Hardin County CES

Title:

Utilizing Local Food Systems

MAP:

Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities

Agents Involved:

Fentress, Aldenderfer, McCandless, Norton, DeRamus

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Local Food Systems

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Nutrition and Food Systems General

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Food Preparation and Preservation

Situation:

The majority of Kentucky agriculture is produced on small farms. Over the past 20 years, the College of Agriculture through Animal and Food Sciences, the Center of Crop Diversity and the Food System Innovation Center have contributed to improving access to local, healthy food by training and certification of farmers, gardeners, and food entrepreneurs. Food processing can begin with washing produce, home baking or home canning and evolve to commercial production. The local food movement contributed to the increase in farmers markets (160 in 110 counties with 2,700 vendors in 2019).

Long-Term Outcomes:

Population will increase average fruit and vegetable consumption by 1 or more servings per day

More new mothers attempt to breast feed their babies and increase duration of breastfeeding to six weeks or more

Kentuckians improve food management skills and healthy eating habits

Youth will be food secure when school is not in session

People accessing emergency food sources will select from nutrient dense items

Utilizing Local Food Systems - CD

Long Term Outcomes

• Participants will have improve their overall eating habits. 
• Participants will prepare healthier meals for their families by preparing meals with less saturated fats and reduces sodium.
• Participants will consume more fruits and vegetables.
• Participants will make well informed decisions about what kinds of foods they are buying and how those foods impact their health.
• Participants will set goals to save at least $25-50 a month on buying groceries and eating out. 
• Participants will save more money on their groceries and eat more fruits and vegetables by shopping at the local farmer’s market. 

Intermediate Outcomes:

Increase the number of individuals who:

Prepare healthy meals with their kids by including more fruits and vegetables in their diet

Access more local foods

Redeem Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program benefits

Plant, harvest and preserve produce

Apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy eating habits

Know how to shop for fruits and vegetables in local markets

Number of:

Residents who shop at the Farmers' Market or purchase more fruits and vegetables at the grocery store

Youth who consume fruits and vegetables

Workplaces and other organizations adopt policies supporting new mothers’ attempts to breastfeed

Youth who access other food sources when not in school

Households accessing emergency food sources

Utilizing Local Food Systems - CD

Intermediate Outcomes

• Participants will read and understand a nutrition facts label. 
• Participants will understand how their BMI or Body Mass Index impacts their health and what types of foods they need to consumer. 
• Participants will be able to identify vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables. 
• Participants will be saving money at the grocery store by using coupons and apps that help you to save money. 
• Participants will start buying fruits and vegetables from local farmer’s markets. 
• Participants will review their monthly spending costs on food and set goals to save at least ($5-10) every week.

Utilizing Local Food Systems - CD

Initial Outcomes:

Participants in Cooperative Extension programs will:

Understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being

Learn to grow, prepare and preserve food

Learn to incorporate unfamiliar foods or foods not currently eaten into a healthy diet

New mothers and those who support them increase knowledge about the health and economic benefits of breastfeeding

Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management

Learn about community support services to increase food security

Increase knowledge of local Farmers' Market and the produce and goods available

Increase the amount of physical activity in their daily habits

Utilizing Local Food Systems - CD

Initial Outcomes

• Increase knowledge of healthy lifestyle choices that promote eating more vegetables and fruit. 
• Increase knowledge of safe food handling procedures and food preparation techniques to reduce exposure to food borne illnesses. 
• Promote healthy lifestyle changes by increasing knowledge in how to read nutrition labels and how to use healthier ingredients in food. 
• Increase knowledge of how to read nutrition facts labels. 
• Increase knowledge of local farmer’s market produce and how to save money by buying fruits and vegetables from the local farm producers. 
• Increase knowledge of how to save money at the grocery store. 

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Learn to grow, prepare and preserve food

Indicator: An increase in knowledge and skills of how to grow, prepare and preserve food. An increase in number of participants who choose to have a garden, cook, and preserve harvest. Increase in number of meals eaten and prepared at home. 

Method: Evaluations from packaged curricula, an increase in number of gardens, report of number of meals eaten at home, increase revenue for Farmers' market vendors 

Timeline: 0-6 months after education

Intermediate Outcome: Increase in number of individuals who apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety, and healthy eating habits

Indicator: Reports of participants who feel more comfortable and confident in their ability, increase consumptions of fruits and vegetables, Number of individuals who reported: preparing more home-cooked meals; modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition

Method: Follow up evaluation, 

Timeline: 6-12 months after education

Long-term Outcome: Increase fruit and vegetable consumption by 1 per day

Indicator: Reports, increase in Farmers Market sales

Method: Follow up evaluation, Farmers Market sales

Timeline: 12-18 months after education

Utilizing Local Food Systems - CD

Outcome: Participants will prepare healthier meals for their families by preparing meals with less saturated fats and reduced sodium.

Indicator: 

• Number of individuals with increased knowledge of nutritious meals and snacks to consume to improve their overall health.

