Farmers Markets Bring Fun, Excitement, and Education from Coast to Coast

Community

With fresh, local produce in high demand for families at home, farmers markets are thriving in communities nationwide. As part of our Farm to School initiative, Chartwells is bringing that experience to life for students in schools by creating farmers market events at districts across the country. These events provide students with an opportunity to taste, shop, and take home locally sourced fresh fruits and vegetables, learn how they can incorporate healthy eating habits outside of school, and support nutrition, financial literacy, and math education in a fun and hands-on way.

During farmers market events, our team creates an authentic market atmosphere, just like students would experience in their communities. The events can be tailored to fit each district’s needs, offering tastings, cooking demonstrations, shopping to “purchase” fruits and vegetables, and more. We frequently invite local farms and distributor partners to join these events, reinforcing our commitment to fresh, safe, and locally grown food for our school communities. Students have the unique opportunity to hear directly from the farmers and learn about what’s grown in their area.

For the student-favorite shopping experience, each child receives a reusable bag to “shop” for produce using play money and takes home what they’ve “bought” to share with family members. The activity fosters a deeper understanding of budgeting as students learn to manage their money and make choices based on what they can afford with their play currency and build confidence in their skills to make nutritious and financially conscious food purchases outside of school.

Additionally, students receive handouts and healthy recipe cards, providing simple instructions for preparing the produce they’ve picked. These recipes encourage students and their families to experiment with fresh ingredients at home, creating a direct link between school lessons and real-world applications.

Farmers markets serve as another way we’re helping kids build a meaningful connection to the foods they enjoy at school, and how we are planting the seeds for a lifetime of healthy habits.

Interested in partnering with Chartwells to bring a farmers market to your district? Click the button above to get started!