Extension
It Starts With Us
Nutrition Education through Cooperative Extension
Nutrition and Physical Education
Wooley, Tashjian, Wilson, Baysinger, Wimberley, Buckman
Local Food System Development and Mapping
Local Food Systems
Youth Fruit & Vegetable Access
Health 4-H Core Curriculum
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kentucky adult obesity rates rank among the 10 highest in the US; and, Kentucky youth rank among the 10 highest for obesity in the US. Thirty percent of Kentucky adults report not participating in any physical activity. The CDC also reports Kentucky adults rank in the 10 highest for poor consumption of fruits and vegetables in the US. The Partnership for a Fit Kentucky reports that one in every five Kentucky adults have difficulty getting adequate fresh produce where they live. They also report that in Kentucky, there are approximately 158 farmers markets with more than 2,500 vendors in at least 105 counties, yet only 23 accept SNAP benefits, 75 accept WIC, and 69 accept Senior Farmers Market vouchers. `
In addition to these health and environmental indicators, according to the US Census, approximately 19% of Kentucky’s total population is living in poverty; and, approximately 27% percent of children and youth under the age of 18 live in poverty. Further, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services reports approximately 18% of the Kentucky population receive SNAP benefits, while the Partnership for a Fit Kentucky reports approximately 85% of households in Kentucky are food insecure.
According to kentuckyhealthfacts.org in McCracken County, 20% of the adults surveyed reported their health status as either fair or poor.
SNAP-Education programs help limited resource families increase access to affordable nutritious food, stretch food dollars, develop food preparation skills and improve food safety practices. SNAP-Education efforts also help communities address nutrition and obesity prevention issues related to the social, environmental, and policy work which supports limited resource individuals in making healthy lifestyle changes.
• Individuals will reduce their risk for nutrition-related health problems.
• Individuals will maintain a healthy weight.
• Individuals will prepare meals at home 5 or more times a week.
• Fewer foodborne illnesses will be reported by healthcare providers.
• The instance of food insecurity will decline in the community.
• Individuals will increase their physical stamina.
• Individuals will increase food availability by accessing additional healthy foods via community systems and personal productivity.
• Community social, environmental, and policy systems will reinforce healthy lifestyle behaviors.
• Individuals will adopt one recommendation from the dietary guidelines.
• Individuals demonstrate food preparation skills.
• Individuals engage in good food safety practices.
• Individuals adopt one food resource management practice.
• Mothers adopt breastfeeding practices.
• Individuals engage in regular physical activity.
• Individuals utilize community support systems (farmers market, community gardens, WIC, food pantry, etc.) that provide access to healthy foods.
• Individuals will grow, care for, produce and preserve foods from personal gardens and orchards to gain access to healthy foods.
• Community social, environmental, and policy systems will design opportunities to support individuals toward living a healthier lifestyle.
• Individuals will be able to identify the components of a healthy diet as defined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
• Individuals will describe food preparation techniques.
• Individuals will be able to describe food safety practices.
• Individuals will identify food resource management practices.
• Mothers will know the health and economic benefits of breastfeeding.
• Individuals will recognize the importance of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle.
• Individuals will locate community support systems (farmers market, WIC, food pantry, etc.) that provide access to healthy foods.
• Individuals will develop skills and knowledge to grow their own garden and/or orchard.
• Partners will recognize the need for community social, environmental, and policy systems to address efforts toward improving healthier lifestyles.
Initial Outcome: Initial Outcome: Individuals will be able to identify the components of a healthy diet as defined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting an increase in knowledge related to the components of a healthy diet.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports.
Timeline: Ongoing
Initial Outcome: Individuals will describe food preparation techniques.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting an increase in knowledge related to food preparation techniques.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports.
Timeline:Ongoing
Initial Outcome: Individuals will be able to describe food safety practices.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting an increase in knowledge or opinion change related to food safety practices.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports.
Timeline: Ongoing
Initial Outcome: Individuals will identify food resource management practices.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting change in knowledge related to food resource management practices.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports.
Timeline:Ongoing
Initial Outcome: Mothers will know the health and economic benefits of breastfeeding.
Indicator: Number of mothers reporting knowledge change related to breastfeeding practices.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation.
Timeline: Ongoing
Initial Outcome: Individuals will recognize the importance of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting understanding the importance of physical activity related to a healthy diet.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS Reports.
Timeline: Ongoing
Initial Outcome: Individuals will locate community support systems (farmers market, WIC, food pantry, etc.) that provide access to healthy foods.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting knowledge of community systems (farmers market, WIC, food pantry, etc.) that provide for food security.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports.
Timeline: Ongoing
Initial Outcome: Individuals will develop skills and knowledge to grow their own garden and/or orchard.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting positive knowledge change and skill development related to home gardening and orchard growing practices.
