Extension
It Starts With Us
Accessing Nutritious Food
Family Wellness
Linda Combs
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Food Preparation
Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
In Knott County 27.5% of children live in poverty. 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.
•County population will increase average fruit and vegetable consumption by 1 or more servings per day
•County residents will improve food management skills and healthy eating habits
•Youth will be food secure when school is not in session
•People accessing emergency food sources will select from nutrient dense items
County residents will:
•Access more local foods
•Plant, harvest and preserve produce
•Apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy eating habits
•Youth who access other food sources when not in school will be able to find resources.
•Households accessing emergency food sources will decrease.
County residents will:
•Understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being
•Learn to grow, prepare and preserve food
•Learn to incorporate unfamiliar foods or foods not currently eaten into a healthy diet
•Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management
•Learn about community support services to increase food security
Initial Outcome: Eat more fruits and vegetables
Indicator: observation, program evaluation tools
Method: pre and post tests, follow up evaluations, observations
Timeline: on-going
Intermediate Outcome: food management skills will improve
Indicator: less use of food banks, healthy eating, food safety is a priority
Method: pre and post tests, follow up evaluation, observation
Timeline: on-going
Long-term Outcome: less obesity and chronic diseases
Indicator: less use of food bank, county data health reports
Method: pre and post tests, evaluation, observation
Timeline: on-going
Audience: families
Project or Activity:Economical Entrees
Content or Curriculum: UK extension materials
Inputs: Brittany Bowling
Date: Oct 2018
Audience: families
Project or Activity: Meal planning and prep
Content or Curriculum: UK extension materials
Inputs: Kayla Watts
Date: Feb 2019
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: nutrition/food classes
Content or Curriculum: UK extension materials
Inputs: FCS agent
Date: on-going
Audience: families
Project or Activity: food safety/food preservation
Content or Curriculum: UK extension materials
Inputs: FCS agent
Date: on-going
Author: Linda Combs
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
During the 2017-2018 program year the Knott County Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program assistants (SNAP assistants) taught 171 limited resource families how to serve more nutritious meals, to keep foods safe, and to utilize local food resources efficiently. Of these 171 families 134 completed the program while 37 are continuing in the program. 69% of families made an improvement in the nutritional quality of their diet. 64% of families demonstrated an improvement in safe food handlin
Author: Chadwick Conway
Major Program: Ag Marketing
In today’s society, fewer children growing up in Eastern Kentucky have the opportunity to experience and gain knowledge in the food production industry. This is due to many of them being unaware of where their food is derived from and how it gets from one farmer’s field to a consumer’s table. By participating in Pumpkin Days as part of Mountain Ag Week at RCARS, children from the ages of three to six years old and their parents are able to receive an up close and personal look
