Jessamine County CES

Title:

Improving Home Life and Landscape

MAP:

Home Environment

Agents Involved:

Cathy Weaver, Steve Musen

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Horticulture, Consumer and Home

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Family and Consumer Science

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Food Preparation and Preservation

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Financial Education - General

Situation:

Jessamine County ranks in the top 10 fastest growing Kentucky communities.The median home value in Jessamine County is $173,949. Jessamine County home values have gone up 3.2% over the past year. Part of the value of any personal home is in the landscaping of the home. Not only does attractive landscaping add value to a property, but it also brings enjoyment to the individuals living in the home and provides a sense of pride throughout the community where the home is located. Many people consider yard work as a relaxing hobby, while others use work around the home landscape as a way to escape the pressures from work.

The recognition of the benefits of locally-grown foods in terms of superior flavor, food safety and availability of heritage and unique ethnic vegetable varieties has caused the popularity of community gardens to steadily increase, especially in urban and sub-urban areas. Home gardens and community gardens have grown in popularity in the past few years. The community garden concept is perhaps the most popular topic with groups at this time. As home lots become smaller, there are fewer possibilities for homeowners to have any appreciable garden. Extension continues to address the needs of these individuals by providing educational programming related to container gardening, raised bed gardens, and community gardens to assist homeowners to find ways to produce their own healthy foods.

How we live life is ever-changing but learning basic life skills is still as important as ever. Learning to practice healthy habits, select clothing to emphasize one’s best appearance, create and live within a budget, prepare nutritious meals safely, nurture children, create a safe and pleasant home environment, practice common courtesies, and form relationships with others—all of these skills are basic to everyday life. Many schools no longer include family and consumer sciences classes in the curriculum. Reality is that today’s youth and adults are busier than ever. Many of these basic life skills are not consistently taught to youth at home or at school. 4-H family and consumer sciences projects equip youth with these skills.

As we progress in to the 21st century a number of factors have gained prevalence within Family and Consumer Science driven by the increase of online and mobile shopping, the rise of video based at home tutorials, and the shifting family structures as evident by 17% of stay-at-home parents being fathers. The ever changing landscape of the family and the consumer highlights the need for a responsive and innovative FCS program while also providing the basic needs that all families have as they navigate lives many challenges. Kentucky 4-H Seeks to meet these needs through working with youth and families in a variety of situations to increase their consumer awareness, financial management, nutrition, culinary arts, textiles, housing, and human development. 

The year 2020 has presented many struggles within the home, especially in regards to money. In March 2020, nearly 40% of working Kentuckians applied for unemployment. Unemployment creates stressors within the home due to financial insecurity. The Jessamine County Extension FCS Agent will provide financial classes to support Jessamine County residents in recovering from the economic downfall of 2020. In addition to financial classes, food preservation classes will be taught to empower participants to grow a garden and preserve their food to save money. 

Long-Term Outcomes:

Community Members will have Home Lawn and Landscapes, Vegetable Gardens and Hobby Farms that are healthy, aesthetically pleasing, environmentally sustainable and productive.

• Community Members will produce healthy, aesthetically pleasing and productive lawns, gardens, orchards and landscapes.
• Community Members will use best Best Management Practices (BMPs) and proper use of pesticides to minimize environmental impact and poor food safety.
• Community Members will utilize soil testing to insure proper lime and fertilizer applications and avoid the negative environmental impact of over-fertilization.
• Community Members will enjoy the healthy benefits of spending time outdoors and consuming your own, locally-grown food products.  

Youth will:

• Be responsible and contributing individuals and family members

• Gain and maintain employment through life skill development

• Contribute to a safe and healthy home and community. 

Participants improve their overall financials.

Participants successfully find employment. 

Participants decrease their grocery bills by utilizing home-preserved foods.  

Intermediate Outcomes:

Community Members will have the skills to ensure that their Home Lawn and Landscapes, Vegetable Gardens and Hobby Farms will be healthy, aesthetically pleasing, environmentally sustainable and productive.

• Community Members have skills to produce healthy, aesthetically pleasing and productive lawns, gardens, orchards and landscapes.
• Community Members will have skills to use best Best Management Practices (BMPs) and proper use of pesticides to minimize environmental impact and poor food safety.
• Community Members will have skills to utilize soil testing to insure proper lime and fertilizer applications and avoid the negative environmental impact of over-fertilization.
• Community Members will have the skills to enjoy the healthy benefits of spending time outdoors and consuming your own, locally-grown food products.  

Youth will:

* Utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations

* Project a positive image and self-confidence

* Practice responsible consumer and financial decision-making

* Practice healthy eating choices

* Make choices that lead to responsible and beneficial results

* Adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employ-ability in the future

Participants create a budget. 

Participants demonstrate soft skills. 

Participants decrease unnecessary expenses.

Participants will preserve foods in their homes. 

Initial Outcomes:

Community Members will attend trainings to ensure that their Home Lawn and Landscapes, Vegetable Gardens and Hobby Farms will be healthy, aesthetically pleasing, environmentally sustainable and productive.

