Spencer County CES

County Emphasis:

Health and Wellness

Concentration 1:

Health and Wellbeing

Concentration 2:

Health and Wellbeing

Concentration 3:

Food Safety, Quality, and Access

Concentration 4:

Plant Production and Management

Situation:

The opportunities and resources available to support the health and well-being of adults and families in Kentucky vary widely. Disparities in health-promoting knowledge, resources, and infrastructure contribute to higher rates of chronic health conditions and lower quality of life. Prevention, early detection, and care are essential to maintain and/or improve quality of life. Yet, this burden is often placed on individuals to navigate the healthcare system and traditional public health entities. Additionally, for decades, little attention has been given to the external factors that undoubtedly affect health such as access to care, education, nutritious foods, and safe physical spaces. These same issues and concerns were echoed throughout the 2023 UK Cooperative Extension Community Assessment. Within the top 15 priority issues identified by Kentuckians, “ensuring individuals and families have access to affordable nutritious foods” was #4 and “reducing youth obesity through nutrition education and/or exercise” was #8. Guided by the Cooperative Extension’s National Framework for Health Equity and Wellbeing, UK Extension aims to become a critical public health partner for addressing disparities in health-promoting knowledge, resources, and infrastructure through comprehensive health, nutrition, and wellness programming that supports adult physical health and well-being. 

Thriving youth are healthy, productive, and engaged (Arnold, 2024). According to Kentucky Kids Count Database (AECF, 2023) 41% of Kentucky teenagers are obese or overweight. Youth are also experiencing alarming levels of negativity about themselves, their confidence in the future, and their ability to find contentment in life (McKinsey & Company, 2022). 30% of youth are chronically absent (United States Department of Education, 2024). The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Needs Assessment (2024) identified key priorities issues related to health and wellbeing as need for improved access to mental health and wellbeing resources, reducing youth obesity through nutrition education and/or exercise, minimizing bullying and/or school violence. To address these issues, Kentucky 4-H creates opportunities for youth in the five domains of physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health and wellbeing.  

It is proven that people who have access to and consume their daily dietary requirements of fresh fruits and vegetables are less likely to suffer from chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease and have an increased quality of life. Having the knowledge and skills to prepare or preserve fresh fruits and vegetables presents an additional barrier beyond obtaining fresh food access. With the goal of increasing the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) aims to increase access to fresh food, as well as increase knowledge and awareness of how to select, store, safely prepare, process, and preserve these foods. CES prioritizes statewide partnership development that helps us meet our goals and objectives. We collaborate with statewide agencies including Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Community Farm Alliance, KY Farm to School Network, Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife and others to help build statewide systems that increase access and usage of fresh fruits and vegetables. These programs benefit Kentuckians because they support food access policy, systems and environmental changes in communities and across the state. They increase knowledge of how to grow, prepare, and preserve fresh fruits and vegetables.

Optimizing plant, crop and forage production is paramount as Kentucky producers navigate the challenges of economics, climate variability, and evolving consumer demands. Key challenges and strategies to enhance sustainable practices across various agricultural domains include: rising input costs (seeds, fertilizers, machinery), and crop price fluctuations.    knowledge of soil health and    water management to produce high yielding crops for long-term productivity. Producers use data-driven approaches for efficient resource utilization while exploring new crop varieties for pest resistance and yield improvement. As technology advances, producers will need to adopt remote sensing technologies to monitor soil health, moisture, and other parameters to increase efficiency. Implementing conservation practices that protect soil and water resources will ensure the long-term sustainability of Kentucky farmland and improve resilience to climate variability. Current and continuing practices involve cover crops to reduce erosion resulting in enhanced soil health as well as rotating crops to break pest cycles, improve soil fertility, and reduce disease pressure. Extension programming will encourage diverse crops and horticulture species to reduce risk and explore specialty crops, such as berries, herbs, and ornamental plants. Extension Specialists continue to educate farmers on forage species selection for hay production and livestock nutrition, advise on implementing integrated pest management and organic production practices (to minimize chemical inputs while still effectively managing pests), select climate-adapted crop varieties, and prepare for extreme weather events through adaptation and disaster readiness programs.   To meet the needs of producers, agents and specialists will continue to disseminate research-based information, offer workshops, field days, online resources, support local farmer’s markets, community gardens, community supported agriculture, and urban horticulture initiatives.

County Situation:

Spencer County, Kentucky, faces notable health challenges, including a 35.9% adult obesity rate which is above the national average. Access to healthcare is limited, with only 0.2 primary care physicians per 1,000 residents and no hospital beds per 1,000 residents. Despite these issues, the county boasts a life expectancy of 76.7 years, slightly higher than the national average. The Spencer County Cooperative Extension programs are actively addressing these concerns through initiatives focused on nutrition education, chronic disease prevention, promotion of physical activity, farm safety, and mental health awareness, aiming to enhance overall community well-being.

Long-Term Outcomes:

1. Chronic illnesses related to poor nutrition and inactivity will decline due to lifestyle changes supported by Extension programs.
2. Farm-related accidents will decrease through sustained safety education and training.
3. More residents will regularly prepare meals at home, improving diet quality and reducing food insecurity.
4. Community-wide awareness of childcare best practices will increase, enhancing child health and development outcomes.

Intermediate Outcomes:

1. Adults will implement healthy food choices and make nutritious meals at home.
2. Youth and adults will adopt safe food handling practices and continue to use them in everyday life.
3. Participants will increase physical activity levels as a result of programming and community engagement.
4. Residents will utilize mental health and wellness resources introduced through community partnerships and events.

