Nutrition and Food Matters And Healthy Family (Community) through Healthy IndividualsPlan of Work

Back to Plans for the County

Boyd County CES

Title:
Nutrition and Food Matters And Healthy Family (Community) through Healthy Individuals
MAP:
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Agents Involved:
Doucet, Harned, Stahler
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Health
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Substance Use Prevention and Recovery General
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Nutrition and Food Systems General
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Building Healthy Coalitions
Situation:

Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates and encompasses: physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion.   In Kentucky 37% of youth 10-17 are overweight or obese, and 51% report not exercising regularly. 25% of youth report some form of emotional or behavioral condition and suicide rates are at record high (KY suicides per 100,000 people: 15.3, 10th highest in nation). Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health disease can affect anyone, with 1,160 reported opioid-involved deaths (a rate of 27.9 deaths per 100,000 persons) in Kentucky and Vaping nearly doubled among middle and high school students — with 27% of high school seniors reporting they had tried the product in 2018.


The health and wealth of Boyd County lies within the choices families make on a daily basis. People are living longer. Kentucky’s current population of seniors (65+) is 13.3%, a number that is expected to double in the next 40 years due to the aging Baby Boomers (post WWII babies born between 1946-1964). Approximately 25% of Kentucky’s population includes Boomers, who, in 2011, started turning 65. KentuckyHealthFacts.org reports that in Boyd counties 48,832 residents 39% of adults are obese, 74% of adults are overweight and that only 9% of the population reports fruit and vegetable consumption. County health and Community productivity relies on the overall health of families and individuals. Meanwhile, babies born in Kentucky in 2011 are projected to live to be 75 years old (3 years younger than the national average). Whether it is the graying of America or extended life expectancies, aging is a lifespan process. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate the changes that accompany aging, in regard to health, independence and life quality throughout all stages of life. Managing finances plays an integral part in being able to live and manage health in all stages of life. The goal is to develop programs that help individuals, families and communities manage the challenges and discover the positive aspects of life transitions while growing older and acquiring or maintaining physical and financial health.



Goals:

•Apply knowledge and skills to think critically, to solve problems, and to make informed decisions regarding healthy lifestyle choices.

•Reduce chronic disease risk, debilitation, and premature death by practicing healthy lifestyle choices.

•Strengthen family nurturing attitudes and behaviors by caring for the health and well-being of each individual throughout the lifespan.

•Foster the optimal development of children and youth.

•Practice wise parenting skills.

•Build community capacity to nurture all families through appropriate collaborations and programs.

•Individuals and families will demonstrate financial literacy and sound basic financial practices

•Teens and young adults will improve financial literacy and appraise workforce preparedness

•Create safe homes in environments that promote and support the physical and mental well-being of families throughout the lifecycle.

•Improve the built and natural environment to increase active and healthy lifestyles.

•Apply skills of food resource management, food safety, and food preparation to afford healthy, nutritious food choices.

Long-Term Outcomes:
Intermediate Outcomes:



Initial Outcomes:

Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding: Healthy lifestyle choices, Childhood and youth obesity, Adult weight management, Healthy aging, Practice and promotion of daily physical activity.

Change in awareness, knowledge, and aspirations related to healthy aging, independent aging and quality aging in the areas of : Risk of falling, Healthy eating and food safety, Financial Planning, Age-related family issues (e.g. dementia, power of attorney, living wills, failing health, end-of-life), Teenagers and adults will show increased knowledge and skills related to managing available financial and non-financial resources, Teens and young adults will simulate life situations to recognize importance of education and employability skills, Participants will identify short, medium and long term personal goals and objectives related to maintaining and improving their financial stability and physical health.

Evaluation:


Learning Opportunities/Programs for Agents



Initial Outcome: Knowledge Gained

Indicator: Increased knowledge related to healthy aging, independent aging and quality aging, what is healthy weight, interest in physical activity, and basic understanding of financial matters such as budget, savings, and understanding the importance of money.

Method: Written or Oral Evaluation, Pre and Post Test

Timeline: Immediate


Intermediate Outcome: Behavior Change

Indicator: Apply learned skills to make changes in behavior to decrease risk of falling, improve mental health, make healthy eating choices, increase in savings etc.