Method:  Pre & Post-test, Surveys, Phone calls, Testimonials, Emails, pictures, Videos

Timeline:  September -December (Adults) 

 August 2023-July 2026 - (Youth & Adults)

Outcome: Participants will save more money on their groceries and eat more fruits and vegetables by shopping at the local farmer’s market. 

Indicator: 

• Number of individuals report on eating more fruits and vegetables.  

Method: Pre & Post-test, Surveys, Phone calls, Testimonials, Emails, pictures, Videos

Timeline: September 2023-June 2025 - (Adults & Youth) ongoing

Outcome: Participants will utilize proper food preparations techniques and proper sanitation techniques to prevent the spread of food borne illnesses. 

Indicator: 

• Number of individuals increasing the amount of food sanitation techniques that they use in the kitchen will reduce the amount of people who get food poisoning. 

Method: Pre & Post-test, Surveys, Phone calls, Testimonials, Emails, pictures, Videos

Timeline: March 2024-November 2025 - (Adults & Youth) ongoing

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: SNAP-eligible, low income families and individuals

Project or Activity: Healthy Kids, Super Supper Series, Physical Activity based programs 

Content or Curriculum: Nutrition Education Program, Wellness in Kentucky, Get Moving Kentucky

Inputs: CES agents, SNAP-Ed Nutrition Assistant, CES resources and publications, CES NEP resources and publications

Date: March - August each year (2020-2024)

Audience: General Audience

Project or Activity: Cooking classes, Meats 101 classes, food safety programs, Farmers' Market promotion, Hook and Cook classes

Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud, Weight The Reality Series, etc...

Inputs: CES Agents, specialists and volunteers,

Date: March - November (2020-2024)

Audience: General Population

Project or Activity: food preservation programs

Content or Curriculum: Homebased Microprocessing, Food Preservation curriculum

Inputs: CES agents and specialists, CES resources and publications, NCHFP at UGA, So Easy to Preserve, Farmers Market vendors

Date: April - July (2020-2024)

Audience: Communities

Project or Activity:  Farmers Market Outreach

Content or Curriculum: POP Club, Cooking programs, 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

Date: April – October/Growing seasons yearly (2020-2024)

Audience: Youth, 4-H Members

Project or Activity: Super Star Chef Camp, Taste of KY Cooking Class, 4-H beginner and advanced cooking special interest programs and short term programs and clubs, Gardening short term programs

Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef curriculum, 4-H Cooking 101, Plate it Up! Kentucky Proud recipes, See them Sprout

Inputs: Nutrition Education Program (NEP), 4-H Family & Consumer Sciences

Date: September-May (4-H Program Year 2020-2025); June-July (summer programs) (2023, 2024)

Audience: Farmers Market members and others who grow food

Project or Activity:  Produce Best Practices Training, Homebased Microprocessor Training

Content or Curriculum: Produce Best Practices Training, Homebased Microprocessor Training

Inputs: paid staff, facilities, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, UK specialists

Date: March each year

Utilizing Local Food Systems - CD

Audience: Youth, and Limited Resource Audiences

Project or Activity: Nutrition Education Program (Green Apron Series: What's In it For Me?)

Content or Curriculum: MyPlate for My Family, Serving Up My Plate, Cook Together Eat Together, USDA Publications, Teen Cuisine, Literacy, Eating, and Activity for Primary (LEAP), Recipes for Life, USDA Brochures, Chop Chop magazines, Calendars

Inputs: FCS Agent, Community Organizations, Schools, Non-profit Organizations, Videos, Public Library, After-school Programs

Date: Fall/Winter Months (September, October, November, December) Winter-Spring (February-June) June-July (Summer programs)

Audience: Adults & Limited Resource Audiences

Project or Activity: Nutrition Education Program (Eat Well & Live Well Series)

Content or Curriculum: Cook Together Eat Together, USDA Publications, Eat Smart, Live Strong, Recipes for Life, My Plate for My Family

Inputs: Community Organizations, Non-profit Organizations, Homeless Shelters, Public Library

Date: Fall/Winter Months (September, October, November, December) Winter-Spring (February-June) June-July

Utilizing Local Food Systems - MC

Audience: Warm Blessings Soup Kitchen patrons

Project or Activity: collaborative efforts with non-profits to promote nutrition and food security

Content: various nutrition lessons

Inputs: Warm Blessings Soup Kitchen, grant partners

Date: ongoing 

Success Stories

Meat Bird Processing Workshop Supports Homesteading Movement

Author: William Crawford

Major Program: Poultry/Small Flocks

Homesteading has been increasing in popularity since 2020. According to data from the Homesteaders of America website (homesteadersamerica.com), 59% of people engaged in this once mainstream production system, stated that food security was a primary incentive. Additionally, 58% noted that the desire for healthier food drove them, 56% longed for a simpler lifestyle while around 52% reasoned that government unrest and policies caused them to begin the homesteading journey. To address this phe

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