Initial Outcomes:

1. Private pesticide applicators will learn how to properly mix and apply restricted-use pesticides.
2. Participants will gain knowledge in food safety, nutrition, reading food labels, physical activity, and farm safety.
3. Youth will explore healthy behaviors through programs like 4-H Cooking Club, Superstar Chef, and Truth and Consequences.
4. Participants will engage with community resources through events like the Healthfair Readifest and the Community Baby Shower.

Evaluation:

Outcome	Participants will become certified pesticide applicators.
Indicator	Number of certified applicators in Spencer County.
Method	Observation and testing.
Timeline	Three months after program.

 

Outcome	Youth and adults will practice healthy cooking, food safety, and increased physical activity.
Indicator	Increase positive diet and activity will decrease chronic disease.
Method	Pre-and-post surveys.
Timeline	Immediate Post Surveys.

 

Outcome	Youth will develop an understanding of the consequences that go along with their actions.
Indicator	Increase awareness of being self-conscious of your actions.
Method	Pre-and-post surveys.
Timeline	September to May.

Learning Opportunities:

Audience	Farm Families
Project or Activity	Pesticide applicator training. (BR)
Content or Curriculum	Pesticide applicator materials.
Inputs	Extension Council, Conservation District, Farm Bureau, Local Producers, University of Kentucky Specialist.
Date(s)	November 2025, February 2026.

 

Audience	Farm Families
Project or Activity	Farmer’s Market (EM, BR, MT)
Content or Curriculum	Farmer’s Market materials, Plate it up materials, Food Sampling, Master Gardner Materials.
Inputs	Extension Council, Family Resource Youth Services Center, Multipurpose Community Action, Spencer County School System, Conservation District, Farm Bureau, Spencer Co. Health Department, North Central Health District, Baptist Medical, Spencer County/Taylorsville Government, Local Producers, Farmer’s Market Committee, Master Gardner Volunteers.
Date(s)	July 2025 – June 2026.

 

Audience	Farm Families
Project or Activity	ATV and tractor safety training. (MT)
Content or Curriculum	ATV and tractor safety videos and materials.
Inputs	Extension Council, Family Resource Youth Services Center, Spencer County School System, Local Producers, Salt River Antique Tractor Association, Community Volunteers.
Date(s)	July 2025 - August 2025, March 2026 - June 2026.

 

Audience	Farm Families
Project or Activity	Farmer’s Dinner Theatre (EM, BR, MT)
Content or Curriculum	Farmer’s Dinner Theatre Curriculum and Supporting Materials.
Inputs	County Extension Council, Local Producers, Louisville Area Cattleman’s, Kentucky Farm Bureau, Spencer County Chamber, Spencer County Schools.
Date(s)	January 2026 – April 2026.

 

Audience	Senior Citizens, Adults, Youth, and Minorities.
Project or Activity	Working with Spencer County residents on nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and disaster preparedness. (EM, BR, MT)
Content or Curriculum	4-H, FCS, Extension Curriculum.
Inputs	Extension Council, Family Resource Youth Services Center, Multipurpose Community Action, Spencer County Public Library, Spencer County School System, Spencer Co. Health Department, North Central Health District, Local and Regional Healthcare Organizations, Loal and Regional Mental Health Services, Local Producers, Farmer’s Market Committee.
Date(s)	July 2025 - June 2026.

 

Audience	Senior Citizens, Adults, Youth, and Minorities.
Project or Activity	Health Fair Readifest, Community Baby Shower. (EM, BR, MT)
Content or Curriculum	Health screenings, educational materials and handouts, nutritional education and handouts, physical activity awareness.
Inputs	Extension Council, Family Resource Youth Services Center, Multipurpose Community Action, Spencer County School System, Spencer Co. Health Department, North Central Health District, Seven Counties, Spencer County Sherriff’s Office, Taylorsville Police Department, Kentucky State Police, Spencer County EMS, Spencer County/Taylorsville Fire Department, Spencer County Fiscal Court, City of Taylorsville, Local Churches, and Local and Regional Healthcare Organizations.
Date(s)	July 2025 – June 2026.

 

 

Audience	Senior Citizens, Adults, Youth, and Minorities.
Project or Activity	Elementary Agriculture Day (EM, BR, MT)
Content or Curriculum	Farm and Home Safety.
Inputs	Extension Council, Family Resource Youth Services Center, Multipurpose Community Action, Spencer County School System, Conservation District, Farm Bureau, Spencer County/Taylorsville Government, Local Producers, Salt River Antique Tractor Association, Spencer County Sherriff’s Office, Taylorsville Police Department, Kentucky State Police, Spencer County EMS, Spencer County/Taylorsville Fire Department, Farmer’s Market Committee, and Master Gardner Volunteers.
Date(s)	September 2025 - October 2025.

 

 

Audience	Youth
Project or Activity	High School Cooking Lab, 4-H Cooking Club, Superstar Chef, Summer Enrichment, Windowsill Gardens, LEAP, Truth and Consequences (EM, BR, MT).
Content or Curriculum	4-H, FCS, Extension Curriculum.
Inputs	Extension Council, Family Resource Youth Services Center, Multipurpose Community Action, Spencer County School System, Local Producers, and Extension Volunteer.
Date(s)	July 2025 - June 2026.

Evaluation:

Outcome	Participants will become certified pesticide applicators.
Indicator	Number of certified applicators in Spencer County.
Method	Observation and testing.
Timeline	Three months after program.

 

Outcome	Youth and adults will practice healthy cooking, food safety, and increased physical activity.
Indicator	Increase positive diet and activity will decrease chronic disease.
Method	Pre-and-post surveys.
Timeline	Immediate Post Surveys.

 

Outcome	Youth will develop an understanding of the consequences that go along with their actions.
Indicator	Increase awareness of being self-conscious of your actions.
Method	Pre-and-post surveys.
Timeline	September to May.