• Community Members will gain skills to produce healthy, aesthetically pleasing and productive lawns, gardens, orchards and landscapes.
• Community Members will gain skills to use best Best Management Practices (BMPs) and proper use of pesticides to minimize environmental impact and poor food safety.
• Community Members will gain skills to utilize soil testing to insure proper lime and fertilizer applications and avoid the negative environmental impact of over-fertilization.
• Community Members will gain skills to enjoy the healthy benefits of spending time outdoors and consuming your own, locally-grown food products.  

Youth will:

* Gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & Consumer Sciences projects and programs

* Understand the decision-making process

* Gain skills in setting a goal and developing a plan of action

* Learn to read and follow instructions

Participants learn how to create a budget.

Participants learn their habits and attitudes towards money.

Participants learn ten soft skills for employment. 

Participants understand the difference between low acid and high acid foods.

Participants understand the research-based steps of home canning. 

Evaluation:

Long-Term Outcome:

Home owners are able to add value to their property and adopt a project that offers stress relief to the individual.

Evaluation may be made through increased property values and long-term adoption of stress relieving activities.

A listserv of FCS class participants will be created and sent long-term follow-up evaluation to evaluate how many jars of canned foods were preserved, and changes in financials. 

Intermediate Outcome:

Adoption of various landscaping tools demonstrated and taught through extension participation including gardening, lawn care, tree care and home landscaping.

 A 3-6 month follow-up evaluation will be sent to participants to evaluate behavior changes. 

Initial Outcome:

 An evaluation will be given at the conclusion of programs to determine if knowledge change occurred. 

Program participation and followup questions are used as a guide to the immediate impact of the program. Followup questions to the office indicates adoption of the practice by individuals. Followup surveys, evaluations and visits from the agent will also be used to determine the initial success and/or impact of the program.

 Outcome to be Evaluated

o    Youth who engage in FCS project Work

  Indicator of Success for Outcome

o    Youth complete a FCS Project

Method of Evaluation

o    4-H Common Measures Universal Survey

Learning Opportunities:

Food Preservation Workshops
state-supported, research-based canning information will be used
audience: adults
Inputs: FCS Agent, canning publications, canning materials, state-supported curriculum
Time frame: Summer

Positive Employ-ability
state-supported FCS curriculum will be used
audience: adults and high school seniors
Inputs: FCS Agent and state-supported curriculum
Time frame: Late Spring/ early fall 

Where Does Your Money Go?
state-supported FCS curriculum will be used
audience: teenagers and adults
Inputs: FCS Agent and state-supported curriculum
Time frame: Fall and Spring (for teenagers), the beginning of the new year (for adults) 

Money Habitutdes
state-supported FCS curriculum will be used
audience: teenagers and adults
Inputs: FCS Agent and state-supported curriculum
Time frame: Fall and Spring 

(S,C,K)

* 4H Sewing projects - year

* 4H Cloverville - summer

* 4-H Garden Club

Project or Activity: Small-scale Home Gardening Training

• Audience: Homeowners, Community Garden participants, Hobby Gardeners
• Content or Curriculum: Small-scale Vegetable Production
• Inputs: U.K. Home Horticulture Specialists
• Date: Spring

Project or Activity: Fruit Tree Grafting Training

• Audience: Homeowners, Community Garden participants, Hobby Orchard Producers
• Content or Curriculum: Fruit Tree Grafting
• Inputs: U.K. Home Horticulture Specialists
• Date: Late Winter

Project or Activity: Tree Pruning Training

• Audience: Homeowners, Fruit Orchard Producers
• Content or Curriculum: Pruning Ornamental and Fruit Trees
• Inputs: U.K. Home Horticulture Specialists
• Date: Fall

Project or Activity: Small Fruit Production Training

• Audience: Homeowners, Fruit Orchard Producers
• Content or Curriculum: Small Fruit and Brambles Production
• Inputs: U.K. Home Horticulture Specialists
• Date: Winter/Spring

Project or Activity: Private Pesticide Applicator Certification Training

• Audience: Homeowners, Fruit Orchard Producers
• Content or Curriculum: Private Pesticide Applicator Certification Training
• Inputs: U.K. Entomology Specialists
• Date: Winter

  Consumer & Financial Ed. 

• Curriculum: 4-H Build a Million, Building a Healthy, Wealthy Future, Consumer Savvy, It’s Your reality , APES, Be the E 
• Training: Agent In-services 

  4-H Family Life

• Curriculum: Babysitting Basics, Fathers Reading Every Day
• Training: Agent In-services

 4-H Fashion

• Curriculum: Fashion Magic, Fashion Forward
• Training: Agent In-services

4-H Food Preparation & Nutrition 

• Curriculum: Super Star Chef, Teen Cuisine, 4-H Cooking, Jump into Food and Fitness, Put it up, International Foods, Exploring MyPlate, Wellness in Kentucky, What’s on Your plate, Literacy, Eating, and Activity for Primary (LEAP)  
• Training: Agent In-services

4-H Home Environment 

• Curriculum: Manners in the real world, Exploring your home, Living with others, where I live, in my home, Home energy detective 
• Training: Agent In-services 

4-H Needlework 

• Curriculum: 4-H Needlework Notebook
• Training: Agent In-services

 4-H Sewing & Textiles 

• Curriculum: Style Engineers, Keeping 4-H in Stitches. Up-cycle it, Steam Clothing,  
• Training: Agent In-services