May 13, 2024 – Chartwells and DINE WS/FCS brought their last school farmer’s market of the year to Ward Elementary School last Friday morning.
School farmers markets are a staple of nutritional education in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. Child nutrition professionals set up a smorgasbord of delectable produce just like at a traditional farmer’s market, talk to visiting students about the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, and then send everybody home with a free shopping bag full of new foods to try. Eating minimally processed foods with rich nutrient profiles is essential to any healthy diet, and students can find plenty of different kinds to enjoy by learning what to look for at a farmer’s market.
“There’s not as much nutrition in food when it’s processed,” said Resident Dietician Miguel Casteneda. “It’s always better to eat something that comes straight out of the ground.”
Farmer’s markets also instill the importance of shopping small in students. Buying from local growers is not only healthy for the economy of your hometown, but also for the planet because it cuts down on emissions from transportation and refrigeration. Furthermore, the faster that food gets from the farm to the table, the more likely it is to retain all of its nutrients. A locally grown fruit or vegetable is almost always the healthiest kind to eat.
“We talk about the importance of eating locally grown food a lot,” said Chartwells-WS/FCS Community Engagement and Marketing Specialist Katie Willard. “They can always get the best produce by going to their local farmer’s market.”
Another great benefit of the school farmer’s markets is that it encourages students to take more ownership of their eating habits. When they bring home a robust supply of corn, rainbow carrots, apples, sweet potatoes, and more, they can share recipe ideas they’ve picked up with their families and contribute to a more well-rounded diet for their whole household. There are a lot of different and delicious ways to eat healthy, and students always leave the farmer’s market excited to give those ways a try.
“The smallest ones don’t know it yet, but the bigger ones are always so excited when they get here,” said Child Nutrition Receptionist Doris Colon-Santos. “They can’t wait to take all of this food home.”