Lunch and Learn is a program that the FCS agent started 5 years ago. Originally it was just a nutrition class where participants sampled a recipe from the Food and Nutrition Calendar and talked about different aspects of food preparation. Subjects often covered included food safety, MyPlate, stretching your grocery dollar, food preservation, increasing fruits and vegetables, and more. This class was always well attended. It continued to grow every year.

In 2019, the FCS agent decided to update Lunch and Learn due to a high demand for hands on cooking classes. In January of 2019 Lunch and Learn became a hands on cooking class. Each month instead of sampling a recipe, participants got in the kitchen and prepared the recipe themselves. Most of the participants were repeat clients who had attended Lunch and Learn from the beginning. Others were new to the program which helped introduce them to Cooperative Extension as well as FCS Extension Programming. A group pf deaf individuals who came to programming the FCS agent offered at the housing authority began attending Lunch and Learn on a regular basis.

Participants reported an increased confidence in the kitchen. They feel comfortable reading a recipe, trying new foods, incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables in their daily cooking routine, and making more food at home. 

Lunch and Learn is an ongoing program that continues to be full each month with a growing waiting list.