Extension
It Starts With Us
Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle
Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle
4-H, FCS, ANR, assistant(s)
Health
Family and Consumer Science
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Food Preparation and Preservation
Healthy living encompasses many aspects including physical activity, personal safety, mental health, and addiction prevention. Russell County’s data profile shows that we exceed state and national incidence rates in obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, substance abuse, and overall healthy days (Kentucky Health Facts). Implementation of savings and retirement planning can also lead to overall life satisfaction and reduce stress in the family.
- Clientele maintaining positive health habits.
- Clientele lower their risk for serious illness and disease.
- Clientele lower their physical and emotional distress.
- Lower number of reported drug, alcohol, and tobacco use.
- Reduced fatalities on family farms and in the community.
- Clientele increase personal financial savings for emergencies and future needs.
- Clientele adopt behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle.
- Clientele report improved ability to cope with daily stress and distress.
- Clients adopt a physical activity plan.
- Clients choose healthy foods.
- Clients reduce risky behaviors.
- Clients develop and implement a personal and/or family savings plan.
- Clientele learn the consequences of risky behavior.
- Clientele can identify healthy ways to handle stress.
- Clientele can identify healthy foods and/or the three components of physical activity.
- Clients gain knowledge on budgeting, saving, investing, and long-term financial planning.
Outcome: adoption of healthy lifestyle and stress coping practices
Indicator: 1/3 of participants implement some aspect of healthy living and stress reduction
Method: self-evaluation and observation
Timeline: post-program
Outcome: adoption of safety practices
Indicator: 1/3 of participants implement knowledge gained on personal, farm, and internet safety
Method: observation, self-evaluation
Timeline: post-program
Outcome: gain skills in food preparation and food preservation
Indicator: 1/3 of participants learn and/or implement skills to prepare food for home consumption
Method: observation; self-evaluation
Timeline: post-program
Outcome: personal and family savings plans are implemented
Indicator: 1/3 of participants implement a financial management plan
Method: self-evaluation
Timeline: throughout and after the program
Outcome: substance abuse decreases
Indicator: reduction in drug and alcohol usage rates
Method: analysis of KIP data
Timeline: over many years
Outcome: Youth practice safety procedures and environmental stewardship
Indicator: Accident and environmental measures
Method: Observation, verbal and written evaluations
Timeline: Yearly
Audience: Youth
Activity/Project: Youth cooking programs
Content/Curriculum: KSF recipes; 4-H Cooking curricula
Inputs: volunteer leader, curricula, meeting space and cooking materials
Date: throughout program year (evenings and day camps)
Activity/Project: Youth nutrition education
Content/Curriculum: 4-H core curricula
Inputs: volunteers, curricula, materials, snack items
Date: September - February
Activity/Project: Resiliency and mindfulness
Content/Curriculum: 4-H health and fitness curricula; Mind Matters resources
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: throughout program year
Activity/Project: physical activity
Content/Curriculum: 4-H health core curriculum
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: throughout program year
Activity/Project: money management
Content/Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H and FCS financial management resources
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: as requested
Activity/Project: hygiene
Content/Curriculum: 4-H Health curricula
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: during school year
Activity/Project: Substance Abuse Education
Content/Curriculum: Health Rocks curriculum
Inputs: participants, volunteer leaders, curriculum
Date: school year and/or summer day camp
Activity/Project: Farm Safety Day
Content/Curriculum: Various Topics
Inputs: Participants, volunteers and Progressive Ag Foundation
Date: Fall Yearly
Audience: Adult and Youth
Activity/Project: Family Fitness Program
Content/Curriculum: Couch Potato Program or Get Moving KY
Inputs: participants, curriculum, incentive items
Date: TBD by FCS agent
Activity/Project: Substance Abuse education
Content/Curriculum: FCS specialist information
Inputs: participants, curriculum, flyers, meeting space
Date: TBD by FCS Agent
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: LEAP
According to the 2022 Kentucky Kids Count data, Russell County ranks 93 of 170 in school district rankings for kindergarteners’ readiness to learn and 77 of 120 in having children in poverty. These statistics directly reflect students in Head Start, which is a program geared towards providing kindergarten preparedness to low-income families.Russell County Family and Consumer Science Agent, Megan Gullett, in partnership with Russell Springs Head Start, Jamestown Head Start, and Elevated Chi
Author: Christina A. Martin
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
Nutrition education and healthy lifestyles were identified by local leadership councils to be an educational priority for youth to help combat obesity crisis in the state. According to the Trust for America’s Healthy Survey and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kentucky’s obesity rate for children ages 10-17 has increased to over 21%. Instructing children with the aspects of healthy nutritional choices at a young age is critical to addressing issues of weight. The
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Charcuterie boards became popular in 2020 with popularity increasing in 2021 and continuing into 2022 and 2023. The popular charcuterie board commonly contains an appealing spread of cheeses, meats, fruits, vegetables, and dips. The word “charcuterie” is derived from a French word referring to a delicatessen specializing in dressed meats and meat dishes or the products sold in such a shop. The charcuterie boards that are currently popular have deviated from both the historical meanin
Author: Jonathan Oakes
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The Russell County landscape is home to an assortment of terrains. The county is home to large amounts of farmland, woodlands, streams, rivers and a large lake. Russell County Extension Office held its annual Progressive Farm Safety Day in conjunction with the Progressive Ag Foundation and hosted approximately 220, 3rd grade students from the county. The farm safety day was also attended by approximately 40 teachers, and community volunteers to help make the day a success.This
Author: Jonathan Oakes
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Charcuterie boards became popular in 2020 with popularity increasing in 2021 and continuing into 2022 and 2023. The popular charcuterie board commonly contains an appealing spread of cheeses, meats, fruits, vegetables, and dips. The word “charcuterie” is derived from a French word referring to a delicatessen specializing in dressed meats and meat dishes or the products sold in such a shop. The charcuterie boards that are currently popular have deviated from both the historical meanin
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
The Russell County landscape is home to an assortment of terrains. The county is home to farmland, woodlands, streams, rivers, and a large lake. Russell County Extension Office held its annual Progressive Farm Safety Day in conjunction with the Progressive Ag Foundation and hosted approximately 220, 3rd-grade students from the county. The Farm Safety Day was also attended by approximately 40 teachers, and community volunteers to help make the day a success.This year at the safe
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation
In Kentucky, 12.9 million acres are utilized in formal farm operations (nass.usda.gov), with a growing usage of smaller properties being used to grow farm commodities. Rural counties, such as Green, Adair, and Russell, have a growing population that utilizes property to grow their crops, then processes the crops for personal consumption. Canning, a method of food preservation, was taught by the Russell, Adair, and Green County Family and Consumer Science Agents to instruct on proper food safety
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
According to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health in 2021, 23.05% of people in Kentucky report a mental illness of any kind in the past year (defined as having a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder, other than a developmental or substance use disorder). 4 in 10 adults in the US have at least one chronic disease, and 6 in 10 have two or more chronic diseases according to the CDC. Some of the key lifestyle risks for chronic disease are lack of physical activity and poor nut
