The new year began, and the Louisville Area FCS Agents 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.  Also, one of the local news stations had reached out about a cooking segment; therefore, the program Cooking Through the Calendar was organized!

The program consisted of each Louisville Area Extension Agent choosing a month to prepare the recipe either live at the news station or pre-recorded with the news station reporter.  A video format was created after meeting with the news station reporter to make each segment consistent and within the time constraints; the format also allowed each FCS Agent to prepare ahead of time.  During each cooking segment, the FCS Agent started by introducing themselves and the recipe, then began preparing the first few steps while mentioning tips and tricks of the recipe, explaining the nutritional value, cost to prepare the recipe, what ingredients can be substituted and what healthy side dishes would be good to pair with the dish. To wrap up the segment, the FCS Agent would showcase the final product and where to find additional recipes and resources.

After each segment, the video was posted on the news station website and the Louisville Area FCS Agents shared the link on their social media pages and county websites.  The feedback received from this program was astounding.