Method: Oral and Written Evaluations, Pre and Post Tests.

Timeline: 1-3 Years


Long-term Outcome: Changes in the aging across the lifespan of Boyd County residents

Indicator: Change in social, economic, and environmental issues related to healthy aging, independent aging and quality aging

Method: Noticeable changes in family relationships, and policy changes that promote healthy family relationships, decrease in number of low income families.

Timeline: 10 years



Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Limited resource individuals and families, Families with children, Seniors, Youth, Volunteers, Farmer’s Markets, Local Schools

Project or Activity: Conduct demonstrations, classes, and workshops, distribute information through media and social marketing, and provide exhibits, displays, educational materials, and curricula on topics including UK content and curriculum.

Content or Curriculum: •Farmer’s Markets• Gardening Programs• Food Preservation Programs• Food Preparation Programs• Local Food Systems (Farm to School, Farm to Institution)•KY Farm to School (F2S ) Curriculum• Literacy, Eating and Activity for Primary Youth Health (LEAP)•UK CES Nutrition Education Program. National 4-H Curriculum 

•Super Star Chef Goes to the Farmers Market• USDA materials

•Plate It Up KY Proud• Small Steps to Health and Wealth for Youth •Teen Cuisine • Organwise •Professor Popcorn• Grow It, Try It, Like It• Lunch from the Land

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers, Kentucky CES publications and resources, CAFE faculty in; Nutrition and Food Sciences, Agricultural Economics, Animal and Food Science, Horticulture, Local organizations such as KY Rivers Harvest

Date: Ongoing annual


Audience: Limited resource individuals and families, Families with children, Seniors, Youth, Volunteers, Farmer’s Markets, Local Schools

Project or Activity: Apply skills in food resource management, food safety, and food preparation to afford healthy, nutritious food choices

Content or Curriculum: •Home-based Microprocessing • Plate It Up KY Proud

•Food preparation programs• Food for Thought website• Champion Food Volunteers

•UK CES Nutrition Education Program• USDA materials• Steps to a Healthier Teen

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers, Kentucky CES publications and resources, CAFE faculty in; Nutrition and Food Sciences, Agricultural Economics, Animal and Food Science, Horticulture; Boyd County School systems, Ashland Independent School systems. Fairview Independent School systems

Date: Spring 2023-Fall 2026


Audience: Community volunteers, local businesses, local citizens,

Project or Activity: Work with River Cities Harvest, a local organization that collects excess food for distribution to pantries, shelters, kitchens, etc. that then give it out or prepare and serve it to the hungry in the community.

Content or Curriculum: Organization specific

Inputs: Extension agent, some facilities, volunteers,

Date: Year round


Audience: Limited resource individuals and families, Homemakers, Seniors, Shelter Occupants, Developmentally Challenged

Project or Activity: Conduct numerous demonstrations, classes, and workshops

Content or Curriculum: Various materials from various sources including but not limited to: UK Meats Lab; Kentucky Cattlemen's Association, Pork Producers and Poultry Producers; Agent Developed; Life Skills Related to Cooking

Inputs: Recipes, Cuts of Meat Posters/Handouts, UK Meat Science publications

Date:  Year round as needed and/or requested


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Program on custom meats - how to order carcass cut up, expectations of meat received, etc.

Content or Curriculum: Locally developed, in conjunction with meat specialist

Inputs: Facilities, agent and program assistant, local beef producers, local meat markets

Date: Fall 2023 or spring 2024


Audience: Extension Homemakers, but open to all county residents

Project or Activity: Multiple food demonstrations

Content or Curriculum: Self-developed following UK FCS guidelines for nutrition and safety

Inputs: Food materials, facilities to hold demos, agent to do demos.

Date: Spring 2023-Fall 2026


Audience: Families

Project or Activity: Family Mealtime

Content or Curriculum: Family Mealtime

Inputs: Agents, Assistants, community partners.

