Abstract:
Crawford County Health Department received monies from CDC and Kansas LEAN to encourage parents to be more active with their preschool children and to increase time spent on activities that integrate physical activity/5 A Day messages. The geographic area served by the grant focused on Crawford County but also included activities in Cherokee, Labette, and Bourbon counties.
One of the goals for the grant was to create a community garden. The garden was a good source of physical activity and an activity that would easily lend itself to the 5 A Day program.
With a very close collaboration with Crawford County K-State Extension Master Gardeners, the dream of a garden soon became a reality. After a great deal of planning, a garden layout was drawn for the eight individual family plots and four community plots. Through the support of our county commissioners, the county road and bridge crew bladed the "soon to be" garden area.
Ten coordinating classes for the children and adults were planned. After classes, the families would then go to the garden together to prepare soil, plant, water, weed, or take care of whatever the garden needs were.
The community plots were cared for by the Juvenile offenders program, Women's Integration, Discovery Preschool, and Oak Place (subsidiaries of Crawford County Mental Health). This gave the Juvenile offenders an opportunity for a community service, and the mental health consumers were provided new skills and a physical activity that was also a good stress reliever.
Learning Objectives: Increase physcial activity in preschool children and their families. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption to five servings per day. Strengthen family relationships
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: CDC
Kansas Lean
Crawford County Health Department
Master Gardeners
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: CDC and Kansas Lean provided grant funding
Employed by Crawford County Health Department