Sprouts at the Market

Sprouts at the Market is the Market's nutrition, farm linkage, and mealtime programming for kids ages 3-8. Got a "Sprout" in your life? Bringing them to the Market's monthly Sprouts events can encourage them to try new foods, help them learn more about where food comes from and who grows it, and why fresh fruits and vegetables are so good for us!

Each month brings new fruits and vegetables to the Market, and Sprouts gives participating kids the opportunity to give these locally-grown foods a try. There's always a theme, and there's always something yummy to eat! Sprouts also functions as a self-guided tour through the Market, with tables scattered throughout where participants can stop and learn. Our nutrition programming has been developed by a dietetics graduate student, Jennifer Hewitt, for the past four seasons,and we continue to work with our farmers as well as organizations such as the Family Resiliency Center, University of Illinois Extension Illinois Master Gardeners, and the Eastern Illinois Foodbank to develop other parts of the program. To better teach kids where our food comes from, participating farmers wear Sprouts nametags - Sprouts (and their big people) are more than welcome to ask these farmers questions.

Every child that visits all the stations receives a Certificate of Participation and occasionally, we have special prizes. Art Mart Toys offers a 25% discount on their merchandise to kids presenting their Sprouts certificate on Sprouts Saturdays, too!

Dates and themes for the 2012 season are:

5/19: TBA

6/16: Summer Sprouts! This event will have special emphasis on farms and farmers, along with in-season produce sampling, and nutrition/mealtime information.

7/21: What's On My Plate? This event will have special emphasis on nutrition, plus in-season produce sampling, and farmer/mealtime information.

8/18: Some Say Tomato! This event will be all about tomatoes - how and when they grow, their many varieties, who grows them for our market, why they're good for you, and things you can make from tomatoes. Several different kinds (and colors) of tomatoes will be available for kids to sample.

9/15: Let's Eat Our Colors! This event will have a special emphasis on mealtime, with produce of all colors featured for kids to sample. Information about our farmers and their farms will also be available.

10/6: Pumped For Pumpkins! This event will feature guest educators from The Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur - they'll come to Sprouts ready to teach kids about curcurbits: squashes, pumpkins, and gourds. We'll post more information as it becomes available.

Many, many thanks go to our growers, local businesses, and partners who supported Sprouts in 2011. Sprouts is a success because they help us out. So - many thanks to:

Pekara Bakery & Bistro