Extension
It Starts With Us
Fostering Healthy Communities and Families
Fostering Healthy Communities and Families
Amanda Sears, Brandon Sears, Julia Reid, Scott Darst, Jessica Hunley
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Family and Consumer Science
Health
Local Food Systems
According to the Kentucky Extension Community Assessment Madison County Report (2019), the highest ranked issue of importance was fewer chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.). Additionally, the following issues were ranked with high importance: fewer overweight or obese youth and adults; more sources of buying safe, affordable, fresh local foods; safer use of prescription medications; better use of food safety practices (hand washing, storage, preservation, etc.); more sources for buying safe, affordable, fresh food; and more individual physical activity opportunities.
Youth participants will maintain positive health habits, lower their risk for serious disease and illness, and will lower their risk for physical and emotional distress. Youth will also develop into competent, capable, contributing adults as their important developmental asset needs are met through their participation in 4-H.
Youth will learn safe and responsible use of firearms and archery equipment. In doing so, youth will lower the risk of injury as well as increase their knowledge of handling a firearm in several different disciplines.
Madison County Residents will have increased awareness of our local food economy, practice physical activity and healthy eating, increase their skills and knowledge in food preparation, and increase their average fruit and vegetable consumption.
Families are able to practice parental leadership skills, build personal strengths, interpersonal communication, life skills including wise decision-making, access community resources and improve quality of life.
Youth will adopt and master healthy behaviors that lead to a positive lifestyle, not engaging in risky behavior and handling stress.
Youth will master skills to construct healthy and cost-effective meal plans, as well as select and prepare nutritious foods.
Youth will develop life skills through shooting sports.
Youth will experience a sense of achievement therefore increasing the child’s self-esteem.
Residents will increase the amount of food they purchase locally.
Increase in residents growing their own food in a garden.
Parents and grandparents increase communication and enhance relationships and social support, reduce stress levels, make wiser decisions about money and time management, and use preventive and positive discipline techniques.
Youth will identify safe lifestyle choices, understand risky behaviors and their consequences, and identify healthy ways to handle stress.
Participants will change their awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding: Healthy lifestyle choices, Adult weight management, Healthy aging, Aware of importance of daily physical activity, Reduction of chronic disease, Risk of falling, Healthy lifespan behaviors, Empathy, and Age-related family issues such as dementia, failing health, and end-of-life concerns.
Parents will learn about community support services, hold realistic behavior expectations, understand discipline vs. punishment, and practice stress management techniques.
Residents will learn more about where their food comes from.
Residents will know where the two Farmer's Markets are in the county.
Residents learn about gardening.
Outcome: Youth will adopt and master healthy behaviors that lead to a positive lifestyle, not engaging in risky behavior and handling stress.
Indicator: Percentage of youth participants who can identify where germs are located, acknowledge that some germs can make people sick, and know when times in the day when hand washing is needed.
Method: Healthy Habits Evaluation
Timeline: Soon after the conclusion of all cooking programs.
Outcome: Youth will adopt and master healthy behaviors that lead to a positive lifestyle, not engaging in risky behavior and handling stress.
Indicator: Percentage of youth participants who can identify healthy behaviors, who report avoidance of risky behaviors, and identify stress in themselves and others.
Method: 4-H Common Measures Survey: Health
Timeline: Soon after the conclusion of the program.
Outcome: Youth will develop life skills through shooting sports.
Youth will experience a sense of achievement therefore increasing the child’s self-esteem.
Indicator: Percentage of youth who increase in their individual scores.Number of youth who reach their individual goals.
Method: Score sheets and records
Timeline: Annually
Outcome: Participants make healthy lifestyle choices including exercising, drinking adequate water, consuming fruits and vegetables and planning meals.
Indicator: Number of participants who report achieving outcomes.
Method: Surveys
Timeline: After the conclusion of each program
Outcome: Residents will know where the farmer's markets are located, understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being, and begin to grow, prepare, and preserve food. Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management. Participants will also learn about community support services to increase food security.
Indicator:Percentage of farmers market vendors who experience an increase in sales based on Extension programming efforts.
Method: Vendor surveys
Timeline: End of growing season on an annual basis
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Madison County 4-H Shooting Sports
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Shooting Sports program
Inputs:Volunteer time, 4-H Agent time, funding, equipment, curriculum
Date: Annually
Audience: Youth ages 5-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Nutrition workshops
Content or Curriculum: Exploring My Plate, Think your Drink, SNAP
Inputs: 4-H Agent time, volunteer time, funding, curriculum, equipment, meeting
Space, Blender Bike
Date: Year Round
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Grilling Club
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum, Kentucky 4-H Livestock Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent time, funding, curriculum, equipment, ingredients
Date: Spring
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: After School Fitness Clubs
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum, Spark
Inputs: 4-H Agent time, funding, curriculum, equipment, meeting space
Date: Annually
Audience: Nutrition Education program clientele
Activity: classes and promotions
Content: NEP curriculum
Inputs: NEP resources and incentives, assistant and agent time and travel
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Parents and Grandparents
Activity: Grandparents as Parents group and conference, parenting classes.
