Food Explorers offers children a fun opportunity to taste fresh fruit and vegetables at our summer farmers markets.

The Food Explorers has provided a free program for elementary-aged children at the summer farmers market since 2016 (thank you forever Leah Rodewald!). Through hands-on activities and taste-testing, we communicate the importance of fruits and vegetables and the ways they benefit our bodies and our community.

Food Explorers activities nurture children’s curiosity about fresh foods through weekly fruit and vegetable tastings, recipe sharing, and discussions on gardening and composting. We value kid’s opinions about what they eat and give them the tools they need for future healthy eating.

Children keep track of all the new foods they try in their Food Passports as they sample the fruit or vegetable of the week and record their opinion with a sticker in their Food Passport. They compare and contrast flavors, learn about the parts of the plant, and sometimes are surprised at what they enjoy!