SNAP-Ed Teaches Kids While Supporting Farmers
“For 5 years, SNAP Ed agent Andrea has been a fixture at the Abingdon Farmers Market on Tuesday afternoons. Andrea runs the market’s Kid Bucks program, which is sponsored by a local Pediatrics group.
During the summer months when kids are out of school, Andrea provides a different lesson each week to teach kids about how food grows and how to harvest and prepare fruits and vegetables. After a one on one or small group lesson, Andrea gives each child a $10 Fresh Bucks voucher that can be spent on produce, food plants, eggs and honey. She often brings an intern and Master Gardeners to help out. At the end of each market, she pays vendors for the vouchers received and provides receipts. Market Manager David says he couldn’t do the program without Andrea who spends a great deal of time preparing a weekly lesson, setting up her table and working with kids, parents and vendors.
Last week was the first Kids Bucks day of the season, where Andrea showed kids the life cycle of plants and had them match words to pictures, from seed to harvesting. A record 91 kids participated in the program that day, bringing a large number of families into the market to shop. Customers also learn about Virginia Fresh Match, which doubles the value of SNAP for fruits and vegetables.
Watching the kids spend their Fresh Bucks is interesting – some choose berries, eggs or vegetables and all take pride in their choices. One parent commented that her son never ate zucchini until he sampled it at the market and bought it himself; he now asks for it regularly. So many lessons are imparted by Andrea about healthy eating, meal planning, math and managing money, all in one lesson. Daivid notes that parents love the program and stop by with their kids to say thank you. Vendors appreciate the added income and how the program brings new families to the market. David says Andrea is the best partner they could have and the program could not run without her. The program grows each year and is a fixture in the market and in the community. Without Andrea and SNAP Ed, this program may cease and the community will be poorer as a result.”