Content: Parenting curriculum
Inputs: Speakers time, supplies and samples, assistant and agent time and travel.
Date: year round
Audience: Extension Homemakers
Activity: Extension Homemaker educational activities
Content: FCS curriculum, volunteer knowledge
Inputs: FCS resources, volunteer hours, supplies, staff time and travel, community resources
Date: year round
Audience: General public
Activity: Homemaker leader Lessons
Content: Leader Lesson Curriculum
Inputs: Leader Lesson Curriculum, Area agents time and travel, newspaper articles, volunteer time, samples
Date: Fall through Spring, monthly
Audience: Extension Homemakers and public
Project or Activity: Local Foods Awareness
Content or Curriculum: maintain list of local growers and products
Inputs: County office staff and agents, farmer’s market vendors, Horticulture and Agriculture Agents
Date: Fall, Annually
Audience: Madison County Residents
Activity: Farmer’s Market Promotion Activities
Content: UK and KDA
Input: County Office and Staff
Date: Late Spring
Audience: Madison County Residents
Activity: Classes about gardening (vegetable and fruit)
Content: UK, other land grant institutions
Input: UK, other land grant institutions
Date: Throughout year
Audience: Madison County Residents
Activity: Educational materials about how beef is produced, processing and its distribution
Content: UK Beef IRM, Extension publications, articles and other exclusives shared through email and other social media
Input: UK Extension Beef Specialists, Agent
Date: Throughout year
Author: Jessica Hunley
Major Program: Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General
The Madison County FCS Agent worked collaboratively with Kentucky State Police as well as Richmond and Berea Fire departments to put together and present a program about self defense, awareness, and home safety specifically for ladies. The program was presented on a weeknight, and consisted of 29 adult female participants, ranging in age from 18 and up. The program was divided up into three sections, one led by Kentucky State Police, Trooper Scottie Pennington, who discussed public s
Author: Jessica Hunley
Major Program: Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association
The Madison County FCS Agent prepared and presented a "Leader Lesson" for the Bluegrass Area Kentucky Extension Homemaker members. This area covers Madison, Estill, Clark, Powell, Scott, Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison, and Nicholas counties. The lesson involved up to date information that is relevant to how the majority of children spend their time today and recommendations about appropriate recommendations for children regarding activities, time spent outside, and time spent with ad
Author: Amanda Sears
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Repeated exposure to loud noises can damage the structures inside your ears, causing hearing loss. Hearing loss can negatively impact a person’s quality of life by limiting their ability to communicate with others. This limitation can lead to issues with mental health and personal safety. There have also been studies that have shown hearing loss is associated with an increased risk of dementia and social isolation.Hearing loss is especially prominent in the farming community due to hazardo
Author: Jessica Hunley
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
In October, I collaborated as the FCS agent with Amanda, the Horticulture Agent for the first program in a holiday series called Pumpkin Bash. The program consisted of an educational lesson, a recipe demonstration and samples, as well as a hands on component, which we presented as a series of festive crafts. The Pumpkin Bash program presented 22 participants with a lesson about growing and harvesting pumpkins from the Horticulture Agent, Amanda. She, also, provided seeds for ev
Author: Amanda Sears
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
The Madison County Horticulture Agent and the Family and Consumer Science Agent partnered on several programs throughout the year. The goal of their series of classes was to provide a fun way for participants to learn about nutrition and gardening.In October the agents held an event called “Pumpkin Bash”. It consisted of an educational lesson focused on growing pumpkins, a recipe demonstration and samples as well as several autumn related crafts. The crafts focused on recycling house
Author: Jessica Hunley
Major Program: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
In March, the FCS Agent presented information regarding up to date information about cooking with Cast Iron. The lesson offered instructional information to participants about how to restore and preserve Cast Iron, proper seasoning techniques, and several nutritious and tasty Plate It Up Recipes that are cast iron friendly. The program is originally designed as a precursor lesson to outdoor cooking, but broke down some of the components for someone with little to no experience.  
Author: Brandon Darst
Major Program: Health
According to the Kentucky Health News report from 2022, Kentucky now ranks the highest for childhood obesity rates for children ages 10-17 in the Nation. Not a list Kentucky wants to be the top of and consequently the age group it listed fits right into the 4-H age group. In an effort to get kids moving and exercising the CES 4-H Agent attended a 4-H Soccer Training the weekend COVID hit, so the idea of hosting any type of event would be placed on the back burner. However, the
