Menifee County, as well as many other Eastern Kentucky counties has a high obesity and chronic disease risk rate, especially in low-income audiencces. Increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables has been shown to decrease risk of some chronic diseases and improve health outcomes. The Farmer's Market provides an opportunity for the community to purchase local produce and is in a desirable location for shoppers. This also helps financially support the local economy and farming community. 

Menifee County Cooperative Extension Services partnered with the Menifee County Farmer's Market Coalition to help plan, advertise, and host the Farmer's Market Opening Day in June. Our Ag Agent, Mary McCarty assisted the vendors in obtaining their necessary training for Snap and WIC sales. Our Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Kayla Walton advertised for the event on social media and in our bi-monthly newsletter. Additionally, Kayla partnered with Snap Assistant, Vanessa Harris to host a booth at the opening day event with snap recipe samples and demonstration for sweet potatoes and cucumber, tomato and bean salsa, recipe cards with nutrition and myPlate information as well as providing information about other extension programs and resources.We encouraged shoppers to purchase and consume produce available at the farmer's market using the recipe cards and samples, of which they could purchase ingredients for at the surrounding vendors. 

The Farmer's Market and Extension Office were able to work together to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption in our community. Most shoppers that tried our samples enjoyed them and took a recipe card. One shopper even stated "this smell is helping bring more people in!" Another shopper said that "this recipe is really simple" when referring to the grilled sweet potato recipe and demonstration and he showed interest in making the recipe at home.