Bell County CES

Title:

Accessing and consuming nutritious foods

MAP:

Accessing nutritious foods

Agents Involved:

Rebecca Miller, Stacy White

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

4-H Communications and Expressive Arts Core Curriculum

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Local Food Systems

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Food Preservation

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)

Situation:

Nutrition Education Programs help families and youth gain access to food and stretch food dollars; help 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.

With societal changes and cuts in school budgets, many schools have eliminated family and consumer science labs and no longer include or have decreased FCS or Agriculture instruction in the curriculum. In nutrition alone, the lack of basic life skills is evidenced by alarming rises in childhood obesity, poor diets of youth of all ages, and an over-reliance on packaged/fast food.

Those who seek information often turn to internet sources which may not be based in research. Decision-making may be based on product marketing claims, family tradition, myths, faulty information, and lack of knowledge. Today’s massive health and economic problems are due in part to the lack of instruction in the home by parents and in school through Family and

Consumer Sciences classes.

4-H offers projects in FCS and Agriculture which assist youth in becoming responsible and contributing members of the family and contributing members of Kentucky communities. At the same time, these life skills prepare youth for the families they will establish as adults.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Youth, adults and families will increase average fruit and vegetable consumption by 1 or more servings per day.

Clientele will improve food management skills and healthy eating habits.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Clientele will plant, harvest and preserve produce.

Clientele will apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy eating habits.

Initial Outcomes:

Clientele will understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being.

Clientele will learn to grow, prepare and preserve food.

Clientele will increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Clientele will increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management.

Indicator: Clientele will be able to select healthy foods, understand food safety, discover healthy food sources.

Method: Written or oral evaluation

Timeline: 3-4 months

Intermediate Outcome: Clientele will plant, harvest and preserve produce. Clientele will apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy eating habits.

Indicator: Clientele will prepare or preserve food that they have grown and harvested themselves, using research-based Extension materials.

Method: Group discussion, follow-up phone calls

Timeline: 6-12 months

Long-term Outcome: Clientele will improve food management skills and healthy eating habits.

Indicator: A percentage of clientele will successfully access nutritious foods from local food systems and manage a healthier diet, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.

Method: Farm and home visits, County Fair entries, follow-up phone calls

Timeline: 1-4 years

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Low-income families, youth, adults, seniors

Project or Activity: SNAP-Ed

Content or Curriculum: SNAP-Ed curriculum, Healthy Choices for Every Body

Inputs: SNAP-Ed Assistants, Agents, Cabinet for Health and Families, libraries, non-profit organizations, Family Resource Centers

Date: 2019-2020

Audience: Adults, homemakers, families

Project or Activity: Plate it Up!

Content or Curriculum: Plate it Up! materials/recipes, Kentucky Proud materials

Inputs: Kentucky Proud materials, UK specialists, Agents

Date: 2019-2020

Audience: Adults, Master Gardeners, volunteers

Project or Activity: Community Organic Gardening

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, UK Specialists, Master Gardeners curriculum

Inputs: Agent

Date: 2019-2020

Audience: Youth and families

Project or Activity: LEAP

Content or Curriculum: LEAP

Inputs: Schools, Family Resource Centers, SNAP-Ed Assistants

Date: 2019-2020

Success Stories