Growing Healthy Eaters: A SNAP-Ed PSE Success Story

December 10, 2024

Local partners collaborate to strengthen fruit and vegetable access for preschoolers in Northern Michigan. #snapedworks #msuextension Funded by the USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - SNAP. Enthusiasm by Jay Man is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Video Transcript

Hi, my name is Rachael Gillespie. I'm with MSU Extension and I'm a Community Nutrition Instructor.

Through that coaching, we completed the assessments and then we reviewed them to discuss potential goals that the provider could set.

Hello everyone. This is, um, Reading Rainbow Early Childhood Development. My name is Doresa Walton-Mack, and I am the owner and director of this program. Growing Healthy Eaters has provided me with a resource to get fresh vegetables.

Hello, I'm Paul Avery. I am the owner of the Tiki Hut Farm Market. Last year we did something different where we had

uh, your choice CSA. And so they were actually able to go online and through this third party website and check off everything they wanted for the day or for the week. It's very important that we have healthy foods, you know, the state of Michigan guides us through the program. And then MSU stepped into my life about a year ago and we were getting fresh fruit. And that is difficult to find in our community. And so, when they introduced me to Tiki Hut, my first package was awesome. All the vegetables were so fresh and so good.

It's very important to expose the youth to nutrition at an early age so they can develop those healthy eating habits.

Rachael! She's been a jewel. Rachael has been there helping. We're both learning about gardening. And she's able to get the information I need. She helped me with the community garden. And she would give me seeds. She brought me seeds today. And then when the vegetables grow, they're just so excited!

The Growing Healthy Eaters program was very successful, overall, in my opinion, from the feedback that I heard from the providers. Not only were the providers excited to have the opportunity to be able to provide the fresh local produce to their kids, but they were excited to be able to enhance their overall health. And that was really important to them, and then they got even more excited when the kids were enjoying it. And so they got to be part of that process.

It was a really, it was a collaborative project that brought together different people and with the willingness and support of the Tiki Hut and Mr. Avery in supporting this program, um, it wouldn't have been possible, if he hadn't been willing to get involved.

Paul has been very patient with me as I order my materials and my produce. And he's always introducing me to different things that he might have, you know, he's always given us good fresh fruit and vegetables.

Which one do you like the best?

Strawberries!

The strawberries? Okay!

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MSU Extension Nutrition