Substances Abuse Clients learning How to Grow and Create a Healthy Salad and Snack, 2022

Substances Abuse is taking over our families across our state, we are able to say that there is no family that has been missed or without being touched in some way with substance abuse.  In Rowan County, we have several rehabilitation centers working with clients trying to help these clients get back on the right track of life.   One of the work programs they offer clients in our county is to education clients on getting healthy again.

The Rowan County Agriculture Instructor, FCS and ANR Extension Agents and AppHarvest employees have team up this Spring to work with Rehab Clients on teaching them, how to plant seed, plant the plants, harvest the vegetable and create a healthy meal and snack.   

The USDA and Department of Health and Human Services, consumption of total fruit and total vegetables are expected to grow roughly 4% respectively in the next 5 years. With the increase on the rise of consuming vegetables, the FCS and ANR Extension Agent provided a class of creating Chef Salad and Salsa for a healthy snack. 

A popular food item such as salsa was picked to demonstrate how quickly and easy it is to make and how healthy it is. Students learn basic knife and cutting skills to prepare the salad and fresh salsa.  Eight students create food for 22 others at their rehab center learned from this simple demo.

95% enjoyed and encourage others to try the salsa.

100% of the clients agreed that it is better to create a fresh vegetable for snack.

10% of the clients had never tried fresh salsa.

90% of the clients stated that they would like to make the salad and salsa again.