The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service’s recent Community Assessment identified sustainability of family farms, increased support for small businesses, and better skills for selecting and preparing healthy food as top priorities in Allen County. 

The Allen County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent partnered with Allen County Beekeepers Association to present “Cooking with Honey- Incorporating Honey into Every Aspect of Your Meal” at both an Allen County Beekeepers Association meeting and South Central KY Beekeeping School. The goal of the program was to increase consumer knowledge of uses for local products and demonstrate food preparation skills for beekeepers. The FCS Agent publicized the program on WPBM television’s “Family Lifestyles” and in the Citizen Times newspaper’s?Kelly’s Korner?column with a recipe for Honey Raisin Muffins. 

The lessons presented at the Allen County Beekeepers Association meeting and Southern KY Beekeeping School included an instructional portion on honey’s nutritional content and how to store and select honey, followed by a cooking demonstration and sampling activity. At the Allen County Beekeepers Association Meeting, two Extension Homemakers volunteered to assist with the food demonstrations, one of which became a Champion Food Volunteer the following month.  ?Prior to the lesson, 66% of participants reported limited knowledge of local honey, and 24% reported having quite a bit of knowledge. The FCS Agent utilized UK Cooperative Extension Service’s “The Buzz about Honey” lesson resources as well as recipes from the National Honey Board and Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service to create a sampling menu that included an appetizer, salad, entrée, side, and dessert all made with local honey. 

As a result of attending the lesson, 95% of participants reported gaining knowledge about cooking with honey or honey’s nutritional value, and 95% reported intentions to use one or more suggestions from the program, and 100% plan to share the information with others. To attest to the success of the program, one attendee who is also a member of the Allen County Cattlemen’s Association requested a similar style lesson to be presented to that group in the future.