With family lifestyles getting busier and COVID19 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 windowsill 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. 

Three local farms now have 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. One producer stated, "We have seen people come back every week to make sure they got the newest bag. With the increase in people wanting to shop locally and avoid crowded stores we can hardly keep enough stock in.”

The Cooperative Extension Service in McCracken County is stressing the importance of raising the next generation of ag-aware citizens. 100% of the 3025 Agriculture Related Bags have been picked up by the community. McCracken County will be continuing our efforts for the foreseeable future to make agriculture a priority