Extension
It Starts With Us
Fostering Healthy Communities and Families
Fostering Healthy Communities and Families
Amanda Sears, Brandon Sears, Julia Reid, Scott Darst, Jessica Hunley
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Family and Consumer Science
Health
Local Food Systems
According to the Kentucky Extension Community Assessment Madison County Report (2019), the highest ranked issue of importance was fewer chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.). Additionally, the following issues were ranked with high importance: fewer overweight or obese youth and adults; more sources of buying safe, affordable, fresh local foods; safer use of prescription medications; better use of food safety practices (hand washing, storage, preservation, etc.); more sources for buying safe, affordable, fresh food; and more individual physical activity opportunities.
Youth participants will maintain positive health habits, lower their risk for serious disease and illness, and will lower their risk for physical and emotional distress. Youth will also develop into competent, capable, contributing adults as their important developmental asset needs are met through their participation in 4-H.
Youth will learn safe and responsible use of firearms and archery equipment. In doing so, youth will lower the risk of injury as well as increase their knowledge of handling a firearm in several different disciplines.
Madison County Residents will have increased awareness of our local food economy, practice physical activity and healthy eating, increase their skills and knowledge in food preparation, and increase their average fruit and vegetable consumption.
Families are able to practice parental leadership skills, build personal strengths, interpersonal communication, life skills including wise decision-making, access community resources and improve quality of life.
Youth will adopt and master healthy behaviors that lead to a positive lifestyle, not engaging in risky behavior and handling stress.
Youth will master skills to construct healthy and cost-effective meal plans, as well as select and prepare nutritious foods.
Youth will develop life skills through shooting sports.
Youth will experience a sense of achievement therefore increasing the child’s self-esteem.
Residents will increase the amount of food they purchase locally.
Increase in residents growing their own food in a garden.
Parents and grandparents increase communication and enhance relationships and social support, reduce stress levels, make wiser decisions about money and time management, and use preventive and positive discipline techniques.
Youth will identify safe lifestyle choices, understand risky behaviors and their consequences, and identify healthy ways to handle stress.
Participants will change their awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding: Healthy lifestyle choices, Adult weight management, Healthy aging, Aware of importance of daily physical activity, Reduction of chronic disease, Risk of falling, Healthy lifespan behaviors, Empathy, and Age-related family issues such as dementia, failing health, and end-of-life concerns.
Parents will learn about community support services, hold realistic behavior expectations, understand discipline vs. punishment, and practice stress management techniques.
Residents will learn more about where their food comes from.
Residents will know where the two Farmer's Markets are in the county.
Residents learn about gardening.
Outcome: Youth will adopt and master healthy behaviors that lead to a positive lifestyle, not engaging in risky behavior and handling stress.
Indicator: Percentage of youth participants who can identify where germs are located, acknowledge that some germs can make people sick, and know when times in the day when hand washing is needed.
Method: Healthy Habits Evaluation
Timeline: Soon after the conclusion of all cooking programs.
Outcome: Youth will adopt and master healthy behaviors that lead to a positive lifestyle, not engaging in risky behavior and handling stress.
Indicator: Percentage of youth participants who can identify healthy behaviors, who report avoidance of risky behaviors, and identify stress in themselves and others.
Method: 4-H Common Measures Survey: Health
Timeline: Soon after the conclusion of the program.
Outcome: Youth will develop life skills through shooting sports.
Youth will experience a sense of achievement therefore increasing the child’s self-esteem.
Indicator: Percentage of youth who increase in their individual scores.Number of youth who reach their individual goals.
Method: Score sheets and records
Timeline: Annually
Outcome: Participants make healthy lifestyle choices including exercising, drinking adequate water, consuming fruits and vegetables and planning meals.
Indicator: Number of participants who report achieving outcomes.
Method: Surveys
Timeline: After the conclusion of each program
Outcome: Residents will know where the farmer's markets are located, understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being, and begin to grow, prepare, and preserve food. Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management. Participants will also learn about community support services to increase food security.
Indicator:Percentage of farmers market vendors who experience an increase in sales based on Extension programming efforts.
Method: Vendor surveys
Timeline: End of growing season on an annual basis
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Madison County 4-H Shooting Sports
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Shooting Sports program
Inputs:Volunteer time, 4-H Agent time, funding, equipment, curriculum
Date: Annually
Audience: Youth ages 5-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Nutrition workshops
Content or Curriculum: Exploring My Plate, Think your Drink, SNAP
Inputs: 4-H Agent time, volunteer time, funding, curriculum, equipment, meeting
Space, Blender Bike
Date: Year Round
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Grilling Club
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum, Kentucky 4-H Livestock Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent time, funding, curriculum, equipment, ingredients
Date: Spring
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: After School Fitness Clubs
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum, Spark
Inputs: 4-H Agent time, funding, curriculum, equipment, meeting space
Date: Annually
Audience: Nutrition Education program clientele
Activity: classes and promotions
Content: NEP curriculum, Super Star Chef, Teen Cuisine, LEAP
Inputs: NEP resources and incentives, FCS Agent, FCS/ NEP assistant, agent and assistant time and travel
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Parents and Grandparents
Activity: Grandparents as Parents group and conference, parenting classes.
