Consuming fresh local products is absent in many American households. Several factors contribute to this problem, including: sourcing, perceived difficulty of preparation, and resistance to eating because of lack of exposure to non-processed foods. The educational response in this instance was to share the multitude of unique pumpkins and winter squash in a fun and engaging format featuring their unique appearances, international influences and culinary applications through an informative television segment.

The target audience included children and adults alike. By virtually entering into over 64,000 homes, audiences lacking transportation or those not comfortable with attending programs in person, were reached. In addition to multiple scheduled broadcasts of the show, it also is viewable on YouTube, which allows for reaching another demographic altogether. Over a dozen varieties were discussed and three types, jumbo pink banana squash, mini pumpkins and acorn squash, were used in cooking demonstrations. A link to YouTube (https:youtu.be/hOAAYaZ5Dlg) was included in the monthly newsletter, reaching even more stakeholders. One in particular sent a screenshot of the televised version that was playing at her place of employment.   

Hardin County Educational and Community (HCEC) TV was instrumental in the success of this initiative. Visiting the extension office where the filming took place, the production assistant and station director are committed to the regular addition of new content for the Hardin County Extension Today segment. The impact of such efforts is the promotion of the innate benefits of sourcing and consuming locally raised fruits, vegetables and protein sources. As documented through Michigan State University Community Food Systems research, these include: added flavor, increased nutrient availability, support of the local economy, environmental benefits, and consumer peace of mind enabled by knowing where their food comes from. (https://extension.msu.edu)