Extension
It Starts With Us
Accessing Nutritious Foods
Strengthening Families
Luci Hockersmith, Jessica Bessin, Dana Anderson
Food Preparation and Preservation
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Cook Together, Eat Together
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.
Families will:
* Increase average fruit and vegetable consumption by 1 or more servings per day
* Encourage and support more new mothers attempt to breast feed their babies and increase duration of breastfeeding to six weeks or more
* Improve food management skills and healthy eating habits
* Be food secure when school is not in session
* When accessing emergency food sources will select from nutrient dense items
* Local Farmers Markets will experience growth through increased customer presence
*Youth will internalize knowledge and applications of healthier habits therefore overall health of Mercer County
*Youth participating will increase their healthy food consumption in correct portions to decrease obesity and improve their lifestyles.
*Youth will decrease home accident rates due to safety education.
Families will:
* Access more local foods
* Redeem Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program benefit
* Plant, harvest and preserve produce
* Apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy eating habits
Number of:
* New mothers utilize community services to support breastfeeding, such as WIC breast pump services
* Workplaces and other organizations adopt policies supporting new mothers’ attempts to breastfeed
* Youth who access other food sources when not in school
* Households accessing emergency food sources
* Youth who participate in nutrition education lessons will make healthier food choices.
* Youth will utilize the principles of MyPlate
* Youth will practice home and farm safety skills.
* Youth will practice new healthy snack recipes.
* Families will gain knowledge of farmers market locations
* Families learn to grow and prepare their food
Youth will aspire to eat healthy snacks.
– Youth will gain knowledge about MyPlate.
– Youth will gain awareness of new fruits and vegetables.
– Youth will gain knowledge of correct portion sizes.
– Youth will increase knowledge of safety at home and on the farm.
– Youth will gain knowledge about staying home alone.
– Youth will aspire to share knowledge with family and friends.
Initial Outcome: Youth will have greater knowledge of MyPlate
Indicator: Knowledge gained on MyPlate
Method: Pre-Post Test
Timeline: in accordance with programming
Intermediate Outcome: Youth will consume healthier foods.
Indicator: Fruit and Vegetable consumption, Aspirations of food choices
Method: Self Reporting, Pre-post
Timeline: ongoing
Audience: Farmers Market members
Project or Activity: WIC and Senior Voucher Training programs
Content or Curriculum: WIC and Senior Farmers Market training program, Plate It Up!
Inputs: KDA information, Department for Public Health, CES Staff, CES Facilities
Date: Spring
Audience: 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: Foods Club
Content or Curriculum: 4-H and Extension Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP Ed Educator, 4-H Volunteers
Date: August - May
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Fresh to Table/Cooking Club at Farmers Market
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud, Farmers Market, Veggie Vouchers
Inputs: Extension Staff, NEP, Mercer Schools, Farmers Market Members, Volunteers, Sponsors
Date: June-August
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Burgin Family Nights
Content or Curriculum: Cook Together, Eat Together
Inputs: Extension Staff, NEP, Burgin FRYSC
Date: January-May
Audience: Inviduals and Families
Project or Activity: Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum: Publications, UGA-NCHFP, Trainings, Home-Based Micro-Processing
Inputs: Staff, NEP, programmatic materials, UGA-NCHFP
Date: May-August
Audience: Individuals/Volunteers
Project or Activity: Promoting Nutrition with Volunteers
Content or Curriculum: Champion Food Volunteers, KEHA leader lessons, publications, trainings
Inputs: volunteers, Extension Staff, community partners
Date: TBD
Audience: Adults and Families
Project or Activity: Adult/Families Projects/Curricula
Content or Curriculum: Healthy Choices for Every Body
Inputs: limited resource families, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, CES agents, NEP program assistants
Date: ongoing recruitment and implementation
Audience: Growers
Project or Activity: Produce Best Practices Training (PBPT)
Content or Curriculum: Produce Best Practices Training (PBPT)
Inputs: Horticulture agent
Date: TBD
Author: Luciana Hockersmith
Major Program: Family Development General
The Cooperative Extension Service of Mercer County continually seeks to expose new audiences to the resources available to all Kentuckians. The Mercer County Extension Agents for Horticulture and Family Consumer Sciences with the 4-H Youth Development Program Assistant teamed up to elaborate on existing programs to reach new clientele. Family pumpkin fun day, an event offered in the fall, taught families about how pumpkins are grown, the varieties available, and how to use them in preparin
