Extension
It Starts With Us
SNAP Education
Accessing Nutritious Food
Connor Cooper, Erika Wood, and Katie Jury, FCS and ANR Agent
Health
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Local Food Systems
According to the Americashealthranks.org, Kentucky adult obesity rates rank the fourth highest in the United States. Kentucky is the least inactive state, 49th overall in smoking, and 46th in drug deaths. The americashealthranks.org proves that Kentucky has many positives with different aspects in their health and safety. Some of those positives are the 11th in non-excessive drinking, 4th highest high school graduation, and 7th in safest state. The high school youth in Kentucky that had obesity in 2017 were 20%, 19% were not active during a week, and 28% drink one or more sodas a day. In 2019 Hopkins County had a 36% rate for obesity in adults and 30% physical inactivity according to countyhealthrankings.org. SNAP-Education programs help limited resource families increase access to affordable nutritious food, stretch food dollars, develop food preparation skills and improve food safety practices. SNAP-Education efforts also help communities address nutrition and obesity prevention issues related to the social, environmental, and policy work which supports limited resource individuals in making healthy lifestyle changes.
Individuals will reduce their risk for nutrition-related health problems.
Individuals will maintain a healthy weight.
Individuals will increase food availability by accessing additional healthy foods via community systems and personal productivity.
Community social, environmental, and policy systems will reinforce healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Individuals adopt one food resource management practice.
Individuals increase fruit and vegetable consumption, up to the recommendations given in USDA guidelines
Individuals utilize community support systems (farmers market, community gardens, WIC, food pantry, etc.) that provide access to healthy foods.
Individuals will grow, care for, produce and preserve foods from personal gardens and orchards to gain access to healthy foods.
Individuals will be able to identify the components of a healthy diet as defined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Individuals will describe food preparation techniques.
Individuals will identify food resource management practices.
Individuals will develop skills and knowledge to grow their own garden and/or orchard.
Initial Outcome: Individuals will describe food preparation techniques.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting an increase in knowledge related to food preparation techniques.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports.
Initial Outcome: Individuals will identify food resource management practices.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting change in knowledge related to food resource management practices.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports
Initial Outcome: Individuals will develop skills and knowledge to grow their own garden and/or orchard.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting positive knowledge change and skill development related to home gardening and orchard growing practices.
Method: Pre/post written evaluation. Garden Survey.
Intermediate Outcome: Individuals utilize community systems (farmers market, WIC, food pantry, etc.) that provide access to healthy foods.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting utilization of community systems that provide access to healthy foods.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports.
Intermediate Outcome: Individuals adopt one food resource management practice.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting adopting one or more practices to make food more affordable.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Garden survey. Web-NEERS reports.
Long-term Outcome: Individuals will increase food availability by accessing additional healthy foods via community systems (community gardens, WIC, food pantry, etc).
Indicator: Food insecurity decreases, and use of local means to obtain healthy foods.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Web-NEERS reports. Change in food security data from the Kentucky County Agriculture and Food Profiles (CEDIK).
Long-term Outcome: Individuals will reduce their risk for nutrition-related health problems.
Indicator: Individuals will report reduced nutrition-related health problems as a result of making healthy eating choices.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Change in health/disease data from Kentucky County Healthcare Profile Data (CEDIK).
Long-term Outcome: Individuals will maintain a healthy weight.
Indicator: Individuals will report sustained weight loss or healthy weight maintenance as a result of making healthy eating choices and physical activity.
Method: Pre/Post written evaluation. Change in BMI data from Kentucky County Healthcare Profile Data (CEDIK).
Audience: Schools
Project or Activity: Farm to School
Content or Curriculum: Farm to School Curriculum
Inputs: UK Extension Agents and State resources, NEP Assistant, and School System
Time Frame: October through April
Audience: Pre-school
Project or Activity: LEAP
Content or Curriculum: LEAP Curriculum
Inputs: UK Extension Agents and State resources, NEP Assistant, and School System
Time Frame: September through April
Audience: Limited Resource Families
Project or Activity: Home Vegetable Gardens/Vegetable Production
Content or Curriculum: Master Gardener, UK Ag Publications
Inputs: UK Extension Agents and State resources
Time Frame: Spring, Summer, Fall
Audience: Limited Resource Families
Project or Activity: Food Preparation and Preservation
Content or Curriculum: UK Food Preservation Curriculum, Master Food Preserver, Food preparation demonstrations
Inputs: UK Extension Agents and State resources, NEP Assistant and NEP resources
Time Frame: Spring, Summer, Fall
Audience: Limited Resource Families
Project or Activity: Plate It Up Kentucky Proud
Content or Curriculum: Plate It UP Kentucky Proud recipes
Inputs: UK Extension Agents and State resources, NEP Assistant and NEP resources, Farmer's Market
Time Frame: All Year
Audience: School Age Youth
Project or Activity: Food for Thought, Super Star Chef, and Glow Germ
Content or Curriculum: Better Bites, Super Star Chef, Hand Washing and Hygiene Publications
Inputs: UK Extension Agents and State resources, NEP Assistant, NEP resources and school system
Time Frame: Spring
Audience: Limited Resource Families
Project or Activity: Farmer's Market and Community Gardens
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Department of Agriculture, UK Ag Publications
Inputs: UK Extension Agents and State resources
Time Frame: Spring, Summer, Fall
Audience: 4-H Youth
Project or Activiity: Teen Conference, Health Day Camp, In School Clubs
Content or Curriculum: Manner's Lesson, 4-H Cooking 101-501
Inputs: UK Extension Agents and NEP Resources
Time Frame: Summer
Author: John (Connor) Cooper
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
Since July 1, Hopkins County 4-H has been hosting a weekly cooking show via Facebook. The idea behind these shows was to bring families together in the kitchen while supplying them with a healthy meal or snack that they could share together. Many of the recipes that we used were supplied by our NEP assistant. We tried to make sure our recipes came either from Cook Wild Kentucky, SNAP, or Plate It Up: Kentucky Proud. One parent told us “I have really enjoyed the Cook with Us Friday videos.
