Extension
It Starts With Us
Accessing healthy foods & improving local food systems
Local food system development
C. Durr, C. Hall, V. Holland, A. Holt, S. Lewis, W. Long, B. Pratt, M. Pearce and K. Smith
Local Food Systems
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Health 4-H Core Curriculum
Healthy residents and families are the cornerstone of strong communities. Access to healthy foods is a crucial component for overall health; however, there are many barriers to increasing access to healthy foods.
Lack of access to healthy foods in Louisville is well documented. In Jefferson County, 17.2% of the population is classified as food insecure, as compared to 16.4% of Kentuckians (Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap, 2015, p. 1). As described in the 2013 Louisville Food Demand Study, “…a report published by Community Farm Alliance concluded in 2007 that, ‘for many residents… it is hard to get good, healthy food at reasonable prices. There are not enough food stores in their communities and the food that is available is usually either low in quality, high in price or both. To make matters worse, many people… do not have access to vehicles, so they cannot drive to one of the few adequate food stores on their side of town, or to another part of Louisville where there are better food buying options…’” (p. 15).
In addition, there is a lack of local food in the food system while there continues to be an increasing demand from consumers, restaurants, retail outlets and institutions. It is anticipated that sales of Kentucky food products will grow from $14 million in 2014 to $24 million in 2020. Consumers and contract buyers lack year round safe access to locally produced and/or processed foods. By enhancing this important part of the economy, producers would have new market opportunities, strengthening the local food system.
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, paraprofessionals and volunteers are pivotal in influencing policies, systems, and environments and in training consumers and producers to maximize local access to food products from farm to table.
• Improved food management skills and healthy eating habits.
• Individuals will prepare meals at home 5 or more times a week.
• Communities sustain coalitions to address local food systems and policy changes are discussed to increase awareness and access.
• Strong and diverse local food systems are integrated into community development efforts.
• Increased number of people at a lower risk for serious disease and illness.
• Increase in the number of entrepreneurs, vendors, variety of local food products, sales and/or profits at farmer’s markets, road-side stands, or community supported agriculture.
• Maintain or increase consumer confidence/ demand in local foods.
• The instance of food insecurity will decline in the community.
• More local producers will earn certification(s) for: Redeeming USDA script (SNAP, WIC, etc.); selling and /or providing samples at farmer’s markets; microprocessing; Better Process Control School; and USDA GAP.
• More local producers will: apply food safety practices; create value added agricultural food items; and market agricultural products locally.
• Consumers will choose local food products when available; advocate for local food producers (i.e. feature on menus); and amend purchasing procedure to accommodate local food purchasing.
• Community coalitions are established to address access to local foods and utilization of local food.
• Individuals utilize community support systems (farmers market, community gardens, WIC, food pantry, etc.) that provide access to healthy foods.
• Individuals will grow, care for, produce and preserve foods from personal gardens and orchards to gain access to healthy foods.
• Number who apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy eating habits
• Number of youth who access other food sources when not in school
• Consumers and contract buyers can identify/ locate local food producers and processors
• Explain local food needs and purchasing procedures (i.e. quantity, quality, deliver, etc.)
• Individuals will locate community support systems (farmers market, WIC, food pantry, etc.) that provide access to healthy foods.
• Individuals will develop skills and knowledge to grow their own garden and/or orchard.
• Partners will recognize the need for community social, environmental, and policy systems to address efforts toward improving healthier lifestyles.
• Understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being
• Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management
Initial Outcome: Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management.
Indicator: Reported increase in knowledge and understanding
Method: Pre- and post-survey
Timeline: Before and after program
Intermediate Outcome: Number who apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy eating habits.
Indicator: Number applying improved skills and eating habits
Method: Survey
Timeline: After program
Long-term Outcome: Individuals will prepare meals at home 5 or more times a week.
