Morgan County CES

Title:

4. Nutrition and Food Systems

MAP:

Strengthening Health & Wellness Initiatives for Morgan County

Agents Involved:

FCS, 4-H, ANR

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Horticulture, Commercial

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Active Living and Health Promotions General

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Health & Wellbeing

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Food Preparation and Preservation

Situation:

Situation:
A foundation of nutrition knowledge, skills and competencies in topics such as food safety, handling and preparation, cooking methods and techniques, feeding practices, food science and food systems are essential to changing dietary behaviors. With the increased trend of chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky and Morgan County, individuals, families and communities need tools and environments that support healthful dietary decisions. CES agents are encouraged to reach diverse audiences to help combat chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky communities. According to the community assessment report, individuals, council members and stakeholders identified reducing chronic disease as 1 in 3 of the highest priorities in the county.

Long-Term Outcomes:

•Routinely employ healthy dietary practices that promote health and wellness (e.g. consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables and improve food management skills)
•Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity

Intermediate Outcomes:

•Generate positive attitudes toward changing dietary decisions to be more healthful.
•Increase intake of fruits, vegetables and other nutrient-dense foods
•Decrease intake of solid fats, added sugars and sodium
•Employ healthful cooking methods, feeding practices and food preservation techniques
•Increased access to healthy food via local farmers markets, food retailers and/or home gardens

Initial Outcomes:

•Increase awareness about relationships between food and nutrition practices and chronic disease.
•Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. gardening, preparation and preservation techniques, safe food handling, food resource management)
•Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy eating practices
•Increase motivation to access and prepare healthier foods

Evaluation:

Outcome: Nutrition knowledge, skills, and competencies
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: use knowledge and skills to improve food-shopping management; utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions; increased food preservation knowledge; demonstrated recommended food preservation practices
Method: Self-report surveys; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program

Outcome: Preparing and preserving food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: preparing more home-cooked meals; modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition
Method: Self-report survey; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program

Outcome: Dietary intake
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily
Method: Self-report surveys about fruit and vegetable intake or other dietary improvements; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program

Outcome: Availability and access to healthy food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: utilizing delivery systems/access points (e.g., farmers’ markets, 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); dollar value of vendor-reported sales or EBT, WIC, or Senior benefits redeemed at farmers’ markets; number of pints of food preserved through water bath canning, pressure canning, freezing or drying.
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Communities
Project or Activity: Farmers Market Outreach
Content/Curriculum: Cooking programs, marketing, increased access
(e.g. location, hours, EBT), Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud resources,
Farmers Market Toolkit
Inputs: Nutrition Education Program (NEP), paid staff, grant funds,
facilities, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, FCS Agent, ANR agent
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, FCS agent, ANR agent
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Audience: Families and Individuals

Project or Activity: Food Preparation for Better Health
Content or Curriculum: Cook Together Eat Together, Recipes for Life, Faithful
Families, Body Balance, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources, resources for
early care and education settings
Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, faith-based
organizations, health coalitions, FCS agent
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year

Project or Activity: Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Trainings, Home-Based Micro-Processing
Training
Inputs: Paid staff, FCS agent, volunteers, facilities, programmatic materials, NEP
Date: July – October for adults and youth
Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association/Volunteers

Project or Activity: Promoting Nutrition with Volunteers
Content or Curriculum: International Cuisine publications, Food preservation
workshops, Monthly Leader Lessons
Inputs: Volunteers, paid staff, FCS agent, community partners
Date: Monthly
Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H Food Demonstration
Content or Curriculum: Recipes for Life. 4-H Health
Inputs: Teachers, FRC, 4-H Council , 4-H Agent
Date: Fall 2024
Audience: Food Insecure Families

Project or Activity: Food Systems Projects/Curricula Content or
Curriculum: Community gardens, Food Preservation, Food Pantry
Inputs: Limited resource families, ANR agents, FCS agent, NEP assistants, NEP
state staff, faith - based organizations,. Date: Spring through fall annually
Inputs: Limited resource families, NEP advisory group, KDA, farmers'
markets, farmers, Feeding Kentucky, food pantries. ANR, FCS agents.
Date: Throughout the year
Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Youth Projects/Curricula
Content or Curriculum: Recipes for Life, Super Star Chef, LEAP, Cook Together Eat Together
Inputs: Youth, school systems, school teachers, volunteers, NEP state staff, county 4-
H and FCS agents.
Date: During the school year