Celebrate National Farmers Market Week!

National Farmers Market Week is this week, August 5th - 11th!

     How does your garden grow? Well for some of us here in southeastern Michigan, not very well. Several weeks of above average temperatures and a severe lack of rain have made my tomato plants look pretty poor. Luckily I am not a farmer and don’t depend on my produce for my livelihood, but I do love frequenting the farmer’s market and supporting the local farmer’s in my area. I also love reading books with my daughter that promote farming to give her an understanding of where food comes from so that she too will have an appreciation of all the hard work that goes into producing our food and the value that our local farms bring to our community.

     Farmers markets are important to our communities for they:

• Stimulate local economies
  
• Preserve farmland and rural livelihoods
• Increase access to fresh foods
• Support healthy communities
  

     If you don’t already regularly visit a farmers market, think about visiting one during National Farmers Market Week for a wonderful learning experience and to support local growers and others who set up their booths at the farmers market. You also might find some great local honey, fresh bread or homemade jams and jellies from local fruit. Try out some new vegetables that you don’t normally eat or make a dip and indulge in some raw vegetables with your children. Cooking together is another great way to bond with your child and builds some exceptional real life skills.

     To find a local farmers market near you, visit the National Farmers Market Directory.

    After visiting a local farmers market and bringing home some delicious foods, read one of the titles below to enhance the experience and give your child a deeper understanding of farming and where our food comes from.

Before We Eat: From Farm to Table by Pat Brisson
Before we sit down to eat, many people have worked very hard to grow the food that will grace our tables. Learn about all of the hard work that goes into growing and making all of the foods that we eat every day through simple text and vibrant wood-cut illustrations.

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How Did That Get In My Lunchbox?: The Story of Food by Chris Butterworth
Take a more in depth look at the production of some common foods typically found in a child’s lunchbox with this title. While this title does not address all farm-raised products, it still provides a wonderful introduction to to food production for young children.

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World of Farming series by Nancy Dickmann
     -Food From Farms     -Plants on a Farm     -Jobs on the Farm     -Farm Machines     -Farm Animals
     -Farms Around the World     -Seasons on a Farm
This non-fiction series takes the reader through the various aspects of living and working on a farm, from the types of foods grown on a farm to the different machines needed to tend the farm properly. Real life photographs add to the learning, giving children images they can identify with (if they live near a farming community).

A Farmer’s Life for Me by Jan Dobbins
This title details the daily activities of farm life, from milking the cows in the morning to collecting eggs and picking cherries. It also depicts how children help with the chores on a farm, showing that tending a farm requires everyone in a family to work together.

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On the Farm by David Elliott
Meet the animals to be found on a family farm. Each two page spread focuses on a different animal and features a short poem that talks about that particular animal. Not all of the poems rhyme, thus introducing little ones to various poetic forms.

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Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root
A delightful rhyme paired with urban illustrations show the reader that a “farm” of fresh, green growing things can exist almost anywhere. All that it takes it some soil, sun, water, a seed and someone to plant it. This book also highlights the joy to be found in sharing seeds and the foods that grow with others.

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Usborne Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers about Food
Lift-the-flap elements make this an interactive read that details where the food on our plates comes from fun and informative. Lifting the flaps to find the answer to such questions as “How is chocolate made?” and ‘How is flour made?,” this book is sure to keep your child coming back to learn more and more.

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On The Farm (Shine-A-Light) by Susie Behar
Shine a light behind the special see-through pages to learn about life on a farm. See what chores need to be done during different seasons and take a look at various types of buildings to be found on a variety of farms.

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Usborne Press-Out Paper Farm
You and your child can construct an entire miniature, cardboard farm and learn about all of the aspects of farm life at the same time with this book. 

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So, show your appreciation for the hard work that farmers do every day by visiting a local farmers market this week and share a story all about where our food comes from with your child!

Happy marketing and reading!