Celena Withrow of Bowling Green walked through the Community Farmers Market’s Mobile Market at the Boys & Girls Club of Bowling Green armed with a bag filled with apple butter and collard greens.
“I think it’s a good thing because people in this area don’t have transportation. They can walk,” she said. “Next time I’m gonna bring my kids because they need to experience this.”
That’s what Eric Logan, executive director of Light of Chance, wants children and their parents to experience.
Light of Chance’s mission is to serve 5- to 13-year-olds in the community through innovative arts and wellness programs. The farmers market at the Boys & Girls Club is a partnership that started in 2013 between the Community Farmers Market and Light of Chance and is part of the latter’s Get Set Go wellness program.
Get Set Go’s “mission is to increase kids’ physical activity while showing them healthier ways of eating in their existing environment. We want to help combat childhood obesity,” Logan said. “The farmers market is here at the Boys & Girls Club, but we’re also opening it up to the community.”
The market will go to the club at 260 Scott Way from 3 to 6 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month through October.
If the kids eat healthy, they may be able to persuade their parents to do it, Logan said.
“Your kids tell you they want McDonald’s, and in the process you get something for yourself,” Logan said.
“We have to come up with a unique way to introduce it to people. It’s a natural partnership that benefits not only us as organizations, but also people in the community.”
Those who have Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition vouchers, SNAP EBT cards and WIC farmers market vouchers can spend up to $10 and get $20 in produce.
“People think it’s so expensive to eat healthy,” Logan said. “They’re not only able to buy produce, they can talk to the farmers about what to do with it.”
He likes to see the kids’ faces as they try new foods and some of them realize they actually like them.
“To me, that’s gratifying,” he said.
The kids received small bottles of juice and bread. Zakery Bragiln, 6, said he liked the juice.
“It had a flavor in it. It was like a kind of orange in it,” he said.
Neveah Smith and Zariah Austin, both 7, agreed they liked the juice and bread, but Joyeuse Niyokwizera, 7, didn’t agree about the juice.
“It’s nasty!” she exclaimed. “The bread was good. It was sweet.”
Patricia Miller owns Dimple Foods, which features 72 products – including jams and jellies – made with fruits and vegetables from her garden. She enjoys seeing and talking to the kids.
“Maybe we can teach the children what some of (the vegetables and fruits) are, give them the taste of it. I think they would eat more if they know what it is,” she said. “I think it’s important. We need to get vegetables back in our lives, teach them what it is and what it can do for them.”
By ALYSSA HARVEY @ The Daily News