Date: Spring 2023-Fall 2024


Audience: Boyd County Citizens of all ages

Project or Activity: promoting local food systems

Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud; 

Inputs: Agents, farmers market, curriculum

Date: Spring 2023-Fall 2024


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: International Cooking Series

Content or Curriculum: Travel the World without Leaving Your Kitchen 

Inputs: Agent, Curriculum

Date: Spring 2023-Fall 2024


Audience: Middle School to high school-age youth

Project or Activity: Truth and Consequences: The Choice is Yours

Content or Curriculum: Truth and Consequences

Inputs: Agents, schools, community organizations, community partners

Date: Fall/Spring as requested


Audience: School Age Youth

Project or Activity: Dollars and Sense

Content or Curriculum: UK Recourses, Dollars, and Sense

Inputs: Agents, Specialists, teachers, Extension staff

Date: Annually


Audience: School Age Youth

Project or Activity: Reality Store

Content or Curriculum: UK Recourses, Reality Store

Inputs: Agents, Specialists, teachers, Extension staff

Date: Annually


Audience: Middle Schools

Project or Activity: Health/Nutrition Clubs

Content or Curriculum: National 4-H Curriculum

Inputs: Agents, teachers, school staff and administration, extension staff

Date: Annually




Success Stories

Pathways to Wellness

Author: Jacqueline Doucet

Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General

Health promotion programs have long focused on education about personal health behaviors like tobacco and alcohol use, diet, and physical activity. Health behaviors have an important role in health, but they are not the whole story. The conditions in the environments where people live, work, learn, and play have an even greater influence on one’s quantity and quality of life. These conditions, known as social determinants of health, include social and environmental factors such as housing,

Full Story

Meal Kits:Are They Worth It?

Author: Jacqueline Doucet

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

It is estimated that 20 percent of adults in the United States have tried at least one meal kit delivery service. With the demand for convenience in our society, meal kits seem to be the answer for grocery shopping, meal planning, and meal preparation. Anyone who has not tried meal kits might be interested in learning how meal kits work and whether they are worth the investment for preparing and consuming more meals at home. In response to this, the Boyd County Extension Office hosted the w

Full Story

Laugh and Learn Playdates

Author: Jacqueline Doucet

Major Program: Child Development General

Laugh and Learn Playdates Kentucky has reported that only 51% of children attending kindergarten in Boyd County are prepared and equipped to succeed. In many Kentucky counties, limited resources or the environment may serve as barriers to healthy lifestyle choices related to early childhood development and physical activity.  As an innovative strategy to improve early childhood development sk

Full Story

Stocking and Using Pantry Staples

Author: Jacqueline Doucet

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

The stocking and utilization of pantry staples have a profound impact on various aspects of daily life, including nutrition, convenience, financial well-being, and overall sustainability. By conscientiously maintaining a well-stocked pantry and incorporating pantry staples into regular meal planning, individuals can experience several positive outcomes.Nutritional Health:Access to a variety of pantry staples enables the creation of diverse and balanced meals, promoting better nutritional intake.

Full Story

Savvy Online Grocery Shopping

Author: Jacqueline Doucet

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

You can buy food from various locations - grocery stores, convenience stores, discount stores, and restaurants. A quickly growing option for food shopping is the online marketplace. Although online grocery shopping has existed since the early 2000s, it is gaining momentum with more online options and technology in our everyday lives. Consumers are interested in or choosing online grocery shopping, but may not understand the benefits, drawbacks, or important considerations of buying food this way

Full Story

Senior Residents Dealing With Personal Food Insecurity

Author: Lori Bowling

Major Program: Local Food Systems

Local senior residents are dealing with raising grandchildren or helping out family members more each year.  With local job opportunities only offering minimum wage or little more it is getting harder for young families and parents to provide for their families and there is an increase in generations of families combining resources to make ends meet.  One of those resources is everyday food costs.  For the past several years the Boyd County Extension Agent for Horticulture has wor

Full Story

Kentucky Double Dollars Sees an Increase in Redemption

Author: Lori Bowling

Major Program: Local Food Systems

The Kentucky Double Dollars program is a supplemental program for the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program that is offered through the Ky Department of Ag.  Any senior that receives the $50 voucher card for the SFMNP program is entitled to receive another $50 from the Double Dollars program.  The success of the SFMNP program in Boyd County is very successful and this past year the Double Dollars program saw an increase in redemption rates with a total redemption rate of 97%.  T

Full Story
Back to Plans for the County