Extension
It Starts With Us
Healthy & Safe Food Prep Methods; Farm-to-table; Farmer's Market; SNAP; Gardening; Food Dollars
Accessing Nutritious Foods
Tiffany Calvert, FCS Agent; Gary Druin, 4-H Agent; Greg Comer, ANR Agent
Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Home & Consumer Horticulture
Food Preservation
Farmer's Markets
Increases in obesity and diet-related diseases are major public health problems across Kentucky. Also, limited access to nutritious food and relatively easier access to less nutritious food may contribute to poor diets and, ultimately, to obesity and diet-related diseases. Another factor affecting Ohio County is the high number of low income/food stamp families. This is reflected in ~4300 students in Ohio County school system now being eligible for free breakfast/lunches while at school. Data from 2011 shows 1,959 children receive food stamps, up 16.9% from just 2 years prior.
Nutrition Education Programs (NEP) 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 training consumers and producers to maximize local access to food products from farm to table.
•Individuals will increase consumption of fruits and vegetables through home/ community gardens/ orchards and/or accessing the local Farmers’ Market
•Individuals will prepare meals at home 5 or more times a week
•Farmer’s Market vendors and home gardeners will increase variety of healthy fruits and vegetables available for consumption
•SNAP/ WIC voucher redemptions will increase at Beaver Dam Community Farmer’s Market
•Families will access more local foods
•Individuals/ Families will adopt one recommendation from the Dietary Guidelines
•Individuals engage in good food safety practices
•Individuals will grow, care for, produce and preserve foods from personal gardens/ orchards to gain access to healthy foods
•SNAP/ WIC voucher holders will have increased awareness of available fruits/ vegetables at B.D Farmer’s Market
•School age children will increase awareness of producing their own vegetables
• Students will recognize the importance of eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables
• Students identify and classify fruits and vegetables
• Increase will describe food preparation techniques
• Individuals will describe food safety practices
• Individuals will describe safe food preservation techniques
• Individuals will develop skills and knowledge to grow their own garden/ orchard
• Partners will recognize the need for community social, environmental, and policy systems to address efforts toward improving healthier lifestyles
• Families will recognize the local availability of safe, nutritious fruits & vegetables at Farmer’s Market
• Residents of housing authorities will recognize the value of “community gardens” for access to local vegetables
Outcome: Individuals will increase consumption of fruits and vegetables from home/ community gardens/ orchards and/or increase access to the local Farmers’ Market
Indicator: Increase in Sales at the local Farmer’s Market.
Method: Pre/ Post evaluation. Sales data collected from the Farmer’s Market.
Timeline: All year
Evaluation:
Outcome: Individuals/ Families will adopt one recommendation from the Dietary Guidelines
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported adopting at least one of the recommendations from the dietary guidelines.
Method: Pre/ Post evaluation
Timeline: All year
Evaluation:
Outcome: Individuals will describe safe food preservation techniques
Indicator: Increase number of program participants and individuals using Extension as a resource for food preservation
Method: Pre/ Post evaluations, Daily Service Log
Timeline: May - August
Long-term Outcome:
Indicator:
Method:
Timeline:
Audience: School Age Youth
Project or Activity: Farm to School
Content or Curriculum: SNAP Snack like a Super Hero, Plate-It-Up
Inputs: Extension Staff, County Homemakers, County Schools & Teachers, School News Broadcast Team, Local producers, Green River Area District Health Dept., Extension Resources, USDA Farm to School program, City & Government Officials
Date: Aug. – May
Audience: Low-Income Individuals/ Families, Families with Children
Project or Activity: Farmer’s Market, Children’s Farmer’s Market
Content or Curriculum: Plate-It-Up, SNAP, Food Preservation Programs, Homebased Micro-processing training
Inputs: Extension Staff, Local Producers, County Homemakers, Local Media (Radio, Newspaper, Facebook), Health Care Providers, KDA, KY Proud Produce Availability Sheets
Date: May - August
Audience: Youth and Adults
Project or Activity: Food Preservation Programs
Content or Curriculum: So Easy to Preserve, UK Food Preservation Program and Pubs
Inputs: UK specialist, FCS Agent, Ball Bluebook, Local Media
Date: May-August
Audience: Low-Income and Senior Housing residents
Project or Activity: Community Gardens
Content or Curriculum: ANR Publications, Ready Set Grow
Inputs: ANR and FCS Agent, KDA, SNAP, Local Housing Authorities, Senior Housing,
Date: April - August
Audience: School age children
Project or Activity: Community gardens at schools
Content or Curriculum: ANR Publications, Ready Set Grow
Inputs: ANR/ FCS Agents, KDA, SNAP, Public Schools
Date: April - August
Audience: Home gardeners
Project or Activity: Growing Your Own Vegetables
Content or Curriculum: UK pubs
Inputs: Agents, specialists
Date: Winter
Audience: Homemaker Garden Club
Project or Activity: Fruit/Vegetable Gardening
Content or Curriculum: ANR pubs
Inputs: Extension agents, specialists
Date: Various months
Author: Tiffany Calvert
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
National Kids County data from 2016 indicates 65% of Kentucky families “have all available parents in the workforce”. In addition, according to the USDA, for the first time ever, the amount spent eating out has surpassed what US consumers spend on food at home. Busy families can benefit in many ways from the year-round use of slow cookers. Slow cookers can lower stress levels, save time and money, provide nutritionally satisfying meals for a large family and even reduce energy c
Author: Tiffany Calvert
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
In a 2010, study by the Snack Food Association, 74% of consumers are trying to eat healthier. To educate individuals/ families on healthier options, the Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent utilized the “Snack like a Superhero” campaign. This Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education campaign was created to help limited resources families choose nutritious options.Over 700 students at Western and Wayland Elementary schools were served monthly food tastings, agricultu
Author: Gregory Comer
Major Program: Farmer's Markets
Farmers markets play an extremely important role for both farmers and consumers. They bring urban and rural communities together while creating economic growth and increasing access to fresh, healthy foods. USDA data show there are over 8200 Farmer’s Market listed in the National Farmer’s Market Directory nationwide, a 76% increase since 2008. The Beaver Dam Farmer’s Market flourished in 2017. The City of Beaver Dam invested more resources for advertising and
Author: Gregory Comer
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
Kentucky ranks third in the Nation with the highest number of overweight and at risk for overweight children and tied for 5th with the highest number of obese adults. Obese adults and youth are at risk for many chronic health conditions. To address this family issue, the Beaver Dam Community Farmer’s Market hosted the 3rd Annual “Children’s Farmer’s Market Day” The event this year was the biggest and the best yet. The &l