Method: Pre/post written evaluation. Garden Survey.
Timeline:Ongoing
Initial Outcome: Partners will recognize the need for community social, environmental, and policy systems to address efforts toward improving healthier lifestyles.
Indicator: Number of partners aspiring to address policy, systems, and environmental changes to support a healthier lifestyle.
Method: Community surveillance for increased partnerships.
Timeline: Ongoing
Intermediate Outcome: Intermediate Outcome: Individuals will adopt one recommendation from the dietary guidelines for the purpose of improving their diet.
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported adopting at least one of the recommendations from the dietary guidelines.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports.
Timeline: Ongoing
Intermediate Outcome: Individuals demonstrate food preparation skills.
Indicator: Number of individuals who implemented food preparation practices and behaviors.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports.
Timeline: Ongoing
Intermediate Outcome: Individuals engage in good food safety practices.
Indicator: Number of individuals who implemented the recommended practices for safe storage, handling, or preparation of food.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports.
Timeline:Ongoing
Intermediate Outcome: Individuals adopt one food resource management practice.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting adopting one or more practices to make food more affordable.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Garden survey. Web-NEERS reports.
Timeline:Ongoing
Intermediate Outcome: Mothers adopt breastfeeding practices.
Indicator: Number of mothers who report breastfeeding.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports.
Timeline:Ongoing
Intermediate Outcome: Individuals engage in regular physical activity.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting participation in regular physical activity.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS Reports.
Timeline: Ongoing
Intermediate Outcome: Individuals utilize community systems (farmers market, WIC, food pantry, etc.) that provide access to healthy foods.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting utilization of community systems that provide access to healthy foods.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports.
Timeline:Ongoing
Intermediate Outcome: Individuals will grow, care for, produce and preserve foods from personal gardens and orchards to gain access to healthy foods.
Indicator: Number of individual reporting growing, producing, and preserving fruits and vegetables.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports. Garden Survey.
Timeline:Ongoing
Intermediate Outcome: Community social, environmental, and policy systems will design opportunities to support individuals toward living a healthier lifestyle.
Indicator: Number of community social, environmental, and policy systems implemented for the purpose of addressing healthier lifestyles for limited resource and SNAP-eligible individuals.
Method: Community surveillance to report number of systems changes as a result of partnership efforts.
Timeline:Ongoing
Long-term Outcome: Long-term Outcome: Individuals will reduce their risk for nutrition-related health problems.
Indicator: Individuals will report reduced nutrition-related health problems as a result of making healthy eating choices.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Change in health/disease data from Kentucky County Healthcare Profile Data (CEDIK).
Timeline: Ongoing
Long-term Outcome: Individuals will maintain a healthy weight.
Indicator: Individuals will report sustained weight loss or healthy weight maintenance as a result of making healthy eating choices and physical activity.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Change in BMI data from Kentucky County Healthcare Profile Data (CEDIK).
Timeline: Ongoing
Long-term Outcome: Individuals will prepare meals at home 5 or more times a week.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting preparing meals 5 more times a week.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation.
Timeline: Ongoing
Long-term Outcome: Fewer foodborne illnesses will be reported by healthcare providers.
Indicator: A decrease in the number of foodborne illness reported.
Method: Reports from the Department of Public Health.
Timeline: Ongoing
Long-term Outcome: Individuals will have improved food security.
Indicator: A decrease in the number of individuals reporting hunger.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports. Change in food security data from the Kentucky County Agriculture and Food Profiles (CEDIK).
Timeline: Ongoing
Long-term Outcome: Individuals will increase their physical stamina.
Indicator: Increase in the number of individuals reporting the ability to engage in physical activity for a sustained period of time.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS. Changes in physical activity data from the Kentucky County Healthcare Profile Data (CEDIK).
Timeline: Ongoing
Long-term Outcome: Individuals will increase food availability by accessing additional healthy foods via community systems (community gardens, WIC, food pantry, etc.).
Indicator: Food insecurity decreases. .
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports. Change in food security data from the Kentucky County Agriculture and Food Profiles (CEDIK).
Timeline: Ongoing
Long-term Outcome: Individuals will increase consumption of fruits and vegetables through home gardens and orchards.
Indicator: Changes in food security. Yields of produce grown. Quantity of food preserved.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports. Garden Survey. Change in food security data from the Kentucky County Agriculture and Food Profiles (CEDIK).
Timeline: Ongoing
Long-term Outcome: Community social, environmental, and policy systems will promote a healthier lifestyle.
Indicator: Increase in the number of social, environmental, and policy changes implemented to support healthier lifestyles.
