Author: Linda Burgard
Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation
According to the USDA, food-at-home prices have increased by 5 percent in 2023 with prices for cereals and bakery products rising by 8.4 percent. With the average American household spending over $1,000 on groceries monthly, community members are eager to learn how they can save money on food costs.To address this need, the Whitley County Family and Consumer Science Agent offered hands-on bread workshops once or twice a month since March 2023. 360 adult individuals participated in 15
Author: Hazel Jackson
The problem During the Holiday Season, cooking nutrition and food storage is especially important since many of our holiday gatherings include food. The educational program response FCS agents in the Wilderness Trail Area organized a Holiday Cooking school. The event focused on educating participants in Food Safety, featuring instruction from the UK Food Safety and Preservations specialist, AnnHall Norris. An additional presentation was offered by Stuarto's Ove
Author: Karen Denniston
Bourbon County Extension clientele attendance of traditional programming was restricted during the pandemic and proved to be slow returning to pre-pandemic numbers. In a search for a way of reconnecting, the Family & Consumer Science Agent and the SNAP-Ed Program Assistant Senior decided to offer a cooking through the 2023 Food+Nutrition calendar monthly via Facebook Live. Each month the featured recipe preparation was demonstrated for viewing. The demo was sha
Author: Marla Stillwell
In LaRue County, 460 students received specially designed academic and social/emotional instruction, both in the regular classroom and separate classrooms during the 2023-24 school year. LaRue County Schools rose to provide the need for these services including but not limited to speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, orientation and mobility therapy, braille, sign language, job/life skills instruction and community based work transition program and instruction. Through a
Author: Rosa Smith
The ProblemOwsley County has a rich heritage of homesteading, including bread making, sewing, and farming. However, in recent years, the interest in homesteading and the art of homemaking, such as baking bread, has diminished. This decline is particularly noticeable among newer generations. In the past 3-4 years, post-COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a renewed interest in homesteading. Despite this resurgence, the generational gap in practicing these skills presents a challenge in preserving an
Author: Elizabeth Maxedon
The problemResearch shows that people who cook meals at home are more likely to eat the recommended fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains in a balanced diet. Building cooking skills and knowledge increases the likelihood of people preparing home-cooked meals. The Oldham and Trimble County Extension Office presented the Savor the Flavor series to community members to encourage more home-prepared meals. The Savor the Flavor program focused on various cooking methods and flavoring techni
Author: Jody Paver
Research shows that people who prepare and cook meals at home are more likely to eat the recommended fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains needed in a balanced diet. Building skills and cooking knowledge increases the likelihood that people choose to prepare home-cooked meals. To encourage more home-prepared meals, the Lincoln County Extension Office hosted the workshop Savor the Flavor: Building Flavor with Herbs. The Savor the Flavor program focused on flavoring dishes with herbs. E
Author: Megan Treadway
According to the Afterschool Alliance, 85,849 Kentucky children were left alone and unsupervised between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m. in 2020. This is still the case for many students in Simpson County, and these students report that they prepare meals or snacks while home alone.The Area Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences partnered with the Simpson County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences to teach the basics of Kitchen Safety to all 4th and 5th grade students in Simpson
Author: Nancy Doyle
With prices of groceries ever increasing and concern over the economy, there has been an interest in learning to can and preserve food so that participants may be self-sufficient with a deeper connection to local food sources. Four Food Preservation Workshops were offered to teach safe canning, freezing, and dehydrating methods by providing hands-on workshops, fact sheets and research-based recipes. Eleven participants total, 3 adults and 8 youth attended two workshops to properly pr
Author: Jane Proctor
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five households engage in home food preservation, with 65% of these households canning vegetables. There is a growing interest in home gardening and food preservation, which has heightened the demand for reliable canning information. People choose to preserve food at home for various reasons, such as preserving home-grown produce, promoting sustainability, controlling ingredients like sodium and sugar, saving money, or continuin
Author: Lora Davidson
Our Sourdough Program has achieved remarkable success and outreach, specifically drawing in over 15,000 social media interactions and reaching attendees/contacts from local areas, statewide, and across multiple states. This program was designed to transform novices into proficient bakers and includes a series of meticulously crafted workshops. These cover everything from creating and maintaining a vibrant sourdough starter, mastering advanced kneading techniques and achieving the perfect crust,
Based on schools being out for the summer and more children being left at home alone or with limited supervision, it was discovered there was a need to increase the knowledge of these youth of safe practices at home. The Simpson County Extension Office partnered with the Simpson County Ag Advisory Council and the Family Resource Service Center to plan a 4th and 5th Grade Safety Day. Students were rotated through seven stations to learn about Animal Safety, Internet Safety, Kitchen Sa
Author: Kendyl Redding
Research shows that people who prepare and cook meals at home are more likely to eat the recommended fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains needed in a balanced diet. Building cooking skills and knowledge increases the likelihood that people choose to prepare homecooked meals. To encourage more home-prepared meals, the Powell County Extension Office presented the Savor the Flavor series to the local community. The Savor the Flavor program focuses on various cooking methods and flavorin
Author: Ruth Chowning
The new year began, and the Louisville Area Family & Consumer Sciences Agents (F.C.S.)were looking through the new Food and Nutrition calendars when discussion started about watching cooking shows and being more likely to try a recipe after watching someone prepare it. When one of the local news stations reached out to an agent about a cooking segment , the “Cooking Through the Calendar” program was organized! With Louisville ranked as the 49th largest television marke
Author: Kelly Bland
Many adults are enthusiastic about purchasing the latest kitchen gadgets, but a significant portion express hesitation in using them. A survey by Consumer Reports found that 40% of adults admit to buying kitchen gadgets they rarely or never use. Additionally, a study by the NPD Group revealed that while 60% of adults purchase new kitchen tools annually, over 30% of these gadgets remain unused due to unfamiliarity or complexity. This trend is often attributed to the intimidation of new technology
Author: Shonda Johnston
Food preservation is a skill that many Clark County residents express interest in, but report hesitancy and fear about actually doing it. Clark County Family and Consumer Sciences agent had many requests for food preservation skills and therefore presented two food preservation workshops, one in July and one in August. The classes consisted of hands-on canning demonstrations of both water bath and pressure canning as well as the safety of both practices. Between the two classes, 19 people
One of the most consistent requests received at Clark County Extension from its constituents, is information on growing and cooking with herbs. With upward trends in eating healthier, growing your own food, and living a more self-sustainable life, more people have been hoping to learn about the benefits of herbs. Clark County Extension’s Horticulture Agent and Family and Consumer Sciences Agent partnered up for a 2-class series on Growing and Cooking with Herbs. The 2 classes covered all t
Author: Alivia Faris
In the United States, 7 out of the 10 leading causes of death are directly related to diet. This is largely because risk factors like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol are connected to the foods we eat. Evidence is drawing clearer connections to these risk factors and food insecurity. In Kentucky, food insecurity, or not having access to or the ability to afford nutritious food, largely contributes to diet-sensitive chronic conditions. Because of the known health outcom
