Daviess County CES

County Emphasis:

Food Safety, Quality, and Access

Concentration 1:

Food Safety, Quality, and Access

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

County Situation:

Daviess County has a population over 103,000 and approximately 32% of households include at least one person under the age of eighteen.  Of our population 12% are considered food insecure while 18% of our adults are reported in fair or poor health. From 2018-2022, over 7,500 visits in our county were associated with substance use disorder. 

 Access to fresh foods and knowledge to prepare and consume them go hand in hand with improving the overall mental, and physical health of the people of Daviess County.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Individuals and families of all income levels have access to affordable and nutritious foods.

Family farms become economically viable.

Kentucky’s local food and agriculture industry are thriving.

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 and decrease poor overall health. 

Intermediate Outcomes:

Increase and/or strengthen statewide and regional partnership to address community food system issues. Increased production of Kentucky-grown food and increased market opportunities for those products. Increase in the number of farmers’ markets and local food retailers that accept one or more food benefits as payment. Improved dietary habits through: consumption of more fruits and vegetables, a variety of proteins and the number of meals prepared at home. Increased number of entrepreneurial food businesses. Youth will practice making wise nutrition choices, along with practicing food safety. Youth will access nutritious foods and prepare nutritious foods.   Youth will eat a variety of healthy foods daily.

Initial Outcomes:

Increased awareness of Extension resources and programs supporting food access.

Improved skills related to safe food preparation and food preservation.

Increased participation in Homebased Microprocessing workshops.

Increased awareness and accessibility of community resources available to access fresh foods.

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.).

Youth will learn how to make wise nutrition choices and learn the importance of food safety.  

Youth will learn how to access nutritious foods and how to prepare.

Youth will aspire to eat a variety of healthy foods daily.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Short Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they learned about kitchen safety

Method: Evaluation

Timeline: Immediate Post Program

Initial Outcome: Short Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they learned about safe food handling and preparation

Method: Evaluation

Timeline: Immediate Post Program

Initial Outcome: Increased awareness and accessibility of Extension resources and programs supporting food access

Indicator: Number of individuals who reported increasing their knowledge, skills, or intentions regarding nutrition and accessing healthy foods through Extension programs and resources

Method: Pre/Post participant evaluations

Timeline: post program survey administration

Initial Outcome: Improved skills related to safe food preparation and food preservation

Indicator: Number of individuals who reported increasing their knowledge, skills, or intentions regarding the safe storage, handling, preparation, and/or preservation of food through Extension programs and resources

Method: Pre/Post participant evaluations

Timeline: post program survey administration

Initial Outcome: Increased the number of partnerships and/or coalitions involved in promoting awareness of local food systems, healthy eating, and active living

Indicator: Number of individuals who were introduced to health food access points through Extension programs or resources

Method: survey or records 

Timeline: post program survey administration, records kept by Extension Agent

Initial Outcome:  Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers will increase their knowledge of marketing produce.

Indicator:  Increase in awareness of marketing tools.

Method:  Survey

Timeline:  After meeting

Intermediate Outcome: Medium Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they applied skills and/or knowledge to prepare healthy snacks for self or family

Method: Survey

Timeline: End of the program year

Intermediate Outcome: Medium Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they practiced kitchen safety

Method: Survey

Timeline: End of the program year

Intermediate Outcome: Increased skills in safe food preparation and food preservation

Indicator: Number of individuals who reported using their knowledge or skills regarding safe storage, preparation, and/or preservation of food

Method: Survey

Timeline: Post program participation, follow up survey (3-6 months)

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: The Birch Participants

Project or Activity: Life Skills

Content or Curriculum: Extension publications, 4-H curriculum and FCS curriculum

Inputs: All agents, Program assistant

Date: 2025-2026

Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle Programs

Content or Curriculum: Approved curriculums

Inputs: FCS Agent, 4-H Agent, Program Assistant, NEP Assistant, Dietitians

Date: 2025-2026

Audience: Middle School Youth

Project or Activity: Knife Safety/Skill

Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef Camp

Inputs: 4-H Agent

Date: 2025-2026

Audience: POP Club participants

Project or Activity: POP (Power of Produce) Club

Content or Curriculum: Power of Produce curriculum, PlanEatMove.com

Inputs: 4-H Agent, FCS Agent, Farmers' Market

Date: 2025-2026

Audience: Preschool-2nd grade youth

Project or Activity: LEAP

Content or Curriculum: LEAP, PlanEatMove

Inputs: Extension Program Assistant, NEP Assistant, 4-H Agent

Date: 2025-2026

Audience: Youth and Adults

Project or Activity: Food Preservation

Content or Curriculum: UK food preservation curriculum, Ball Blue Book

Inputs: FCS Agent, 4-H Agent, program assistant

Date: 2025-2026

Audience: Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Project or Activity: Programming for commercial or pre-commercial growers on marketing specialty crops including farmers' market

Content or Curriculum: UK curriculum

Inputs: UK Extension specialists, Horticulture agent

Date: 2026

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Short Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they learned about kitchen safety

Method: Evaluation

Timeline: Immediate Post Program

Initial Outcome: Short Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they learned about safe food handling and preparation

Method: Evaluation

Timeline: Immediate Post Program

Initial Outcome: Increased awareness and accessibility of Extension resources and programs supporting food access

Indicator: Number of individuals who reported increasing their knowledge, skills, or intentions regarding nutrition and accessing healthy foods through Extension programs and resources

Method: Pre/Post participant evaluations

Timeline: post program survey administration

Initial Outcome: Improved skills related to safe food preparation and food preservation

Indicator: Number of individuals who reported increasing their knowledge, skills, or intentions regarding the safe storage, handling, preparation, and/or preservation of food through Extension programs and resources

Method: Pre/Post participant evaluations

Timeline: post program survey administration

Initial Outcome: Increased the number of partnerships and/or coalitions involved in promoting awareness of local food systems, healthy eating, and active living

Indicator: Number of individuals who were introduced to health food access points through Extension programs or resources

Method: survey or records 

Timeline: post program survey administration, records kept by Extension Agent

Initial Outcome:  Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers will increase their knowledge of marketing produce.

Indicator:  Increase in awareness of marketing tools.

Method:  Survey

Timeline:  After meeting

Intermediate Outcome: Medium Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they applied skills and/or knowledge to prepare healthy snacks for self or family

Method: Survey

Timeline: End of the program year

Intermediate Outcome: Medium Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they practiced kitchen safety

Method: Survey

Timeline: End of the program year

Intermediate Outcome: Increased skills in safe food preparation and food preservation

Indicator: Number of individuals who reported using their knowledge or skills regarding safe storage, preparation, and/or preservation of food

Method: Survey

Timeline: Post program participation, follow up survey (3-6 months)