Method: Community surveillance. Changes in Kentucky County Healthcare Profile Data related to recreational facilities in the physical environment (CEDIK).
Timeline: Ongoing
Audience: Adults and youth
Project or Activity: Increase food preparation skills
Content or Curriculum:
• Home-based food processing
• Plate It Up
• Food preparation programs
• Small Steps to Health and Wealth for Youth
• UK NEP Adult Curriculum
• USDA materials
• Weight the Reality Series Curriculum
• Steps to a Healthier Teen Curriculum (youth)
• Teen Cuisine (youth)
• Taking Ownership of Your Diabetes
• SuperStar Chef
• Lunch from the Land
Inputs: Agents' time, volunteers' time and KU/KSU curriculum.
Date: Year 'round
Audience: Adults and youth
Project or Activity: Increase adoption of appropriate food safety behaviors
Content or Curriculum:
• UK NEP Adult Curriculum
• Glow Germ (Youth)
• Fight BAC & Thermy
• UK FCS Extension food safety publications
• Super Star Chef food safety
• GAP Training
• Discover MyPlate (Youth)
• Tosha’s Day
Inputs: Agent's time and volunteer's time, UK Cirriculum
Date: Year 'round
Audience: Adults and youth
Project or Activity: Increase knowledge and behavior changes toward adopting the recommendations of the dietary guidelines
Content or Curriculum:
• Professor Popcorn curriculum (youth)
• OrganWise curriculum (youth)
• Wellness in Kentucky (WIN) Kentucky curriculum (youth)
• Super Star Chef curriculum (youth/adults)
• LEAP curriculum (youth)
• Weight the Reality Series curriculum
• Champion Food Volunteers
• UK NEP Adult Curriculum
• Food Preservation
• Farm to School Curriculum (youth)
• USDA materials
• Dining with Diabetes
• Wildcat Way to Wellness
• Get Moving Kentucky
• Steps to a Healthier Teen Curriculum (youth)
• Teen Cuisine (youth)
• Taking Ownership of Your Diabetes
• Jump into Food and Fitness
• Grow It, Try It, Like It (Youth)
• Discover MyPlate (Youth)
• Media Smart Youth (youth)
Inputs: Agents' time and volunteers' time
Date: Ongoing
Project or Activity: Increase the number of new mothers who attempt to breastfeed their babies/increase duration of breastfeeding
Curriculum/Education:
• Just in Time Parenting (JITP)
• USDA materials
• UK NEP Adult Curriculum
Inputs: UK Extension agents and specialists
Date: Ongoing
Project or Activity: Increase access to affordable and healthy food
Curriculum/Education:
• Guide to Kentucky Fresh Vegetables
• Home & Garden Vegetable Publications
• Food Preservation
• Farm to School Curriculum (youth)
• LEAP Curriculum (youth)
• Weight the Reality Series Curriculum
• UK NEP Adult Curriculum
• Money Wise
• Super Star Chef Goes to the Farmers Market
• Dining with Diabetes
• Wildcat Way to Wellness
• Teen Cuisine (youth)
• Taking Ownership of Your Diabetes
• Where Does Your Money Go
• Making Your Money Work
• Lunch from the Land
• Grow It, Try It, Like It (Youth)
Inputs:Specialists, Agents' time, volunteers
Date: Year 'round
Author: Robert Tashjian
Major Program: Health 4-H Core Curriculum
The McCracken County Extension service provides a 4-H Back Pack program to youth in elementary, middle and high school. Each week 2 Extension agents work with 50 high school students and teachers to fill over 400 back packs for youth that are identified by teachers. All county, and city schools in McCracken and St. Mary elementary participate in this program. All food in the back packs are handy for young children and are non-perishable so that they can eat with little to no preparation or
Author: Kathryn Wimberley
Major Program: Master Gardener
Situation : In Kentucky, at least one out of every three adults (34.2%) and children (37.1%) are overweight or obese, more than one out of every five Kentuckians (16.8%) and Kentucky children (21.9%) experience food insecurities, and one out of every three Kentuckians (29.8%) are physically inactive (SNAP-Ed, 2017). McCracken County Junior Master Gardener Youth gardening programs have shown increases in youth vegetable preferences, vegetable consumption, knowledge in nutrition and plant sc
Author: Amanda Wilson
Major Program: Health 4-H Core Curriculum
McCracken County 4-H partnered with Morgan Elementary to facilitate the Born Learning Academy. This educational event was held at Morgan Elementary School in Paducah, KY. Born Learning Academy is a grant funded program through Toyota of Kentucky and United Way. It is designed to provide information to parents of children ages 0-5, to prepare them for Kindergarten. Our local program attendees included six adults, and eleven youth between the ages of 3 and 5. Community partnerships are utilized to
