According to the 2017 Kentucky Kids Count data, 42.9% of children in Breathitt County live in poverty, while 16% of children in Breathitt County live in deep poverty. One way to fight poverty is growing and consuming one’s own vegetables at home.

Breathitt County SNAP-Ed Assistant, Kati Noble, in partnership with the Breathitt County Public School System, taught the LEAP (Literacy, Eating, and Activity for Primary) Curriculum. During one visit with a Kindergarten Grade class, the book, How Groundhog’s Garden Grew, was read to 24 students. Students then completed activities where they learned about different vegetables, how to grow vegetables, and the importance of physical activity.

As a part of this class, students learned the process of planting and harvesting vegetables. Students were then asked if they would talk to their parents about growing vegetables at home. 100% of the students indicated that they would ask their parents to grow vegetables at home.

One way to fight poverty is growing and consuming one’s own vegetables at home. This LEAP program allows SNAP-Ed Assistants and their partners to teach students, living in poverty, how to grow their own vegetables at home.