Friday, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 |
Photo – Cent$ible Nutrition Program logo – Courtesy UW Extension Office
The University of Wyoming’s nutrition assistance education program has been cancelled after less than a year.
Last December, University of Wyoming Nutrition Educator Candice McSpadden introduced herself to the Board of Carbon County Commissioners, explaining that she would be reintroducing the Cent$ible Nutrition Program to our area.
The Cent$ible Nutrition Program came from a partnership between the University of Wyoming and the USDA’s Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP. Speaking to Bigfoot99 last year, McSpadden said the federally funded program allows the UW Extension Office to provide food education courses to low-income Carbon County residents.
Specifically, McSpadden said the Cent$ible Nutrition Program teaches food safety and cooking, helping people make healthier and more affordable food choices.
The program was short-lived, however. During the September 2nd Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, UW Extension Educator Emily Haver informed the Board that federal funding for the Cent$ible Nutrition Program had been discontinued, bringing McSpadden’s initiative to an end.
Following the elimination of federal SNAP education funding under President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” Wyoming’s Cent$ible Nutrition Program is scheduled to end statewide operations on September 30th.
After learning about the funding cut, Haver said McSpadden chose to pursue another job opportunity on August 15th.
Reduced services will continue through the federal Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program grant, which offers similar educational opportunities to the Cent$ible Nutrition Program. However, Haver said the smaller scale of the initiative is likely to leave Carbon County without a dedicated nutrition educator.
With the Cent$ible Nutrition Program ending, residents who rely on the free cooking classes, budgeting tips, and food safety education may still receive those resources through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. For more information, contact the University of Wyoming Extension’s Cent$ible Nutrition Program office at 766-5375.
