The horticulture agent of Taylor County has been working with the Campbellsville Housing Community Center to provide horticulture education to residents who utilize their facilities. The agent was asked to do a program there, and then was asked to continue to provide educational classes each month. The agent teaches both an adult and a children’s program. Last month a container garden class was taught where participants planted tomatoes for themselves and/or their families. 

Fresh fruits and vegetables are not always available to individuals. Through this program the initial outcome is to provide guidance to growing fresh produce and additional horticulture education. A survey was conducted to measure how much the participants learned from last month’s program. One hundred percent of participants said that they had gained knowledge from last month's program. 

The intermediate outcome is whether the information learned was applied to their own day-to-day life. Did they water and fertilize their tomato plants, and harvest fruit from them? Did they prune some of their shrubs at the appropriate time of the year? This survey accompanied the previously mentioned survey. It measured what they had learned from the program, and whether the classes influenced them to apply the learned skills around their home. Eighty percent of the precipitants answered that as a result of the program they had applied their knowledge.

The long-term outcome for these programs is that the participants improve their health by incorporating more produce into their diets, and realize the importance of horticulture. The horticulture agent will look at the county statistical numbers to determine if obesity numbers decline or not. Also, the agent will follow up with additional surveys to track the progress of the program over the next few years pertaining to the positive impact horticulture plays on the participants lives.