Nutrition Education Program
Accesing Nutritious Foods
Alex Kelly, Mackenzie Pogue, Darrell Simpson
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Food Preparation and Preservation
Health & Wellbeing
County Extension offices can play a pivotal role in helping food producers, entrepreneurs, and consumers work toward more vibrant rural communities with strong local food systems. Stronger local food systems can help everyone eat a healthier diet while benefiting the local economy and communities.
ANR,and 4-H agents provide nutrition education programs to help families gain access to nutritious food decrease hunger; and utilize local food assistance programs to educate recipients on healthy and safe food preparation methods. Programs and one to one contacts will help educate youth and adults about gardening.
- Citizens improve food management skills, healthy eating habits, and improve food preservation skills.
- Youth will be food secure when school is not in session during the school year.
- Youth and Adults learn to garden or enhance their gardening skills
- Plant, harvest and preserve produce.
- Apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy eating habits.
- Youth who access other food sources when not in school during the school year.
- Youth and adults learn traditional and nontraditional garden techniques
- Youth and Adults enhance their knowledge on growing, preparing and preserving food.
- Learn to incorporate unfamiliar foods or foods not currently eaten into a healthy diet.
- Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management.
- Learn about community support services to increase food security.
Initial Outcome:learn to grow, prepare and preserve food
Indicator:number of families reached with information on accessing healthy foods
Method:gardening and food preservation survey, one to one visits
Timeline:spring and summer
Intermediate Outcome:Increased food access
Indicator:number of youth reached who have food on weekends, number of families planting, harvesting and preserving produce
Method:Plate it Up featured program questions; Food for Kids Backpack Program
Method: Youth gardening Program
Timeline: spring, summer, school year
Long-term Outcome: learn to grow, prepare and preserve food
Indicator: one to one visits, end of program surveys
Method: class attendance and youth garden participant numbers
Timeline: spring and summer
Audience: Primary students
Project or Activity: LEAP
Content or Curriculum: LEAP
Inputs: 4-H Agent & SNAP-Ed Assistant
Date: School Year
Audience: Food Preservation Classes Participants
Project or Activity: Food Preservation Workshop
Content or Curriculum: Food Preservation Traveling Workshop & CES Publication
Inputs: 4-H Agent & SNAP-Ed Assistant
Date: Summer
Audience: Elementary School Students
Project or Activity: Food Explorers
Content or Curriculum: SNAP-Ed materials
Inputs: 4-H Agent, 4-H assistant, SNAP-Ed assistant, volunteers
Date: School year
Audience: Youth and Adults
Project or Activity: Youth and Adult Gardening
Content or Curriculum: ID 128 Gardening in Kentucky
Inputs: ANR agent, 4-H agent, 4-H staff assistant, SNAP-Ed assistant and Program Enhancement funds
Date: Spring and Summer
Author: Alex Kelly
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Participating as a vendor at Longest Elementary School's Holly Jolly Bash was an incredibly rewarding experience. We had the opportunity to provide a fun, nutritious Christmas-themed snack that introduced the students to something new and exciting—hummus! The goal was simple: to offer a healthy, delicious, and enjoyable food option that would not only nourish the kids but also encourage them to try something they had never experienced before. Out of the 408 students who attended the ev