Rowan County CES

County Emphasis:

Nutrition for Health and Wellbeing

Concentration 1:

Food Safety, Quality, and Access

Concentration 2:

Health and Wellbeing

Situation:

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.

 

Youth Focus

 

Kentucky faces significant health and economic challenges, with five of the top ten causes of death being nutrition-related. According to the Obesity Action Coalition the cost of obesity reached $36.31 billion. The rapidly changing social and economic landscape underscores the need for a healthy, productive, and engaged young people to contribute to a prepared workforce and engaged community to tackle these challenges. The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension System's 2023 Community Needs Assessment identifies critical priorities, including access to affordable nutritious food, reducing youth obesity through improved nutrition and exercise, and enhancing youth wellbeing through effective coping strategies. Kentucky 4-H plays a crucial role in addressing these needs by equipping young people with essential skills in nutrition, culinary arts, financial education, and entrepreneurship. 69% of youth reported that they learned about healthy food choices in 4-H. 4-H youth report an increase in preparing meals together as a family, increase in meals eaten as a family, and confidence in the kitchen. These programs not only foster healthier, more resilient individuals, but also contribute to the development of engaged citizens prepared to navigate and thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

County Situation:

Rowan County faces several challenges related to nutrition and wellbeing in 2024, our poverty level is 21.4% of residents and 25.7% of children live in poverty, impacting access to nutritious food. The obesity level is up to  40% of adults in Rowan County that are classified as obese this is somewhat due to adults' physical inactivity rate has gone to 32%. of daily activity.   Rowan County has also hit a 14% of their residents experience food insecurity due to the rise of food cost and availability.  

Long-Term Outcomes:

•  Increase the number of partnerships and/or coalitions involved in promoting awareness of local food systems, healthy eating, and active living (e.g. Program councils, Health Advisory Boards, etc.).
• Improved skills related to safe food preparation and food preservation.
• Youth will learn how to prepare nutritious foods.  
• Improve quality of life.

Intermediate Outcomes:

•  Improved dietary habits through: consumption of more fruits and vegetables, a variety of proteins and the number of meals prepared at home.
•  Youth will practice making wise nutrition choices.  
•  Youth will practice food safety.  
• 4-H members will practice general wellness habits.   

Initial Outcomes:

•  Individuals and families of all incomes levels have access to affordable and nutritious foods
•  Youth report reduced risk for poor health, developmental delays, obesity, and malnutrition.   
•  Decrease in the number of Kentuckians with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
• Improved skills related to health-promoting behaviors

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome:  

•  Increase the number of partnerships and/or coalitions involved in promoting awareness of local food systems, healthy eating, and active living (e.g. Program councils, Health Advisory Boards, etc.).
• Improved skills related to safe food preparation and food preservation.
• Increased participation in Homebased Micro processing workshops.
• Youth will learn how to prepare nutritious foods.  
• Youth will learn how to make wise nutrition choices.  

Indicator: 

• Number of farms or food businesses wo retained or expanded market opportunities and or sales of produce.
• Number of individuals who attained certificate-based training on food safety, food preservation, food processing, liability, and or marketing 

Method:  Agent Tools for pre/post evaluation, HBM Post-Workshop Evaluation  

Timeline:  Fall 2026 - 2029

Intermediate Outcome:  Medium-term Outcomes 

• Improved dietary habits through: consumption of more fruits and vegetables, a variety of proteins and the number of meals prepared at home.
• Increase and/or strengthen statewide and regional partnership to address community food system issues.
• Youth will practice making wise nutrition choices.  
• Youth will practice food safety.  

Indicator: 

• Number of individuals who reported increasing their knowledge, skills, or intentions regarding nutrition and accessing healthy foods through Extension programs and resources.
• Number of individuals who were introduced to healthy food access points with farmers' markets, WIC or food pantries through Extension programs or resources.

