The Barren County Brown Bag program is a "grab and go" educational opportunity available for pick up in the box outside of the Extension Office. Barren County residents are encouraged to pick up regular packets featuring useful and relevant farm and family information. This program was initiated to provide continued programming and #healthyathome activities for families during the coronavirus quarantine. The self-serve program covers topics and provides resources from all program areas to serve families including preschoolers, students, 4-Hers, parents, and any interested community members. Family and Consumer Sciences featured topics included handwashing and disease prevention; cooking at home/grains (food storage); family fitness; mindfulness and stress relief; home cleanliness and food safety; summer safety; and dairy month/nutrition. Complimenting online educational opportunities via social media and webinars were presented to further the program reach.

So far 300+ packets have been dispersed. Participants were encouraged to complete a survey via QR code and many reported prior limited previous experience with and participation in Extension programs. Survey respondents reported that they enjoyed the children’s activities and the exercise bands among other provided materials. One respondent said to "keep the good stuff coming." 

Not only were new individuals introduced to Extension Services through the Brown Bag grab-n-go program, but program reach was also further expanded with online learning opportunities. One especially popular Facebook Livestream on basic pantry and freezer storage reached over 1600 people and had 288 views. In the wake of the pandemic, the FCS Agent discovered that stepping out of her comfort zone to engage the community in new and creative was via Facebook Live, Zoom, and other media platforms have allowed her to reach a larger and more diverse audience.