According to the 5-A-Day program developed and promoted by the USDA, citizens are encouraged to increase fruit and vegetable consumption to 5-9 servings daily. Although community members may understand the importance of consuming more fruits and vegetables, access to these foods can be difficult. Breathitt County residents have minimal access to healthy foods, thus making it even harder to combat health epidemics such as diabetes and heart disease using a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables approach. Providing access to nutritious foods, as well as, helping local growers of fruits and vegetables is important for overall community, physical, and economic health. 

Breathitt County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Kayla Watts, in partnership with county Extension Agents and staff, Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability (RCARS) staff, local farmers and the local Farmer’s Market Board, hosted “Lunch at The Market” events during peak growing seasons. Lunches were prepared using local fruits and vegetables. This effort enabled community members to try new fruits and vegetables and then also allowed them the opportunity to purchase said items from growers at the same time/location. 2 “Lunch at The Market” events took place during the months of July and August. 

An average of 250 Breathitt County citizens participated in the “Lunch at The Market” events. Participants were provided with a lunch prepared with local fruits and vegetables, provided with Plate-It-Up recipe cards and nutrition information, and provided the opportunity to purchase produce from local growers before leaving the event.  The “Lunch at The Market” events were highly successful! 100% of farmers that participated in the event, indicated an increase of sales each time the program took place. Community members indicated that they frequented the Farmer’s Market numerous times after visiting during the “Lunch at The Market” program. Community participants also indicated an increase in knowledge of accessible fruits and vegetables at the local Farmer’s Market. “I didn’t realize I could purchase so many different items at our local Farmer’s Market,” stated a female “Lunch at The Market” participant.  

“Lunch at The Market” is now an event that the Breathitt County community enjoys and expects. Having accessible fruits and vegetables for consumption is key to overall health. Programs such as “Lunch at The Market” allows Extension Agents an opportunity to educate the community about fruit and vegetable consumption and educate the community on the accessibility of foods within the local community.