Straight from the source: farmers market event teaches students where their food comes from

Earlier this month Fifth graders at Avondale School District in Auburn Hills, Michigan got the chance to shop for their own produce at the district’s first annual farmers market. 

The event was put on by the district’s foodservice provider Chartwells K12 in honor of National Farm to School Month and provided students with a behind the scenes look at how local produce is grown. 

“With Avondale being in an inner city, I thought it was very important for kids to learn about nutrition education and where their food comes from and hat it doesn't just pop up in the serving line at school,” says Director of Dining Services Megan Haase. 

The market was held in a grassy area just in front of the district’s administration building. Instead of having each fifth-grade class visit the market separately, the district decided to buss all the fifth graders over at one time. 

“It kind of emulated a real-life farmers market with the crowds,” says Haase. 

At the market students could use “veggie bucks” provided by the nutrition team to “purchase” an array of local produce to take home including, cucumbers, apples, cauliflower and more. 

The team worked with its produce company to partner with local farms and receive the produce. 

When not shopping at the market, students made their way around several different stations offering samples and other activities. They could pedal their way to fresh smoothies at the smoothie bike station, for example, or try a variety of pickled veggies at the pickling station. 

In addition, Chartwells K12’s Regional Executive Chef Aaron Mason was on hand to do a cauliflower fried rice live cooking demo that featured all local products. 

Haase and the team hope the farmers market will become an annual event. While feedback on the event was overwhelmingly positive, they did hear from some of the teachers that they would like to be more involved, so they’re planning to include some science-based stations at the market next year. 

In the immediate future, the team is also hoping to have some of the farmers whose produce was featured at the market come visit the students now that the harvest season is over.

“We want to now have the farmers come into the classrooms and meet the kids that bought their produce,” says Haase. “The farmers will be able to show them how it grows and all that nitty gritty stuff.”