The Front Burner: Summer 2018

Cooperative Extension Service Hardin County 201 Peterson Drive Elizabethtown, KY 42701 (270)-765-4121 Fax: (270)-769-0426 extension.ca.uky.edu

Summer Fun: Not just for the kids!

Hello!

It’s Farmers’ Market Season!

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July 2018 June 2018

August 2018 More classes can tentatively be added. Check out our website at hardin.ca.uky.edu or follow us on Facebook for the most up to date information on programs we offer!

Facebook: Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service 4

Laugh & Learn Playdates KINDERGARTEN READINESS SKILLS DISGUISED AS PLAY!

Located at the Hardin County Extension Office 201 Peterson Drive, Elizabethtown Sign up for one or sign up for all!

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Fitness Beginnings: Fitness goal setting Source: Natalie Jones, UK physical activity program coordinator You may have recently made a decision to get healthier but may not know where to start. Adding physical activity to your routine is a great way to improve your mind, mood and body.

Adults need 150 minutes of physical activity each week. While this may seem overwhelming, you can split up over the week, but keep it in 10-minute segments. Set an appointment and keep it with yourself each day to ensure you meet this goal.

Remember to set SMART goals or ones that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. A specific goal should clearly spell out what you want to achieve, where it will take place and the time period. An example of a specific goal is walking for at least 30 minutes, in your neighborhood, five days a week. Often, we want immediate success. That’s where the attainable part of SMART goal setting comes in. Attainable means the goal is realistic and something you can do. As much as we would all like lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks, the chances are highly unlikely that it will happen. In fact, most people trying to lose weight should aim to lose about 1-2 pounds per week for healthy and sustainable weight loss. Keep that in mind as you are setting your fitness goals.

The next step is for you to examine the importance of the goal relevant to where you are in your life. For example, you may not necessarily be interested in weight loss right now but may instead choose to add physical activity to reduce stress or improve your mood. The last part of SMART is timeliness.

This is when you set time to complete your goal, whether it is short or long term. For example, one goal may be to lose 15 pounds within two months.

A long-term goal could be to maintain that weight loss for an entire year.

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The skinny on GMOs Genetically engineered foods have been available to consumers since the mid- to late-1990s. In fact, most of us have eaten food that contains ingredients from GMO crops without even knowing it.

So how do you know which foods contain a genetically modified crop as

an ingredient? Well, that’s not so easy.

GMO crops, including certain varieties of alfalfa, canola, field and sweet corn, cotton, papaya, soybeans, sugar beets and squash, are grown commercially in the United States. Most of the time, the GMO-containing varieties are grown for animal feed, processing or fuel production. Relatively little are grown for direct human consumption.

Food companies are not required to label products containing GMO ingredients at this time. One reason for this is scientists throughout the world do not consider them as posing any new hazards for food safety that could not also arise from conventional plant breeding. Scientists view genetic engineering as one technique among many that breeders can use to get a desired result and do not believe one technique should be labeled while others are not.

The only way you can know for sure a product does not contain a GMO crop is if it is labeled USDA Certified Organic. To meet regulations, farmers and processors must show that they are not using GMOs and that they are protecting their products from prohibited substances, such as GMOs. Are GMO-containing crops safe to consume? No known safety concerns for human consumption exist. In the U.S. these crops are monitored for safety 8

by three different government agencies: the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In contrast, conventionally bred, nongenetically engineered crops typically receive very little or no formal evaluation by government agencies.

Many people know of the benefits genetically engineered crops have for farmers, such as increased yields, higher profits and better weed and pest management, but genetic engineering also has some human health benefits.

Certain genetically engineered crops have lower concentrations of naturally occurring toxins. Usually these toxins are found in very low concentrations in foods but still cause some human health concerns. Other crops are genetically engineered to decrease nutrient deficiencies in humans. Scientists are in the process of developing genetically engineered crops as an answer to how to

feed a growing world population with fewer resources.

As with any biotechnology, genetic engineering is a great way for scientists to tackle some of the most pressing food-related problems, but it’s not a silver bullet. More information on GMOs is available at the Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service.

Cooking through the Calendar

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We received the grant to do POP Club at the Hardin County Farmers’ Market again and we’re so excited!

Dates for POP Club are listed in the calendar (although tentative).

The best way to find out about POP Club activities and get reminders is to follow either our page or the Hardin County Farmers’ Market on Facebook (or both!)!

POP Club is an interactive activity station that allows kids to try new fruits and vegetables, to complete an activity related to agriculture and where our food comes from, and then earn money to spend at the Hardin County Farmers’ Market!

Last year, we gave out $2,909 dollars in POP Bucks to youth in Hardin County. This year, we’re hoping for even more!

Keep an eye out for POP Club news!

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Nutrition Education Program

For Your Recipe Box 11

Hardin County 201 Peterson Drive Elizabethtown KY 42701 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

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