Extension
It Starts With Us
Farmers Market, Home Gardens & Food Preservation
Assessing Nutritious Foods
Natasha Lucas, Crystal Osborne, & Paul Sizemore
Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Home & Consumer Horticulture
Farmer's Markets
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
The obesity epidemic threatens the quality and years of life of Kentuckians. Obese individuals are at increased risk for many chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancers. The obesity rate in Kentucky increased 90 percent over the last 15 years. In Owsley County, 32.7% of adults are considered obese.
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. According to the 2010 Census, Owsley County's population is 4,755 with 585 children living in poverty and 44.3% of seniors age 65 & over also living in poverty. In 2011,2,473 individuals received SNAP benefits. Owsley County ranked 120 out of 120 counties as the least healthy county in KY according to the "The Health of Kentucky: A County Assessment". This tool reveals that our county has an extremely high rate of cardiovascular deaths and lack of physical activity among adults. Owsley County school children receive free school lunches at our local elementary school and 93.62% receive free school lunches.
Since the tobacco buy-out, most local farmers have turned to vegetable crop production for home and commercial horticulture. Crops include cabbage, pepper, strawberries, corn, beans, melons, brambles, forages and various fruit trees.
*Increase average fruit and vegetable consumption by 1 or more servings per day.
*Improve food management skills and healthy eating habits.
*Youth will be food secure when school is not in session.
*Agricultural producers will manage their operations in a more profitable manner as well as increase the quality of the products they are producing.
Number who:
*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.
*Apply improved changes related to obesity and healthy eating.
*Increase their understanding of pesticide usage.
*Increase their agricultural diversification operations.
Number of:
*Youth who access other food sources when not in school.
*Households accessing emergency food sources.
*Increase knowledge of new and improved skills for increased profitability.
*Understanding the direct market approach.
*Understanding the diversity in small enterprises.
*Increase knowledge of better management practices and conservation related to their enterprises.
Outcome: Owsley County participants will increase their practice of eating a variety of locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Indicator: The number of participants that grow their own garden, preserve their own food and utilize local vegetables in their daily meals.
Method: Pre and post tests, personal testimonies, observations, & surveys
Timeline: On-going. Follow-up evaluations conducted after a 3 month period and one year of the program.
Outcome: Number of participants that increase their farm profitability.
Indicator: Percentage of program participants that show changes.
Method: Observations and surveys.
Timeline: FY 2017-2018
Audience: Farmers, Farmer Market Vendors, Home, Community & Commercial Gardeners, Community Members, individuals, low income, youth, families, health professionals, schools, service agencies, businesses, community coalitions and organizations.
Project or Activity: Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program
Content or Curriculum: EFNEP Curriculum, Literacy, Eating & Activity for Pre-schoolers (LEAP), & Organwise
Date: FY 2017-2018
Project or Activity: Supplemental Nutrition Education Program
Content or Curriculum: SNAP-ed Curriculum, Wellness in KY (WIN), Professor Popcorn, & Literacy, Eating & Activity for Pre-schoolers (LEAP)
Date: FY 2017-2018
Project or Activity: Super Star Chef
Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef
Date: FY 2017-2018
Project or Activity: Lunch-N-Learns
Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, KEHA lessons, curriculum & materials, etc.
Date: FY 2017-2018
Project or Activity: Farmer's Market Food Sampling & Taste of the Month
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up, KY Proud Resources
Date: FY 2017-2018
Project or Activity: Food Preservation Workshops
Content or Curriculum: UK publications
Date: Summer/Fall 2017
Project or Activity: Farm to School Lessons
Content or Curriculum: Farm to School Curriculum
Date: FY 2017-20178
Project or Activity: Fruit & vegetable production programs.
Content or Curriculum: Beginning Gardening, pest control, proper use of pesticides, small and large scale production and direct marketing.
Date: Spring 2017-2108.
Audience: 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: Put It Up Food Preservation for Youth
Content or Curriculum: Put It Up Food Preservation curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent, curriculum
Date: Summer 2017
Author: Paul Sizemore
Major Program: Sustainable Agriculture
With the increased numbers of clientele wanting to preserve their own food and to bring back heritage commodities, The Owsley County Cooperative Extension Service offered a Country Ham Curing class. Based on the high amount of questions and curiosity from adults, the agents joined to offer “curing country hams” workshops for adults and Youth. Over the last two years a total of 44 adults and 12 youth have participated in the workshops. Owsley County adults reminisced about their grand
Author: Paul Sizemore
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Growing fruit trees and producing fruit at home has not only been a hobby of many locals in this region for many years but is also provides healthy and nutritious food in the long run. Fruit trees bought can range in price from $20 to $30 each plus shipping and handling charges. Growers can graft fruit trees onto roots that are better adapted to this area for as little as $1 to $2 per tree. The Owsley County Extension Office has provided fruit tree grafting workshops for years. In 2018 65 partic
Author: Crystal Osborne
Major Program: Food Preservation
In recent years an increased interest in preserving foods like our ancestors did a long time ago has prompted the Owsley County Cooperative Extension Service to offer classes to teach adults and youth to do just that. Country Hams are one of those things that were unique to the Southeast Region of the United States and more specifically to Owsley County but has not been practiced for many years. Owsley County Cooperative Extension Service offered a family class to families wishing to learn the t
