Trigg County CES

Title:

Nutrition and Food Systems

MAP:

Improving Physical and Mental Health

Agents Involved:

Cecelia Hostilo, Graham Cofield, Shelley Crawford

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Local Food Systems

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Cook Together, Eat Together

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Health

Situation:

Trigg County is a rural county in Western Kentucky that has its share of health related issues.  Statistics from Kentucky Kids Count from 2015-17 and 2016-18 report 38% of Trigg Countians lack physical activity, 77% are overweight, and 38% suffer from obesity.  Only 7% of the population get the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables.  Kentucky By the Numbers data shows that 28% of Trigg Countians report less than good health.  Since it is a commonly held belief that good healthy habits start early, the Trigg County Early Childhood Council wanted to help parents develop healthy habits with their preschool children.  It is for these reasons that the Trigg County CES staff will focus on Nutrition and Food Systems for the next four years.  

A foundation of nutrition knowledge, skills, and competencies in topics such as food safety, handling and preparation, cooking methods and techniques, feeding practices. food science, and food systems are essential to changing dietary behaviors.  Trigg County individuals, families, and communities need tools and environments that support healthful dietary decisions.  

Long-Term Outcomes:

1. Routinely employ health dietary practices that promote health and wellness (e.g., consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables and improve food management skills.
2. Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity.

Intermediate Outcomes:

1. Generate positive attitudes toward changing dietary decisions to be more healthful.
2. Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods.
3. Decrease intake of fats, added sugar, and sodium.
4. Employ healthful cooking methods, feeding practices, and food preservation techniques.
5. Increased access to healthy food via local farmers markets, food retailers, and/or home gardens.

Initial Outcomes:

1. Increase awareness about relationships between food and nutrition practices and chronic disease.
2. Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g., gardening, preparation and preservation techniques, safe food handling, food resource management).
3. Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy eating practices.
4. Increase motivation to access and prepare healthier foods.

Evaluation:

Outcome: Nutrition knowledge, skills, and competencies

Indicator: Number of individuals who reported; use knowledge and skills to improve food-shopping management; utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions; increased food preservation knowledge; demonstrated recommended food preservation practices

Method: Self-report surveys; specific curricula or program evaluations

Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program

Outcome: Preparing and preserving food

Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: preparing more home-cooked meals; modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition.

Method: Self-report survey; specific curricula or program evaluations

Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program

Outcome: Dietary intake

Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: eating 4-6 servings of fruits/vegetables daily

Method: Self-report surveys about fruit and vegetable intake or other dietary improvements; specific curricula or program evaluations

Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program

Long-term Outcome: Availability and access to healthy food

Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: utilizing access points (e.g., farmers markets, 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); number of pints of food preserved through water bath or pressure canning, freezing or drying.

Method: Self reported survey

Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Trigg County Youth

Project or Activity: Food Preparation Clubs and projects

Content or Curriculum: National 4-H curriculum, Super Star Chef, Teen Cuisine,  Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud materials

Inputs: CES Agents, NEP assistant, volunteers

Date: September-June (ongoing)

Audience: Communities

Project or Activity: Farmers Market Outreach

Content or Curriculum: Cooking programs, Plate it Up! Kentucky Proud resources, Farmers Market Toolkit, Superstar Chef

Inputs:CES agents, grant funds, Kentucky Department of Agriculture

Date: April-October during growing season each year

Audience: Families and Individuals

Project or Activity: Food Preparation for Better Health

Content or Curriculum: Cook together Eat Together, Dining with Diabetes, Super Star Chef, Champion Food Volunteer, Plate it UP! Kentucky Proud resources, resources for early care and education settings

Inputs: Programmatic materials, CES agents, NEP assistant, facilities, Trigg County Early Childhood Council

Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year

Audience: Families and Individuals

Project or Activity: Food Preservation

Content or Curriculum: Publications, trainings, Home-Based Micro-processing Training, Champion Food Volunteers

Inputs: CES agents, volunteers, facilities, programmatic materials

Date: July- September for adults and youth

Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association/Volunteers

Project or Activity: Promoting Nutrition with Volunteers

Content or Curriculum: Champion Food Volunteers, Mastering Food Choices, food preservation workshops

Inputs: Volunteers, FCS agents, community partners

Date: Ongoing