Content: Parenting curriculum
Inputs: Speakers time, supplies and samples, assistant and agent time and travel.
Date: year round
Audience: Extension Homemakers
Activity: Extension Homemaker educational activities
Content: FCS curriculum, volunteer knowledge
Inputs: FCS Agent, Extension resources, volunteer hours, supplies, staff time and travel, community resources
Date: year round
Audience: General public
Activity: Homemaker leader Lessons
Content: Leader Lesson Curriculum
Inputs: Leader Lesson Curriculum, FCS Bluegrass Area agents time and travel, newspaper articles, volunteer time, samples
Date: Fall through Spring, monthly
Audience: Extension Homemakers and public
Project or Activity: Local Foods Awareness
Content or Curriculum: maintain list of local growers and products
Inputs: County office staff and agents, farmer’s market vendors, Horticulture and Agriculture Agents
Date: Fall, Annually
Audience: Madison County Residents
Activity: Farmer’s Market Promotion Activities
Content: UK and KDA
Input: County Office and Staff
Date: Late winter through fall
Audience: Madison County Residents
Activity: Educational opportunities about gardening (vegetable and fruit)
Content: UK, other land grant institutions
Input: UK, other land grant institutions
Date: Throughout year
Audience: Madison County Residents
Activity: Educational materials about how beef is produced, processing and its distribution
Content: UK Beef IRM, Extension publications, articles and other exclusives shared through email and other social media
Input: UK Extension Beef Specialists, Agent
Date: Throughout year
Audience: Madison County Residents
Activity: Health Fair
Content: health screenings, vaccine prevention, local medical information distribution
Input: community partners, UK healthcare, Extension
Date: Fall 2023
Author: Julia Reid
Major Program: Agriculture & Natural Resources
Madison County Extension Seed Library According to betterhealth.vic.org, youth learn about responsibility, self-confidence, nutrition, physical activity, and reasoning from gardening! While youth may receive all of these benefits from starting a garden, gardening with a caring adult or as a family would allow for increased time together, and support healthy relationships. As an extension staff comprised of a horticulture agent, agriculture and natural resources agent, family and consumer sc
Author: Jessica Hunley
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Madison County Extension Seed Library The Madison County Extension Agents wanted to help address a multi-faceted need within the community. According to betterhealth.vic.org, “youth learn about responsibility, self-confidence, nutrition, physical activity, and reasoning from gardening!” While youth may receive all these benefits from starting a garden, gardening with a caring adult or as a family would allow for increased time together, and support healthy relationships, as well
Author: Amanda Sears
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Nearly 14% of Madison County residents are food insecure. That means they are uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food. (www.kaco.org and www.feedingamerica.org). With increasing food prices and supply chain issues, this problem has the potential to get worse.People are looking for ways to stretch their dollar and to become more self-sufficient.The Madison County Extension Office offered free seeds to the public this year. The staff created a “seed library” in the
Author: Brandon Sears
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Nearly 14% of Madison County residents are food insecure. That means they are uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food. (www.kaco.org and www.feedingamerica.org). With increasing food prices and supply chain issues, this problem has the potential to get worse.People are looking for ways to stretch their dollar and to become more self-sufficient.The Madison County Extension Office offered free seeds to the public this year. The staff created a “seed library” in the
Author: Jessica Hunley
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Madison County Youth and Families are in need of more hands on skills and exposure to prepare foods both inside and outside of the kitchen. Madison County 4-H and Madison County Extension FCS Agents have teamed up to offer a program series for children and their families to learn the basics of outdoor cooking. In this series participants learned new skills that are essential for families who are interested in hiking, camping, hunting, and other various outdoor activities and need to
Author: Jessica Hunley
Major Program: Cook Together, Eat Together
Children are being raised in homes where traditional cooking skills are not being taught to our next generations. Our culture and fast paced society does not lend to family meal time and time spent teaching life skills to children, this includes young adults as well as young children. In response to this issue, Madison County FCS has started a monthly family cooking program where parents can bring their children and prepare healthy and tasty meals. The program is based around t
Author: Jessica Hunley
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Children in Madison County are not consuming an adequate amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, which is true for most families in the area as well. Due to cooking time constraints, busy schedules, parents with limited palate preferences or poor nutritional education, convenience, and rising costs of fresh nutritious foods, many children are not being introduced to a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables at home. Studies show that what we eat at and early age can define how and what
Author: Julia Reid
Major Program: Agriculture & Natural Resources
Last year was the first year Madison County 4-H offered a Horticulture Judging workshop, and we had limited participation. With growing interest from across the county, we decided to host again this year. We changed the name from Horticulture judging contest, to horticulture judging clinic, in hopes of attracting more youth who are beginners or novices at judging produce. We saw a 200% increase in the number of youth attending from within Madison County, and we saw an increase in the overall num
