Kelly Elementary - Fresh Produce Basket

Boone County 4-H Agent Christy Eastwood and Gina Ligon, partnered with the Boone County Horticulture Agent, David Koester along with Shelley Hoxmeier from Kelly Elementary on the Fresh Produce Basket program.   Low-income families from Kelly Elementary received fresh fruits, vegetables, three Snap-Ed recipes weekly, summer activity sheets for the children, Chop Chop magazines and my plate information for 6 weeks during the summer.  Most of the produce was grown by the Boone County Horticulture Team at their one-acre demonstration garden with the assistance of Master Gardener Volunteers.  Weeks the garden was low on produce, local farmers helped supplement with produce.

Food baskets contained tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, eggs, lettuce, watermelon, cantaloupe, corn on the cob, potatoes, onions, green beans, and fresh cut flowers.

Nineteen families participated in the fresh produce basket program with a total of eight-four participants. Each person received $6.66 worth of produce each week and the average basket worth was $32.33.  The total value of produce for the six-week program was $3,412.00.

All participants indicated through weekly evaluations that they read the materials in the basket and half made at least one snap-ed recipe during the 6-week program.   Tomatoes and peppers were their favorite vegetables to receive each week.  The eggs and fresh cut flowers were the special value items that were most popular.   One participant said, “The flowers made me feel special.”  Another participant left us a note on the evaluation, “To whom this may concern, My family loved this so much.  Eggs were gone in 2 days.  By day 4 everything was gone.  Thank you so much!!!”