According to Kentucky County Health Rankings from 2019, 20% of the population of Breathitt County is food insecure; meaning that 20% of the people in Breathitt County lack adequate access to food.  Health care rankings also state that Breathitt County adult citizens have one of the highest diabetic rates in Kentucky.  It is imperative that the Breathitt County population have access to foods and optimally, nutritious foods, that will benefit their overall health. 

Breathitt County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Kayla Watts, hosted a Food Preservation Basics workshop that taught participants about selecting and preserving nutritious foods.  The idea of the program was to one, educate the audience about selecting healthy foods, and two, educate the audience about securing a food supply. 

16 Breathitt County adults attended the Food Preservation Basics workshop where they practiced selecting and preserving various fruits and vegetables. Each participant increased their knowledge of food selection and preservation; indicated by the use of a pre/post evaluation.

Behavior change was also indicated with the workshop participants. Using a 3-month follow up survey participants were able to indicate the skills used and the food they had preserved after attending the workshop. More than 88% of participants indicated they had used skills gained from the Food Preservation workshop. Participants also indicated they had preserved approximately 1,099 quarts of vegetables/fruits and approximately 383 pints of vegetables/fruits for use throughout the entire year. 

The Food Preservation Basics workshop was a great tool to help teach and encourage adults to make healthy food selections and to help adults have access to nutritious foods; thus impacting food insecurity in Breathitt County.