Extension
It Starts With Us
Enhance access to local healthy foods by assisting producers in identifying new market opportunities
Creating Local Food Systems
John David Tucker, Mike Keller, Melissa Goodman
Local Food Systems
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Agriculture & Natural Resources
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. Extension staff, paraprofessionals and volunteers are pivotal in training consumers and producers to maximize local access to food products from farm to table.
Currently, Hickman County has a Farmer's Market that is in it 4th full operating season. The Extension Staff continues to work with our local government and a locally formed committee that There is only one grocery store in Hickman County and two restaurants with very few healthy and local food options for consumers.
*Families will increase average fruit and vegetable consumption by one or more servings per day
*Families improve food-management skills and healthy eating habits.
*Maintain a viable and successful farmers market.
*To maintain or increase the number of entrepreneurs in the community is increased due to local food systems.
*Strong and diverse local food systems are integrated into community development efforts.
*Sustainability of family farms.
- Increased access to healthy food via local farmers markets, food retailers, and/or home gardens
- Establishment of new small farms and home gardens.
- Families apply improved food preparation and management skills, food safety, and healthy eating habits.
- More families plant, harvest and preserve foods.
*Increase knowledge and awareness among the general public of local foods and sustainable agriculture.
*Families understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to their health and financial well being.
*Families learn to grow, prepare, and preserve food.
*Families learn to incorporate unfamiliar foods or foods not currently being consumed.
*Families increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management
Initial Outcome: Purchasing tendency of Consumer for Kentucky Fruits and Vegetables
Indicator: Number of individuals more likely to buy a Kentucky fruit or vegetable as a result of tasting a Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud recipe sample
Method: Evaluation- Tasting Exit Polls
Timeline: Summer/Fall 2023-2024
Intermediate Outcome: Families increase healthy foods produced and preserved.
Indicator: Number individuals reporting that their family supplemented their diets with healthy foods that they produced or preserved.
Method: Evaluation
Timeline: Program year 2023-2024
Intermediate Outcome: Families increase healthy foods within a daily diet.
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported eating more healthy foods
Method: Evaluation
Timeline: Program year 2023-2024
Outcome: Availability and access to healthy food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: utilizing delivery systems/access points (e.g., farmers’ markets, CSAs, WIC, food pantries) that offer healthy foods; supplementing diets with healthy foods grown or preserved (e.g., community or backyard gardens, fishing, hunting, farmers markets)
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Audience: 1st – 3rd grades
Project or Activity: Food Group
Content or Curriculum: Farm to Table, Exploring My Plate
Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP-Ed assistant, volunteers, local fruit/vegetable growers
Date: 2023-2024 School Year
Audience: 4th-6th grades
Project or Activity: Jr. Chef
Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef and 4-H Cooking
Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP-Ed, Extension Facility
Date: 2023-2024 School Year
Audience: Hickman County Citizens
Project or Activity: Farmers Market
Content or Curriculum: UK Educational Materials
Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP-Ed assistant, Local Government, Community Businesses
Date: Market Season 2023-2024
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Farm to Fork Dinner
Content or Curriculum: UK Educational Materials, KDA, Plate it Up Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff, Local Government, Community Organizations
Date: Late Summer 2023
Audience: General Public, Youth
Project or Activity: Food Preservation Classes/Workshop
Content or Curriculum: UK Food Preservation Materials, Plate it Up Youth Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP-Ed assistant, volunteers, local fruit/vegetable growers
Date: Summer 2023
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Summer Food Camp
Content or Curriculum: UK Health and Food Curriculums
Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP-Ed assistant, school facility
Date: Summer 2023/24
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Food Preparation for Better Health
Content or Curriculum: Cook Together Eat Together, Super Star Chef, Champion Food Volunteer, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources
Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, faith-based organizations, health coalitions
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Project or Activity: Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Trainings, Home-Based Micro-Processing Training, Champion Food Volunteers
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, programmatic materials, NEP
Date: July – September for adults and youth
Audience: Communities
Project or Activity: Farmers Market Outreach
Content or Curriculum: Cooking programs, marketing, increased access (e.g. location, hours, EBT), Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud resources, Farmers Market Toolkit, Super Star Chef
Inputs: Nutrition Education Program (NEP), paid staff, grant funds, facilities, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, local fruit/vegetable growers, Community Education
Date: April – October/Growing seasons
Project or Activity: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches
Content or Curriculum: Faithful Families, Kentucky Farm to School Task Force Resources, Health Coalitions, resources for early care and education settings
Inputs: Volunteers, grant funds, faith-based organizations, community partners, key stakeholders, SNAP-Ed Toolkit
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Author: Keller
Major Program: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Research shows that people who prepare and cook meals at home are more likely to eat the recommended fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains needed in a balanced diet. Building skills and cooking knowledge increases the likelihood that people choose to prepare home-cooked meals.To encourage more home-prepared meals, the Hickman County Extension Office hosted the workshop Savor the Flavor: Seasoning with Spices. The Savor the Flavor program focused on cooking with various spices to seaso
Author: Keller
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Spring into Green: Pride of Kentucky was hosted by the Purchase Area Family and Consumer Science agents at the McCracken County Extension Office. Speakers at this year’s event discussed topics related to the Kentucky. Topics discussed focused on local food produce and local pollinators. Speakers included Dava Hayden, horticulture instructor and arboretum manager at Murray State University. LaToya Drake, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service as the Program Coordinator with th
