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Day two of David Pecker testimony wraps in NY Trump trial; Supreme Court hears arguments on Idaho's near-total abortion ban; ND sees a flurry of campaigning among Native candidates; and NH lags behind other states in restricting firearms at polling sites.

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"Squad" member Summer Lee wins her primary with a pro-peace platform, Biden signs huge foreign aid bills including support for Ukraine and Israel, and the Arizona House repeals an abortion ban as California moves to welcome Arizona doctors.

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The urban-rural death divide is widening for working-age Americans, many home internet connections established for rural students during COVID have been broken and a new federal rule aims to put the "public" back in public lands.

Growing Healthy Eaters: Farmers Markets Reach Out to Kids

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Monday, July 13, 2015   

DETROIT, Mich. - Summertime in Michigan means produce is peaking, and initiatives at many farmers markets aim to capture the attention and shape the eating habits of the state's youth.

Summer camp, cooking classes, and gardening lessons for kids are among the offerings at some Michigan farmers markets this summer.

Kaitlin Koch, community food systems educator with Michigan State University Extension, says in Dearborn and Muskegon, a program out of Oregon called the Power of Produce Club gives kids the chance to taste the vegetables of the week, and then make their own food choices at the market with two dollars worth of tokens.

"It introduces them to the farmers market as a place that you can purchase food," says Koch. "And it allows them to make choices that sort of set the parameters that you have to make a healthy food choice, but it's like a reward you get to purchase it yourself."

Koch adds in addition to reaching out to kids, Michigan farmers markets also aim to make healthy food accessible to people of all income levels.

Food assistance benefits are widely accepted at Michigan farmers markets, and at many sites, those who receive SNAP benefits can stretch their dollars even further through the Double Up Food Bucks program.

Koch says even if a formal children's program isn't available locally, parents and caregivers can create farmers market adventures - encouraging kids to try new foods and helping them develop an "eat local" habit through weekly visits.

"It is a community space, and it offers children the chance to see farmers and people that are making food locally and make that connection," Koch says. "The market is a really sensory experience for adults and for children."

A list of the state's markets, including descriptions of programs and the availability of food assistance benefits, is available on the Michigan Farmers Market Association website.


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