According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a person should consume fruits and vegetables daily as part of a healthy eating pattern to reduce their risk for chronic diseases such as, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and obesity.  According to the CDC, children are eating more fruit, but their fruit and vegetable intake is still too low. Recommendations by the USDA range from 1-2 cups for fruits and 1-3 cups for vegetables. In Knox County, Kentucky, the average percentage of fruit and vegetable intake for adults is at 10%, according to Kentucky Health Facts.  To address, the agriculture agent and FCS agent worked with pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms at 2 Knox County Schools to show the connection between the importance of eating healthy and where food comes from.

                This program supplemented their curriculum and provided hands on learning for the students in the classrooms.  The teachers covered the process of soil, sewing of a seed and the harvesting of a plant.   Using the LEAP curriculum, the FCS agent and ANR agent covered how plants grow and planted tomato seeds with each participant.  

The students and teachers watered and grew the plants for the remainder of the school year.  Once the school year was over, the students were then able to take the plants home and continue to grow them.  As a result of this program, 100% of students were able to learn how to plant and maintain a seed and observe vegetable production.  One Child Quoted, “I love my little tommy toes from my plant!”