The Kittery Community Market proudly hosts the Power of Produce (POP) Club, which aims to build youth excitement for locally grown fruits and vegetables. With the support of Maine SNAP-Ed and generous funding donated by Beach Pea Baking Co., the POP program is flourishing in its second year.
Kittery’s farmers market season runs every Sunday from the first week of June through the first week of December. Each week, children who attend the market receive a $2 POP Club voucher that they can spend on produce from one of the local farms selling at the market. Nutritional education and fun activities such as scavenger hunts are also available to kids, further engaging them in the farmers market culture.
The POP Club brings many benefits to the community, including encouraging children to make healthy choices while shopping with their vouchers. Childhood obesity has been steadily rising for years; this program aims to counter that by introducing kids to how delicious fruits and vegetables can be. The POP Club also increases the amount of produce brought home from the market for financially challenged families when combined with other programs such as Maine Harvest Bucks.
With their vouchers in hand, kids get to explore the abundant and diverse produce available at the Kittery Community Market. Their inquisitive natures and the friendly dispositions of the farmers lead to countless informative and memorable conversations for all involved. These positive interactions, and the exposure to delicious and locally grown produce, help influence the younger generations to be lifelong shoppers at farmers markets.
Farmers such as Becky Deering of Tiny Roots Organic Farm, Abe Zacharias of Zach’s Farm, Arthur Kelly of Kelly Orchards, Ajaya Siver of Andy’s Edible Gardens, and Jordan Pike of Two Toad Farm have all expressed their love of this program and the bonds they are creating with kids and parents in the community because of it. For small farms, these relationships are priceless as they inspire people to keep returning to the farmers market and supporting local small businesses for years to come.