Indicator: Individuals report preparing meals at home 5 or more times a week
Method: Survey
Timeline: After program
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Ag Field Day
Content or Curriculum: Project Wet; Farm to School; Plate It Up; Acres of
Adventure
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities
Date: September 2017 – October 2018
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Gardening / Container Gardens
Content or Curriculum: Farm to School; Acres of Adventures, Jr. Master
Gardener, Gardening
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, grants
Date: September 2017 – April 2018
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Afterschool cooking
Content or Curriculum: Jump Into Food & Fitness, Professor Popcorn,
Superstar Chef, MyPlate
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, grants
Date: September 2017 – May 2018
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Jr. MANRRS
Content or Curriculum: Jump Into Food & Fitness, MyPlate, Acres of
Adventure
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, grants
Date: September 2017 – April 2018
Audience: SNAP eligible clients
Project or Activity: Nutrition Education Program
Content or Curriculum: NEP Adult Curriculum
Inputs: Community organizations/NEP assistants, county
agents, NEP curriculum, KY CES publications &
resources
Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Nutrition Education
Content or Curriculum: LEAP, OrganWise, WIN, Professor Popcorn, USDA
Extension Resources, CES publications, MyPlate,
Superstar Chef
Inputs: Collaboration with JCPS, community centers, and other
youth community organizations, NEP assistants, county
agents
Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Farmers Market
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up KY Proud, Food Preservation, CES
publications
Inputs: Farmers Market, FCS agents, NEP assistants, Plate It
Up materials and CES publications, GAP training &
sampling certificates, FMPP grant
Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018 (growing & selling
season)
Audience: Seniors
Project or Activity: Food Nutrition Education
Content or Curriculum: USDA, Extension information, CES publications, Plate
It Up, Community organizations, local grocery stores,
all agents, Dining with Diabetes, Weight to Reality
series, food prep programs
Inputs: Community organizations, local grocery stores, all
agents
Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2020
Audience: SNAP – eligible adults/families; free-reduced lunch
eligible youth
Project or Activity: Community Garden implementation; school garden
Content or Curriculum: Master Gardener; Extension publications
Inputs: Master Gardener volunteers; specialists; content
curriculum
Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2020
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky CES publications and resources
Inputs: Public Library, community organizations and Farmers
Markets
Date: July 2017 – June 2018
Author: Phillip Long
Major Program: Sustainable Agriculture
The Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service partnered with Riverside, the Farnsley Moreman Landing, Louisville Metro Parks and Metro Councilwoman Cindi Fowler to co-host the second annual Family Farm & Forage Field Day on June 16, 2018. The goal is to highlight the importance of agriculture in a major city. Presenters from the University of Kentucky Extension, Kentucky State University Extension, and local non-profits related to agriculture rotated throughout the day at pre-deter
Author: Bethany Pratt
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Horticulture Agent for Jefferson County Extension has been leading a weekly gardening class at the Women's Healing Place campus in Louisville, Kentucky since 2015. The gardening classes teach women basic home gardening skills that are used to produce vegetables to supplement the three meals/day served at the center. In 2018, the Women's Healing Place wanted to expand their produce production potential by extending their growing season. The Hort. Agent involved the Natural Resource Co
Author: Caroline Durr
Major Program: Food Preservation
A 2018 report from the Community Foundation of Louisville and the Lift a Life Foundation, found that 44,000 Louisvillians live in food deserts, which have few fresh, healthy food options, and that 20,000 older residents live a mile or more from the nearest supermarket. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control determined that only 8% of adults in Kentucky were meeting the daily recommended fruit intake and only 6.3% were meeting the daily vegetable intake recommendation, lower than the natio
Author: Caroline Durr
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
According to the most recent data from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Service’s Report from December 2015, there were 110,516 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in Jefferson County (Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Data Book, December 2015). To bridge the gap between providing access to nutritious foods and a lack of knowledge regarding healthy food preparation, nutrition education programs have been designed and implemented. The Kentuck
Author: Caroline Durr
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
According to the Kids County Data Book published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in 2015, 17% of children in Jefferson County were living in food insecure households. Additionally, in 2009, 15.6% of elementary aged children in Kentucky were determined to be obese and only 21.4% of Kentucky adolescents reported being physically active for at least 60 minutes daily on each of the 7 days prior to the Youth Risk Behavior survey administered by CDC, Division of Adolescent and School Health. Obesity
Author: Stephen Lewis
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Bates Community Development Corp (BCDC) is a nonprofit that provides social services to the community for the purpose of combating blight and deterioration in Louisville. They have several programs to “compassionately meet human needs”, one of which is a Dare to Care food program. Recently BCDC was the recipient of a high tunnel greenhouse through the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) with the intention of using it to grow food and teaching children gardening skills durin
Author: Lawrence Caudle
Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
Cooking can be a daunting task, especially for youth who have little to no experience in the kitchen. Learning the different cooking utensils, safe cooking temperatures, safe storage duration, and reading a nutrition label can be overwhelming to a child, but the Super Star Chef Program takes the angst out of the cooking process. The Super Star Chef Program is a 3 day program that teaches youth ages 9-12 the importance of nutrition, but also the safety skills that go along with being in the kitch
Author: Valerie Holland
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
Despite a 2% decline in Jefferson County’s food insecurity rate over the last 5 years, local and national sources still identify high food insecurity issues in west Louisville. This national data shows a direct correlation between food insecurity and diet-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity. These same diseases afflict the residents of west Louisville area of Jefferson County. In west Louisville, 37% of the residents report having high blood pressure, 7
