With family lifestyles getting busier and COVID-19 closing many places and parks, it has put a strain on many families.  According to Harvard Graduate School of Education, "studies show gardens support and encourage healthful eating as a key component of children's physical wellbeing, which can aid their academic and social success, too." 

Through the efforts of the McCracken County Cooperative Extension Service, families in McCracken County started their own vegetable gardens from seeds. This family gardening project promoted many aspects of growth and education in youth and adults. Families became more involved together, learned the importance of nurturing plant growth for food and followed provided SNAP-Ed recipes with their food. 

One parent stated, "These bags have been so wonderful, we have planted the entire porch with plants from the Ag Bags and Family Gardening Bags!  We have made tacos with the lettuce, Spaghetti with the basil and are looking forward to tomatoes." Another sent photos of their family and new garden and stated, "My kids and husband are loving the garden bags and craft bags!!! For Father’s Day my husband is wanting supplies to build a raised garden bed to move their plants into, so that’s what he got!! And he, the kids, and I all assembled it! They are having fun watching them transform!!"

The Cooperative Extension Service in McCracken County is stressing the importance of raising the next generation of ag-aware and food conscious citizens. All of the 3025 Agriculture/ SNAP-Ed Related Bags were picked up by the community. Four local farms had these bags each week at their farms, fostering economic growth for the farms and exposure and awareness for agriculture and for the Cooperative Extension Service. Each agricultural bag had a corresponding SNAP-Ed recipe and the “Eat Smart to Play Hard” Tool Kit was utilized. Based on feedback received by the community, there was a collective sense of pride from eating their own home-grown vegetables and herbs. McCracken County will be continuing our efforts for the foreseeable future to make agriculture and food awareness a priority.