Extension
It Starts With Us
Local Food Systems Development
Accessing Nutritious Foods
FCS Agent, 4 H Agent, Ag Agent, Program Assistant, and NEP Assistants
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Local Food Systems
Horticulture, Commercial
Nutrition and Food Systems General
In 2003, a farm and craft market was developed by Leadership Owen County 2002 as their community service project. This market has provided an outlet for farmers looking to diversify their operation and crafters who need an additional outlet for their products. In 2015 Owen County Farmer and Craft Market gross over $49,000 for producers and crafters. 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. Agents and assistants are pivotal in training consumers and producers to maximize local access to food products from farm to table.
-Increase consumers access to recipes that feature healthy choices focused on locally grown products.
-Increase per person average fruits and vegetables consumption by one or more servings per day.
- Food management skill and nutrition habits will be improved.
-Obesity and burden of chronic disease will decrease.
-Increase purchase of locally grown fruits and vegetables.
-Increase consumption of locally grown fruits and vegetables.
-Improve food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and nutrition habits.
-Consumers prepare and enjoy more healthy, home cooked family meals.
-Youth and adults are inspired to choose nutritious foods.
-Eligible citizens increase redemption of Farmer's Market Nutrition Program benefits.
-Conduct educational programs, demonstrations, distribute samples and educational materials.
-Increase nutritional knowledge of adults and youth.
-Impact policies, systems and environmental factors that affect access to nutritious food to children and adults.
-Citizens understand the importance of home cooked family meals to physical health and family health.
-Participants gather cooking knowledge and confidence in ability to prepare healthy meals.
Initial Outcome: Increase the nutritional knowledge of adults and youth.
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported increase knowledge on nutrition.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports. Market Survey.
Timeline: July thru June (2020-2024)
Intermediate Outcome: Improve food preparation skills, food-management skills, food safety, and nutrition habits.
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported implemented food preparation practices, food safety, and food-management skills.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluations. Web-NEERS reports. Market Survey.
Timeline: July thru June (2020-2024)
Long-term Outcome: Increase consumer's access to recipes that feature healthy choices focused on locally grown products.
Indicator: Food insecurity decreases.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluations. Web-NEERS reports. Market surveys. Change in food security data from the Kentucky County Agriculture and Food Profiles.
Timeline: July thru June (2020-2024)
Initial Outcome: Provide a local fresh food market to the community
Audience: Farmer's Market Vendors
Project or Activity: Market Management meetings & training
Content or Curriculum: Produce Best Practices (PBA) Training, Nutrition Education Programs(NEP)
Inputs: Ag & FCS agents and Program Assistant, KDA farmer's market director
Date: January-May (2020-2024)
Initial Outcome: Consumers taste and become inspired to purchase fresh food and try a healthy recipe
Audience: Consumers & vendors at the market
Project or Activity: Weekly demonstrations at the market
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud & FCS Resources
Inputs: Ag Agent, 4H Agent, FCS agent, program assistant, NEP Assistants
Date: May-October (2020-2024)
Initial Outcome: Informing the audience of healthy nutritious products and recipes
Audience: Consumers & Farmers Market Vendors
Project or Activity: Newsletter using local produce
Content or Curriculum: FCS Resources and Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Inputs: FCS & Ag Agents, Program assistant and NEP assistants
Date: weekly May thru October (2020-2024)
Initial Outcome: Youth will have access to fresh, healthy, nutritious foods.
Audience: 5th thru 8th-grade students
Project or Activity: Farmer's Market at the School
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up, Kentucky Proud
Inputs: FCS, 4-H, & ANR agents, Program Assistant, Farmer's Market Vendors & NEP Assistants
Date: September (2020-2024)
Initial Outcome: Youth about the nutritious recipes you can make from fresh food.
Audience: Youth 9-19
Project or Activity: Meet Me at the Market
Content or Curriculum: Superstar Chef Goes to Farmer's Market
Inputs: FCS & 4-H Agents, Program assistant, and NEP assistants
Date: Summer (2020-2024)
Intermediate Outcome: Beef producers will learn what it takes to finish a beef
Audience: Owen County Beef Producers
Project or Activity: Pasture to Plate Program
Content or Curriculum: Research-based approved publications and presentations developed by UK Livestock Specialist
Inputs: Publications, UK Animal Science Specialists, guest speakers, live presentations, and demonstrations at Eden Shale Farm and U.K. Meat Lab. FCS, 4-H, & ANR agents, Program Assistant,& NEP Assistants
Date: April-November (2020-2024)
Initial Outcome: New producers will know where to find the resources to have a successful operation
Audience: Owen County New and Beginning Producers
Project or Activity: Farm Start Program
Content or Curriculum: UK Center for Crop Diversity's Farm Start
Inputs: Local producers, UK Center of Crop Diversity Specialists. FCS, 4-H, & ANR agents, Program Assistant,& NEP Assistants
Date: February-June (2020-2024)
Initial Outcome: Community will learn by doing how to raise healthy and nutritious food
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Community Garden
Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, SNAP Resources, Plate It Up
Inputs: FCS, 4-H, & ANR agents, Program Assistant,& NEP Assistants
Date: On-going (2020-2024)
Author: Kendal Bowman
Major Program: Local Food Systems
Local farmers, proficient in cultivation and farm management, often face significant challenges when it comes to marketing and selling their products at farmers markets. The skills required for effective salesmanship and customer engagement at these markets are quite distinct from those needed in farming. As a result, many farmers find themselves unprepared to effectively attract and retain customers in these settings. This lack of marketing prowess can lead to missed opportunities for maximizin
