Extension
It Starts With Us
Improving Health and Wellness in Cumberland County
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Messenger; Hayward
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Food Preparation
Faithful Families
Real Skills for Everyday Life
According to USDA: Food Atlas, Cumberland County has 2 grocery stores, 8 convenience stores, 3 fast food restaurants and 6 full service restaurants. There is also 1 developing Farmer's Market. The USDA Food Atlas and National School Lunch Program Participation Rates also report that 73.4% of children in Cumberland County are eligible for free and reduced lunch. Furthermore, according to the 2013 County Health Rankings, 13.2% of adults have Diabetes and 33.4% of adults are obese in the county. Both of these rates are higher than the average for Kentucky.
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.
Family and Consumer Sciences Extension encourages families to make proactive choices to improve individual health and well-being, whether choosing a low fat, nutritious diet, increasing health literacy for chronic disease prevention, or participating in regular physical activity.
Increase consumer access to recipes that feature healthy choices and locally grown products.
Increase per person average of fruit and vegetable consumption by one or more servings per day.
Decrease food waste and spoilage.
Increase the number of meals prepared and eaten at home on average by one or more per week.
Youth will be food secure when school is not in session.
Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily.
Increase knowledge of money saving measures and put into practice to maximize resources.
Increase purchase and consumption of locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Improve food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and nutrition habits.
Redeem Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program benefit through SNAP and Senior Vouchers.
Youth who access other food sources when not in school through Summer Feeding Program.
Practice healthy lifestyle decision-making that strengthen individuals’ ability to cope with normal life stressors.
Adopt one or more short, mid and long term financial planning strategies.
Conduct educational programs, demonstrations, distribute samples and educational materials featuring locally grown foods and incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables.
Consumers will improve knowledge of the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables and locally grown foods.
Learn to incorporate unfamiliar foods or foods not currently eaten into a healthy diet.
Learn to grow, prepare and preserve food.
Understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being.
Learn about community support services to increase food security.
Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding healthy lifestyle choices, healthy aging and benefits of physical activity.
Teens and young adults will simulate life situations to recognize the 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.
Initial Outcome: Consumers will improve knowledge of the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables and locally grown foods and benefits of physical activity. Number of individuals reported increased level of understanding in the area of how to manage money to reach financial goals.
Indicator: Consumers will complete pre and post evaluations of the Plate It Up program, showing an improvement; Clientele will complete 24-hour recalls and behavior checklists upon entering and graduating from the SNAP-Ed program, showing improvements in data. Program participants will complete pre and post-evaluations of Building a Healthy, Wealthy Future.
Method: Curriculum evaluation
Timeline: Completion of program
Intermediate Outcome: Increase purchase and consumption of locally grown fruits and vegetables. Improve food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and nutrition habits. Incorporate physical activity into daily routines. Adjust spending habits.
Indicator: Follow-up evaluations with consumers who participate in Plate It Up, Food Preservation and Food Preparation programs will show an increase in the number of locally grown foods purchased. They will also indicate more fresh fruits and vegetables eaten daily and an increase in the number of meals prepared and eaten at home on a weekly basis. Walking and physical activity logs will show an increase in activity. Number of individuals reporting intent to adjust at least one spending habit toward financial stability.
Method: Pre and post-evaluations and observation of hands-on activities/Program evaluation
Timeline: Completion of program
Long-term Outcome: Increase consumer access to recipes that feature healthy choices and locally grown products.
Increase per person average of fruit and vegetable consumption by one or more servings per day.
Decrease food waste and spoilage.
Increase the number of meals prepared and eaten at home on average by one or more per week.
Number of individuals who implemented at least one strategy to reduce expenses or manage money.
Indicator: Pre and post-evaluations of programs
Method: Pre and post-evaluations, testimonials and observation during programs and hands-on activities
Timeline: Following program completion and 3-6 moth follow-ups
Audience: NEP participants
Project or Activity: Adult group programs
Content or Curriculum: Nutrition Education Program educational materials
Inputs: SNAP-Ed assistant, recruited volunteers, NEP program grant and reimbursement funds for demonstration supplies, meeting areas in collaborating agency facilities
Date: Spring and Fall
Audience: Farmer's Market vendors and consumers
Project or Activity: Demonstration and sampling
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up and NEP
Inputs: Extension staff, Farmer's Market space, SNAP-Ed reimbursement for demonstration and sampling
Date: May-August
Audience: Cumberland County Adults
Project or Activity: Food Preservation classes
Content or Curriculum: Food Preservation curriculum
Inputs: Extension staff
Date: July-yearly
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Nutrition lessons
Content or Curriculum: LEAP; Wellness in Kentucky; MyPlate; Grow it, Try it, Like it; Yummy Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP-Ed Assistant, local daycares, HeadStart, Elementary School, Cumberland County Middle School, Fruit and Veggie Bingo Cards
Date: In school- August-April; Daycares- monthly
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Health and Wellness Challenge
Content or Curriculum: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices Curriculum; Dining with Diabetes Curriculum; Couch Potato Curriculum; Body Balance
Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP-Ed Assistant, Health Department/Diabetes Educator, Cumberland County Health Coalition
Date: Fall 2019
Audience: Senior Citizens
Project or Activity: Matter of Balance
Content or Curriculum: Matter of Balance Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff, Volunteers, curriculum
Date: Fall 2019
Audience: CCES 5th Grade Students and High School Seniors
Project or Activity: Building a Healthy, Wealthy Future
Curriculum: Building a Healthy, Wealthy Future, Good Credit Game and Real Skills for Real Life Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff, FRYSC, school staff, curriculum
Date: Fall 2019 and Spring 2020
Audience: Cumberland County Adults
Project/Activity: Mastering Food Choices
Curriculum: Mastering Food Choices
Inputs: Extension Staff, Grocery Stores, curriculum
Date: Fall 2020
Audience: Cumberland County Middle School Lunchroom Staff and Youth
Project/Activity: Smarter Lunchrooms
Curriculum: Smarter Lunchrooms
Inputs: Extension Staff, CCMS Staff, curriculum
Date: Fall 2019
Author: Deborah Messenger
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Studies document that children and families have increased struggles with food insecurity during the summer months and that students actually lose academic ground throughout the summer. The "Family, Food and Fun" program was conducted through June and July at Burkesville Housing Authority. The goal of the program was to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables in both youth and adults to help decrease food insecurity during the summer months. Families learned proper gardening ski
Author: Deborah Messenger
Major Program: Food Preparation
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture offers an annual competition at the KY State Fair entitled Kentucky Farm to School Junior Chef. This cooking competition is statewide for high school students who compete at the county, area and state level. Junior Chef allows competitors the opportunity to learn and practice valuable skills in food preparation, marketing, recipe development, team work, public presentation and community involvement. Also, the competition showcases local agriculture and prod
Author: Deborah Messenger
Major Program: Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, staff at the Cumberland County Extension Office wondered how they were going to reach clientele. After seeing and hearing about other counties offering to-go bags with all sorts of activities in them, the Family and Consumer Science and Agriculture and Natural Resources Agents along with the SNAP-ED assistant decided to give them a try. The first bags (20) were prepared on March 30th for no contact pick up on the office porch. Each week since, the staff have prepa
