Healthy Foods and Healthy Meals
Acessing Nutritious Foods
Reiss Baxter, Meagan Klee, FCS Agent
Local Food Systems
Health
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Cook Wild Kentucky
Casey County is set in south central rural Kentucky. Limited resources and education and lower social economic status contribute to 30.5% of families that fall below the poverty line. A total of 3,392 individuals receive SNAP (food stamps) and 2,400 identify themselves as food insecure. With over 80% of Casey County youth qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the entire school system implemented the Free School Lunch program for all students.
Casey County adults report having/suffering from poor or fair health (25.7%), hypertension (50.6%), obesity (39%), and/or diabetes (16.5%). Health resources are limited in the small rural community and not all community members are awareness of those available. Some are not obtainable due to lack of knowledge or lack of resources (i.e. funds, etc.).
- Participants lower their risk for nutrition-related health problems.
- Participants maintain health weight or reduce to a healthier weight.
- Participants will be less food insecure.
- Youth will maintain healthier weights.
- Youth will maintain healthier lifestyle.
- Youth and adults practice safe kitchen and cooking skills.
- Youth and adults practice healthy eating.
- Youth and adults make healthy at-home meals.
- Adults purchase fresh produce at Casey County Farmers Market.
- Participants will practice at-home food preservation.
- Youth and adults understand safe kitchen and cooking skills.
- Youth and adults understand MyPlate and the 5 food groups
- Adults understand where fresh and local produce can be purchased.
- Participants will understand how to preserve fruits and vegetables.
- Long-Term
- Number of youth who indicated they made healthy lifestyle choices as are result of what they learned through 4-H programming.
- Number of youth who indicated they increased their daily number of servings of fruits and vegetables eaten as a result of 4-H programs.
- Number of youth who indicated they made healthy lifestyle choices as are result of what they learned through 4-H programming.
- Number of youth who indicated they increased their daily number of servings of fruits and vegetables eaten as a result of 4-H programs.
Intermediate
- Number of youth who indicated “yes or usually” to the Common Measures Experience Survey Question #6 “Is 4-H A place where you get to figure out things for yourself?”
- Number of youth who indicated “yes or usually” to the Common Measures Experience Survey Question #13 “Is 4-H a place where you have a chance to be a leader?”
- Number of youth who indicated “yes or usually” to the Common Measures Experience Survey Question #6 “Is 4-H A place where you get to figure out things for yourself?”
- Number of youth who indicated “yes or usually” to the Common Measures Experience Survey Question #13 “Is 4-H a place where you have a chance to be a leader?”
Initial
- Number of youth who indicated they learned about healthy food choices through 4-H Method of Evaluation
- Number of youth who were educated on health and well-being through 4-H programs.
Audience: 5th Grade
Project/Activity: In-School 4-H Clubs/Enrichment
Content/Curriculum: Building a Healthy Wealthy Future
Input: Students will learn about MyPlate, healthy snacks, and healthy living through hands-on activities.
Date: September - April
Audience: Casey County Youth and Adults
Project/Activity: Cooking 101
Content/Curriculum: Cooking 101-401 Curriculum
Input: Community members will participate in periodic cooking classes providing beneficial cooking skills and kitchen safety.
Date: September – May
Audience: Producers/Clientele of the Casey County Farmers Market
Project/Activity: Promotion of nutritious food sources and healthy recipes
Content/Curriculum: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud recipes, SNAP-Ed resources
Input: Extension Staff will provide nutritional resources and healthy samples to farmers market producers and clientele.
Date: April – October
Audience: Casey County Youth
Project/Activity: Super Star Chef
Content/Curriculum: Super Star Chef Curriculum
Input: Youth will participant in a 2-day summer cooking class learning kitchen safety and cooking skills.
Date: Summer
Audience: Casey County Youth and Adults
Project/Activity: Hook to Cook and Field to Fork
Content/Curriculum: UK CAFÉ Curriculum and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife
Input: Extension Staff, Extension Specialists, KDFW
Date: Summer and Fall
Author: Meagan Klee
Major Program: Local Food Systems
“Farmers markets have become a critical ingredient to our nation’s economy, food systems, and communities. Connecting rural to urban, farmer to consumer, and fresh ingredients to our diets, farmers markets are becoming economic and community centerpieces in cities and towns across the U.S.” (usda.gov)In 2019 Casey County held a pilot Farmers Market to measure local interest and support for the program. The market was set up in a small parking lot beside city hall in downtown Li