extension Staff continues to work with our local government and a locally formed committee that  There is only one grocery store in Hickman County and two restaurants with very few healthy and local food options for consumers. 

Long-Term Outcomes:

*Families will increase average fruit and vegetable consumption by one or more servings per day


*Families improve food-management skills and healthy eating habits.


*Maintain a viable and successful farmers market.


*To maintain or increase the number of entrepreneurs in the community is increased due to local food systems.


*Strong and diverse local food systems are integrated into community development efforts.


*Sustainability of family farms.

Intermediate Outcomes:
Initial Outcomes:

*Increase knowledge and awareness among the general public of local foods and sustainable agriculture.


*Families understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to their health and financial well being.


*Families learn to grow, prepare, and preserve food.


*Families learn to incorporate unfamiliar foods or foods not currently being consumed.


*Families increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Purchasing tendency of Consumer for Kentucky Fruits and Vegetables

Indicator: Number of individuals more likely to buy a Kentucky fruit or vegetable as a result of tasting a Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud recipe sample

Method: Evaluation- Tasting Exit Polls

Timeline: Summer/Fall 2021-2022


Intermediate Outcome: Families increase healthy foods produced and preserved.

Indicator: Number individuals reporting that their family supplemented their diets with healthy foods that they produced or preserved.

Method: Evaluation

Timeline: Program year 2021-2022


Intermediate Outcome: Families increase healthy foods within a daily diet.

Indicator: Number of individuals who reported eating more healthy foods

Method: Evaluation

Timeline: Program year 2021-2022


Outcome:  Availability and access to healthy food 

Indicator:  Number of individuals who reported: utilizing delivery systems/access points (e.g., farmers’ markets, CSAs, WIC, food pantries) that offer healthy foods; supplementing diets with healthy foods grown or preserved (e.g., community or backyard gardens, fishing, hunting, farmers markets)

Method: Self-report survey

Timeline:  Pre-post implementing curricula or program


Learning Opportunities:

Audience: 1st – 3rd grades

Project or Activity: Food Group

Content or Curriculum: Farm to Table, Exploring My Plate

Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP-Ed assistant, volunteers, local fruit/vegetable growers

Date: 2021-2022 School Year



Audience: 4th-6th grades

Project or Activity: Jr. Chef

Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef and 4-H Cooking

Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP-Ed, Extension Facility

Date: 2021-2022 School Year



Audience: Hickman County Citizens

Project or Activity: Farmers Market

Content or Curriculum: UK Educational Materials

Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP-Ed assistant, Local Government, Community Businesses

Date: Market Season 2021-2022



Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Farm to Fork Dinner

Content or Curriculum: UK Educational Materials, KDA, Plate it Up Curriculum

Inputs: Extension Staff, Local Government, Community Organizations

Date: Late Summer 2022


Audience: General Public, Youth

Project or Activity: Food Preservation Classes/Workshop

Content or Curriculum: UK Food Preservation Materials, Plate it Up Youth Curriculum

Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP-Ed assistant, volunteers, local fruit/vegetable growers

Date: Summer 2022


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Summer Food Camp

Content or Curriculum: UK Health and Food Curriculums

Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP-Ed assistant, school facility

Date: Summer 2022



Audience: Families and Individuals

Project or Activity:  Food Preparation for Better Health

Content or Curriculum: Cook Together Eat Together, Super Star Chef, Champion Food Volunteer, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources

Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, faith-based organizations, health coalitions

Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year


Project or Activity:  Food Preservation

Content or Curriculum: Publications, Trainings, Home-Based Micro-Processing Training, Champion Food Volunteers

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, programmatic materials, NEP

Date: July – September for adults and youth


Audience: Communities

Project or Activity:  Farmers Market Outreach

Content or Curriculum: Cooking programs, marketing, increased access (e.g. location, hours, EBT), Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud resources, Farmers Market Toolkit, Super Star Chef

Inputs: Nutrition Education Program (NEP), paid staff, grant funds, facilities, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, local fruit/vegetable growers, Community Education

Date: April – October/Growing seasons


Project or Activity:  Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches

Content or Curriculum: Faithful Families, Kentucky Farm to School Task Force Resources, Health Coalitions, resources for early care and education settings

Inputs: Volunteers, grant funds, faith-based organizations, community partners, key stakeholders, SNAP-Ed Toolkit 

Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year


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