Kentucky families can try nutritious, easy-to-prepare recipes using fresh Kentucky Proud products through a new statewide initiative aimed at encouraging consumers to buy local food.

Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer and M. Scott Smith, dean of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, will officially kick off the Plate It Up, Kentucky Proud program at the Kentucky Commodity Breakfast Aug. 18 at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Two recipes from the program – a watermelon tomato salad and a cucumber, corn and bean salsa – will be featured at the Aug. 18 commodity breakfast, which traditionally is held on opening day of the Kentucky State Fair.

“Kentucky Proud means fruits and vegetables at their peak of freshness,” Commissioner Farmer said. “When you buy Kentucky Proud, you buy nutritious foods that you can serve to your family with confidence. You also help Kentucky farm families make a living.”

Students in the UK nutrition program will rework traditional recipes using Kentucky fruits, vegetables, and herbs to make the recipes healthier while still delicious and easy to prepare. A panel of family and consumer sciences agents will judge the recipes. The winning recipes, along with videos of the recipes being prepared, will be posted on the Kentucky Proud website, www.kyproud.com. They also will be distributed through Extension to all 120 Kentucky counties. Extension agents will educate local consumers on how to prepare the recipes and how to use the Kentucky Proud products in the recipes.

“The goal is to get consumers to buy, prepare, and preserve more locally grown Kentucky Proud products,” said Janet Johnson, Allen County Cooperative Extension agent for family and consumer sciences. “By developing delicious new recipes each season that focus on the freshest commodities, consumers can sample the benefits provided by ‘plating up’ the best Kentucky foods.”

Plate It Up, Kentucky Proud is a partnership of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, and the UK School of Human and Environmental Sciences. The program is funded with federal Specialty Crop Block Grant funds administered by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

Along with the Commodity Breakfast, recipes will be featured in demonstrations at noon daily at the Kentucky Beef Council’s stage in the South Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center during the state fair. Information and recipe cards will be available at the UK College of Agriculture’s exhibit in the West Hall lobby and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s display in the South Wing.

Kentucky Proud is the Commonwealth’s official farm marketing program. Kentucky Proud generated more than $200 million in retail sales of Kentucky food products through member retailers in 2010. More than 2,500 farmers, processors, retailers, restaurants, school districts, farmers’ markets, Kentucky Farm Bureau roadside markets, and Kentucky state parks are members of Kentucky Proud.

“I’m pleased that the Kentucky Department of Agriculture again is working with our good friends at UK on this important project,” Commissioner Farmer said. “I encourage all Kentuckians to ‘Plate It Up’ with fresh Kentucky Proud foods. This effort will boost Kentucky’s farm economy while making Kentuckians healthier.”