If
there’s one terrific way to get kids interested in trying new foods,
understanding where food comes from, and choosing produce over chips (at
least some of the time), it’s a trip to the farmers market.
Along
with farmers selling produce, there are makers selling everything from
pickles to preserves to pesto; beekeepers offering honey; ranchers who
have raised chickens, beef and pigs; fishermen and women selling their
catch; bakers with breads, pies and muffins.
Shopping
at a farmers market also means shopping seasonally, which makes us more
aware of sustainability. It’s cool for kids to start to understand
that, in much of the country, strawberries are around in May and June,
peaches and plums are available in mid-summer, and once apples start
rolling in, fall is on the horizon. It gives all of us an appreciation
for the bounty of the moment. A fresh ear of corn tastes all the sweeter
in August because its availability is fleeting.
Shopping at farmers markets also can create a sense of community, since it supports local farmers and producers.
So parents, grab your wallet and some reusable bags. Here are eight ways to get your kids engaged at the farmers market:
1. Encourage children to ask three questions of the farmers/producers.
As you move through the market, questions will probably pop up. How many eggs does a chicken lay every day? Why are some vegetables labeled organic and others aren’t? What does grass-fed mean? Why are different types of corn different colors?
2. Show up hungry! And taste as much as you can.
Tasting might be more
limited this summer as different markets adjust to shifting COVID rules.
In regular times, most producers are happy to offer up a slice of plum,
a sliver of cheese, a taste of homemade jam on a cracker. This is also a
good way to teach kids how to ask for something politely, and show
appreciation for the sampling.
3. Bring home one fruit or vegetable that’s completely new to you, and
figure out how to use it.
Maybe you’ll find some golden berries,
watermelon radishes or dandelion greens. You can try your find as is, or
add it to a salad, pasta dish, pie or other recipe. Our best find when
the kids were little was an ostrich egg, an enormous egg that we
discovered has the equivalent of 24 large chicken eggs inside it. We
learned how to get the egg out of the shell without breaking it, and we
made a huge amount of scrambled eggs for our neighbors, using ramps —
wild leeks which were also regional and in season. We were able to keep
the ostrich egg shell on our fireplace mantle for years as a memento of
an interesting farmers market expedition.
4. Find a new cheese.
Start by blending a new cheese in with something
milder and pre-approved by your children for grilled cheese sandwiches.
Many cheeses are locally produced, so depending on where you live, you
might end up bringing home a Vermont goat cheese, a Wisconsin sharp
cheddar, a California triple crème or a blue cheese from Oregon.
5. See what farm-raised eggs are all about.
When you bring them home,
crack open a farmer’s market egg next to a supermarket egg — check out
the yolk colors to see which is more vibrant. At the market, you might
ask the farmer about what their chickens eat, and how that affects the
yolks’ color.
6. Ask a farmer for a recipe.
Who knows how to use these products better
than the people who make them? You’ll likely find that the “recipe” you
get is a simple one, a dish that allows the produce or other ingredient
to shine without much adornment.
7. Create a scavenger hunt.
You can plan this ahead of time or let it
develop organically. Searches might include: How many red vegetables can
you find? How any different kinds of apples can you count? How many
colors of eggs are there (and can you find any that are speckled)?
What’s the biggest melon you can find?
8. Find the produce with the weirdest names.
Kids often love silly
monikers, and you might come across Chocolate Stripe Tomatoes, Cathead
Apples, Donut Peaches, Russian Banana Potatoes or Dragon Kale.
After
one or two visits to the market, your kids might be fast friends with
the person who sells the apple cinnamon doughnuts. Don’t forget to pick
up a jug of cider to wash them down.
NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many markets may have rules in order to follow state and local government ordinances. Click here to see 17 changes you can expect when visiting a market.