Adopting healthy lifestyles for overall well-being is a major initiative of Cooperative Extension’s Family and Consumer Sciences.  The Simpson County Cooperative Extension Service used the State Blender Bike to promote physical activity and nutrition throughout Simpson County last fall. Through the efforts of the 4-H agent and FCS agent, the Blender Bike reached 1,100 people through school and industry health fairs, classrooms, day cares, Head Start, a local church, Cooking with Kids, club meetings, the Boys & Girls Club, and Boofest, a community fall festival sponsored by the Fair Board. The blender bike demonstration emphasized the importance of being physically active as well as making wise, nutritious food choices as the key to good health.  Recipes prepared with the bike and volunteer riders included salsas and smoothies. Eighty percent of participants sampled the salsa or smoothie and took a copy of the recipe.  The bike was an excellent marketing tool that drew people to the Extension booth at the health fairs and Boofest, with 90% participation rate.  

At the 6^th grade, health fair sponsored by the Get Healthy Simpson Coalition school staff put a special needs student on the blender bike.  He had mobility issues and needed assistance walking.  The student was able to ride the bike by himself.  The smile on his face was priceless as he was able to be independent and physically active simultaneously.  Bringing the Blender Bike to Simpson County demonstrated to county residents the importance of combining both physical activity and nutritious foods as the way to maintain good health.  The bike also increased Extension’s health marketing profile in our county. The Simpson County schools have requested UK Extension partner with the district again this year to acquire a blender bike for health programming.