Method:  Post-post participant evaluation 

Timeline:  Fall 2026 - 2029

Long-term Outcome:

Indicator:  

• Decrease in the number of Kentuckians with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
• More Kentuckians routinely met the guidelines for the consumption of (locally-grown) fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Youth report reduced risk for poor health, developmental delays, obesity, and malnutrition.    
• Youth increase educational outcomes.  
• Youth decrease poor overall health. 

Method:  Pre/post participant evaluations from NEP led curricula, Food Preservation 

Timeline:  Fall 2026 - 2029 

Learning Opportunities:

Audience:  Families and Community Members within Rowan Counyu

Project or Activity:  Nutrition Education 

Content or Curriculum:   Nutrition Education Program, SNAP-ED Publications, Cook Together Eat Together, Savor the Flavor, Dining with Diabetes, Plate it up! Family Mealtime, maternal and child health program materials, www.planeatmove.com, Super Star Chef, Farm to School, Hunger in Kentucky 

Inputs:  Programmatic materials, community partners, volunteers, health coalitions, healthcare Providers and local clinics, health department, non-profits, schools, company health & Wellness,     4-H,  Homemakers, farmers' markets, commodity groups and community centers

Date: Ongoing 

Audience:  Adult/Youth 

Project or Activity:  Nutrition and Food Preparation 

Content or Curriculum: International Foods, Super Star Chef Camp, LEAP, What's on Your Plate

Inputs:  4-H Family and Consumer Sciences programs in which youth experience a sense of belonging, and developmental relationships, explore their spark, and actively engage in meaningful opportunities, Accredited and certified volunteers in 4-H FCS projects, Homemakers and  utilization of approved research-based curriculum .

Date:  Fall 2026 - 2029

Audience:  Individuals & Farmers 

Project or Activity:  Home Based Micro Processing 

Content or Curriculum:  HBMP Training materials

Inputs:  Programmatic materials, paid staff, volunteers, community partners, facilities, health department, state of Kentucky, KDA, non-profits, schools, Homemakers, community centers, farmers and markets. 

Date:  Fall 2026 - 2029

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome:  

•  Increase the number of partnerships and/or coalitions involved in promoting awareness of local food systems, healthy eating, and active living (e.g. Program councils, Health Advisory Boards, etc.).
• Improved skills related to safe food preparation and food preservation.
• Increased participation in Homebased Micro processing workshops.
• Youth will learn how to prepare nutritious foods.  
• Youth will learn how to make wise nutrition choices.  

Indicator: 

• Number of farms or food businesses wo retained or expanded market opportunities and or sales of produce.
• Number of individuals who attained certificate-based training on food safety, food preservation, food processing, liability, and or marketing 

Method:  Agent Tools for pre/post evaluation, HBM Post-Workshop Evaluation  

Timeline:  Fall 2026 - 2029

Intermediate Outcome:  Medium-term Outcomes 

• Improved dietary habits through: consumption of more fruits and vegetables, a variety of proteins and the number of meals prepared at home.
• Increase and/or strengthen statewide and regional partnership to address community food system issues.
• Youth will practice making wise nutrition choices.  
• Youth will practice food safety.  

Indicator: 

• Number of individuals who reported increasing their knowledge, skills, or intentions regarding nutrition and accessing healthy foods through Extension programs and resources.
• Number of individuals who were introduced to healthy food access points with farmers' markets, WIC or food pantries through Extension programs or resources.

Method:  Post-post participant evaluation 

Timeline:  Fall 2026 - 2029

Long-term Outcome:

Indicator:  

• Decrease in the number of Kentuckians with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
• More Kentuckians routinely met the guidelines for the consumption of (locally-grown) fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Youth report reduced risk for poor health, developmental delays, obesity, and malnutrition.    
• Youth increase educational outcomes.  
• Youth decrease poor overall health. 

Method:  Pre/post participant evaluations from NEP led curricula, Food Preservation 

Timeline:  Fall 2026 - 2029