Michelle Howell announced as Healthy Kentucky Champion

Louisville, KY (August 23, 2022) – Michelle Howell is one of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky’s 2022 Healthy Kentucky Champions. The awards recognize individuals dedicated to improving the health of Kentuckians at a community level and/or state level.

Howell co-owns Need More Acres Farm in Scottsville with her husband Nathan.  She has an agriculture degree from WKU and previously worked for the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension assisting tobacco farmers as they transitioned to fruit and vegetable production.  She collaborates with local and state partners to increase equitable opportunities for farmers. Howell has also been involved in writing grants worth more than $2.4 million to benefit food access, women’s life courses, and urban-rural development.

Need More Acres co-founded the Community Farmers Market (CFM) in Bowling Green, which piloted several Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) incentives. CFM was essential to growing Kentucky Double Dollars into a statewide program and CFM is one of the organization's pilots of the Fresh Rx MOMs program for expecting mothers on Medicaid. Both programs help under-resourced Kentuckians access fresh, healthy food from farmers markets. Additionally, Howell partners with the University of Kentucky, Western Kentucky University, and Kentucky State University for interactive professional development on diversity and inclusion.

“Access to nutritious food is crucial to a person’s overall health. The state has greatly benefited from Michelle Howell’s passion for improving that access,” said Ben Chandler, president and CEO, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. “There are many Kentuckians with healthy food on their table- thanks in part to her work.”

Howell is one of seven 2022 Healthy Kentucky Champions. Nominations for next year’s class will be accepted starting in October.