Say Hello to Garden Fresh Veggies

May 2019 – September 2019

     The Opportunity Center, located in Greenville, KY is an organization that provides basic life skills and support to individuals that are intellectually and or physically challenged in Muhlenberg and surrounding counties.  Adults with mobility limitations and intellectual disabilities are at a disproportionately higher risk for obesity.  Statistically, according to the Center for Disease Control adults with disabilities are 20% more likely to be overweight.  Adults with disabilities can find it more difficult to eat healthy, control their weight, and be physically active.  This might simply be from a lack of healthy food choices.  In the summer of 2019, the Muhlenberg County SNAP-Ed Assistant and the Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent partnered with the Opportunity Center to start a raised bed garden at the center, to expose this group of adults to various fresh vegetables.  

Throughout the growing season the ANR agent and SNAP-Ed assistant led groups in the basics of gardening, and benefits of locally grown foods through various hands on experiences both outside in the raised bed garden area, and inside in the kitchen.

As each of the crops were harvested the SNAP-Ed Assistant was able to teach the Healthy Choices curriculum and work with clients to prepare several Plate It Up Kentucky Proud Recipes, or to just enjoy a fresh vegetable from their garden.  When their harvest was abundant they were even able to take vegetables home to share with their families. They learned where their foods fit on My Plate.  Many of them learned Know the Limits, first hand when we sampled sautéed squash, many of them had never tried squash or had only eaten it deep fried.  Basic food safety; washing hands before preparing foods and washing vegetables before consumption, taught the participating clients to prepare their own foods, thus enabling them to live more independently.   We were even able to teach the Better Beverage Choices lesson to increase consumption of water on the hot days outside in the garden.

All of the Opportunity Center’s 40 clients, a group that is traditionally underserved by Extension were involved in various roles with the raised bed garden.  Throughout the series the clients tried several new foods, and increased their consumption of vegetables.  Most importantly they were able to attain a quality life experience to guide them in choosing healthy foods and drinks in the future.