Author: Sarah Imbus
Planning Unit: Campbell County CES
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Plan of Work: Home Horticulture - Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
According to Harvard’s School of Public Health, “A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check.” Eating more fruits and vegetables could also help lessen the obesity rate, which in Campbell County is 36% (US Census Bureau).
In order to address these issues, the Family and Consumer Sciences and Horticulture Agents in Campbell County collaborated on a quarterly adult program titled Festive Fundays to an average of 20 participants. The program was designed to build awareness about nutrition (by increasing fruit and vegetable intake), food preparation, food storage as well as providing information to gain small space gardening skills. Agents provided seasonal Kentucky Proud Plate-It-Up recipe tastings along with a seasonal horticulture lesson. Seasonal horticulture lessons included floral design skills, flower identification, floral care, house plant and propagation, and small space vegetable gardening.
For the winter lesson, horticulture agent provided the tools and supplies for all 15 participants to make a winter floral arrangement. Lesson included floral design skills, flower identification, and floral care. With this knowledge, participants gained the skills and confidence to repeat this at their home to save them money to make a floral arrangement. One participant mentioned that she gave her arrangement to a friend in the nursing home and how her gift brought much joy and appreciation to her friend and she will now utilize her skills to harvest flowers from her own garden to make more for others. In addition to floral arrangement, house plant and propagation, small space vegetable gardening were shared during these classes.
End of the series written evaluations spanning over 12 months showed the following:
Some of the participants’ comments from the program were the following:
“The Festive Fundays have been very informative especially the recipes with the information on nutrition, preparation, storage, etc. I have been buying more fruits and vegetables and making different dishes.”
“I gave my flower arrangement to a friend in the nursing home and my gift brought much joy and appreciation to my friend. I will now utilize my skills to harvest flowers from my own garden to make more for others.”
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