According for Feed America, Kentucky has a food insecurity rate of 18% for children and 15% for the overall population.  Grant County has a 37% population that are below the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program threshold of 130% of poverty.  The county had a strong need for gardening and food preservation.  The Grant County Nutrition Education Program in conjunction with Grant County Extension Family and Consumer Sciences, Grant County Community Action Agency and Grant County Master Gardeners have worked over the past three years to fill that need.  Using Healthy Choices curriculum, Master Gardener advice, Family and Consumer Science Food Preservation Classes and Community Action Plant and Seed Giveaways, the need for food security was addressed.  Low income families, Senior Citizens, and Relatives Raising Children in placement had the opportunity to raise their own gardens, plan meals, budget, and get hands on experience cooking recipes and preserving food.   Over a three year period, 7,392.5 pounds of produce amounting to 21,227.30 cups of fruits and vegetables were produced.  If purchased, the food would have cost $20,833.15 according to data from the USDA Economic Research service website.  One gentleman who grew a garden for two years and attended both Nutrition Education classes and Food Preservation classes stated, “I rarely buy vegetables now, I have enough for winter.”