KERNEL program engages and educates at farmers markets
If you go to a local farmers market this summer, you’re likely to see the KERNEL – Kids Eating Right-Nutrition and Exercise for Life – program.
Kids who come to the KERNEL booth participate in activities focused around nutrition, exercise, and gardening. The activity could be anything from learning how to hula hoop to planting your own sunflowers.
After completing the weekly activity, the kids receive KERNEL Cash. This year, kids will receive $4 in KERNEL Cash – doubled from last year – that can be used to purchase fruits, vegetables, plant starts and seeds at any of the participating farmers markets.
KERNEL started in 2015 at the Perry Street Thursday Market but was adopted by many other local markets over the next few years.
“Instantly all the other markets were like, let’s do that too,” said Carolyn Knowles, program coordinator at Food for All and one of the creators of the KERNAL program. Knowles co-created the program with Jesse Hansen, program director at Food for All.
Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington’s Food for All program runs several initiatives to get locally grown produce to those in need, including KERNEL.
The program was inspired by a focus group of families receiving WIC benefits, who said that a barrier to going to farmers’ markets was the lack of kids’ activities.
“So we thought, well, that would be a fun idea,” Knowles said. “Why don’t we come up with a kids’ activity program to have at farmers’ markets?”
Shannon Dennis takes her son to the KERNEL program at the Thursday Market.
“I think it’s really cool that kids actually look forward to getting a fruit or a vegetable,” Dennis said. She also praised the program for fostering a sense of community and for encouraging kids to spend time outside.
This year, KERNEL can be found at the South Perry Thursday Market, the Emerson Garfield Farmers Market, the Fairwood Farmers Market, Spark Central during the Kendall Yards Night Market, the Millwood Farmers Market and the Chewelah Farmers Market.