Describe the Issue or Situation.

In 2023, the CDC ranked Kentucky the 4th highest state of a mortality rate of drug overdoses per 100,000. Floyd County houses five separate recovery centers alone. These centers stay full year round. 

Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).

In collaboration with Hope in the Mountains, Kentucky Nutrition Education Program, Extension Volunteers, and Floyd County Agriculture Extension. Floyd County Family & Consumer Sciences received a grant through Kentucky Nutrition Education program to establish the first Recovery Garden in Floyd County. 

Floyd County Extension Volunteers, Floyd County Nutrition Education Program, and Floyd County Family & Consumer Sciences worked together and utilized the Recovery Garden Toolkit to collect materials needed for the gardens. The Extension volunteers built  raised bed gardens that equaled out to be 33 sqft of garden space along with an 8 foot long trellis for vine growing vegetables.

Residents and staff at Hope in the Mountains assisted with the placement the garden soil and vegetables. Vegetables planted included tomatoes,  green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, onions, lettuce heads, cucumbers, and banana peppers.

In the grant, Extension provided Hope in the Mountains with garden tools and supplies such as water cans, hand rowels, hand cultivator, pruning shears, Plate it Up! KY Proud recipe cards and the Extension Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky booklets to use as a resource.

The Snap-ed Nutrition Education program Assistant Senior continued nutrition education and incorporated the vegetables grown in the garden. 

Provide the Number and Description(s) of Participants/Target Audience.

Approximately 15 in-patient residents and 15 outpatient residents participated or were somehow involved with the gardens. The recovery center incorporated the raised bed gardens into their chore list to ensure the garden was tended to by the residents. 

Provide a Statement of Outcomes or Program Impact. Please note that the outcomes statement must use evaluation data to describe the change(s) that occurred in individuals, groups, families, businesses, or in the community because of the program/outreach.

From an outcome of the raised be gardens evaluations concluded that over 50% of the current residents learned how to grow vegetables, 60% learned how to gardening can contribute to substance use recovery, 60% learned strategies to take care of themselves and feel calmer that they plan to use in the future. Sixty percent also stated they felt more confident because of the garden, gained new leadership skills, improved their understanding of how to work together, planned to seek out positive social relationships and invest more deeply in the community, and learned about new opportunities offered though Cooperative Extension Service. Residents personally stated that the gardens gave them something to look forward to during their time there and gave them a new sense of self-esteem. 

In addition to the knowledge gained from the residents, the Recovery Garden had a successful gardening season and produced 42.2 lbs or produce.