Author: M. Elizabeth Coots
Major Program: Local Food Systems
U.S. childhood obesity has tripled since 1980, with 9.5% of infants and toddlers and 16.9% of children ages 2 to 19 considered obese (Ogden, Carroll, Curtin, Lamb, & Flegal, 2010). Research shows that early childhood is the ideal time to establish a taste for healthy foods and a desire to try new things in order to encourage life-long, healthy habits. Research also clearly shows that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help protect against several chronic diseases, such as obesity,
Author: Thomas Mann
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Riverview Farmers’ Market was busy and productive, with many member vendors and a reliable customer base. Like many other community endeavors and small businesses, however, the pandemic brought the success of the market to a grinding halt, with only one or two vendors at best showing up on a given weekend to keep the market alive. When I began my work in Carrollton, I heard again and again from community members that reviving the farmers&rsq
Author: Kristin Hildabrand
Women make up nearly 40% of the agricultural producers in Kentucky. The number of ladies who own and operate farms and agribusinesses continues to increase each year. The importance of their contributions to a vibrant agricultural economy are tremendous. The Mammoth Cave Area ANR and HORT Agents teamed together to offer a 3 part hybrid evening series entitled “Ladies in Ag” in February 2022. This program was designed by agents to help educate, empower, inspire, and connect ladie
Author: Adam Leonberger
Access to local foods improves communities, by providing healthier food options and lowering environmental impacts from long distance transportation of food products. In addition, farmers that grow this produce rely on the income from sales to support their families. Farmers’ markets act as an outlet for local farmers to sell their crops while maintaining larger profit margins, when compared with selling produce to box stores or local groceries. However, in order for a market to be success
Author: Chadwick Conway
Statistics have shown that local farmer’s markets provide numerous attributes to the community it serves, including wide growth to the local economy. The Knott County Extension Service began supporting a weekly farmer’s market in 2013. In 2022, in its ninth year, the market has seen tremendous growth and gained stability with two markets held weekly, and has enjoyed a steady number of customers throughout the growing season. Through these developing markets and the popularity of loca
The Knott County Agricultural Natural Resource Agent assists everyone to be more productive in growing food. In 2018 the agent was called to assist with a new installed greenhouse for vegetable production at the Hindman Settlement School. Luckily with great resources from the University of Kentucky Horticulture Department, we met and came up with a plan to begin production. Assistance and resources where given by the agent and UK horticulture technician and supplies was donated from
Author: Amanda Potter
The Regional Farmers Market Meeting was held in April and hosted in Rowan County. The FCS agent and ANR agent worked together to provide food, a meeting place, and collect funds for the meeting. This meeting consisted of 7 counties including Elliot, Bath, Fleming, Carter, Morgan, Lewis, Menifee, and Rowan county. Those that attended the meeting were able to participate in educational presentations put on by both UK Specialists and those within the community. They also were given different i
Author: Amy Aldenderfer
The eight-year collaboration continues between the Hardin County Farmers’ Market, the Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service and the Lincoln Trail Area Master Gardeners. The Master Gardeners provide samples, recipes and information to the shoppers at the Hardin County Farmer’s Market once a month through the growing/selling season. The Master Gardeners prepare two recipes from the Kentucky Proud Plate It Up! Series. Then, pass out samples to the patrons of the Market, enco
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program provides eligible low-income seniors with redeemable vouchers for fresh, unprocessed local fruits, vegetables, hone, and herbs at approved Farmer’s Markets. The program helps improve nutrition for low-income seniors, by providing access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The program also increases local farm sales and encourages individuals to shop at the local Farmers Market. The voucher system
Fresh mushrooms can be very costly when purchasing them from the local grocery stores, and foraging mushrooms can prove to be dangerous for those who are inexperienced. There are lots of varieties of gourmet mushrooms that are unavailable in most places due to the inability for them to withstand transport. Mushrooms prove to be extremely nutritious and have a wide variety of health benefits depending on the mushroom. I held a program that taught participants how to grow their own mushrooms
Author: Ruth Chowning
There are only 486 farms in Bullitt County according to the 2017 USDA Ag Census, a number that shrinks each year. As such, there are fewer and fewer opportunities for children in the county to gain perspective on the source of their food. To address the farm-to-food disconnect in April 2022, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service in Bullitt County welcomed 125 students from Mount Washington Elementary for a day of hands-on learning at the 2022 Youth Farm Field Day. Students v
Author: Matthew Futrell
Partnering With OAKOrganic food production has hit an all-time high in the United States. According to the Organic Trade Association, “Organic food sales jump nearly 13% to record high in 2020.” As we see this trend continue to grow so does the request for organic production information. On March 17 and 18th 2022, the Christian County Cooperative Extension Service and the Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) partnered to host an organic food production seminar. &nb
Author: Linda Hieneman
A large area of Eastern Kentucky has been identified as a food desert. A food desert is a location that is limited in being able to access fresh fruits and vegetables. Not having access to fruits and vegetables can limit these in individual’s diets leading to chronic health diseases such as diabetes or heart disease.USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) development has received funding to establish over one hundred high tunnels in the area to help farmers grow mor
Author: Benjamin Prewitt
There is no doubt that the last couple of years have been tough (to say the least) for Americans. Battling numerous things including a global pandemic and times of economic uncertainty. With this thought in mind, I decided that it would be an excellent time to introduce the topic of getting back to our roots and provide a program in our community on some basic gardening principles. The ultimate goal for this Beginning Gardening Program was for individuals to be able to obtain
Being provided an opportunity to work in a rural community in the mountains of southeastern Kentucky where an economy is heavily reliant on the timber and coal mining industries, and where nearly 25% of families fall well below the poverty line. I have jumped on board with an amazing program called Plant, Grow and Learn. Working in conjunction with several entities around the community including Tri County Childhood Council, Save the Children, Whitley County Family Resource P
Author: Shane Bogle
Requests for local foods, Homesteading, and beginning farmer information has been on the rise since the onset of Covid 19 and has continued into 2022. Kentucky has a vast of array of resources available in multiple formats and over a dozen agencies to answer questions producers might have. After a lengthy planning process, agriculture agents in Caldwell, Crittenden, Calloway, Livingston Marshall, McCracken, and Trigg Counties partnered to develop and host the Small Diversified Farm,
Author: Lindie Huffman
The Sprouts Kids Club is a farmers market-based children program at the Pendleton County Farmers' Market (PCFM), that seeks to teach children about fruits and vegetables, local food systems, and healthy food preparation through fun activities. Participants engage in the full farmers market experience by trying new foods, having conversations with farmers, and buying local produce. Fun weekly activities ranging from cooking demonstrations to farmers market scavenger hunts provide nutrition, f
Farmers' Market Returns to it's Roots with Permanent Pavilionby Lindie HuffmanPlanning Unit: Pendleton County CESMajor Program: Local Food SystemsThe Pendleton County Farmers' Market is a longstanding market (est. 1988) that has seen tremendous growth over the last ten years. In 2013 with just 6 vendors, the market found a new home in a vacant lot on Hwy 27. With leadership of county ag agent, market began finding ways to become more engaged with community, establishing a p
