Del Ray Farmers' Market Starts Free Program For Children

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Kids will have a new opportunity to get engaged with the Del Ray Farmers' Market with a new weekly program. The Power of Produce (PoP) Kids' Club will run for seven weeks, providing free weekly activities to children ages 4 to 12.

The free PoP Club is free and will run weekly from April 23 to May 28. Each week, children can visit the PoP Kids' Club tent at the Del Ray Farmers’ Market at Mount Vernon and Oxford Avenues between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. The tent will provide a new activity each week led by a local farm or nonprofit.

"We are thrilled to offer this innovative program to neighboring families during our 28th year of operation," said Pat Miller, the Del Ray Farmers' Market founder and manager. "This will be a great opportunity for us to get to meet the children that make our community special, and get them involved at the market."

A staff member will be on site to help children with the activities and discuss sustainable food production and healthy eating with families. Children who complete the activity will receive vouchers for fresh, local fruits and vegetables from the farmers market.

The program is one of a few kids' clubs at farmers markets in Virginia and the only one in the DC region, according to a news release. The PoP Club seeks to teach children about nutrition, food, farming, and community, and the participating nonprofits align with the club's goals.

"The PoP Club will reinforce the core themes of what makes the Del Ray Farmers Market special: community engagement, sustainable food production, empowering children, and treating others with dignity and empathy," said Jeff O'Hara, PoP Club organizer and a Del Ray Farmers' Market volunteer.

Here is the schedule of activities:

• Saturday, April 23: Scavenger hunt: PoP Club Members will join a market scavenger hunt. Children will receive a list of things they need to find at the market and apply stickers on their sheet when they find them. The featured community partner is Alexandria Country Day School.
• Saturday, April 30: Vegetable art and composting: PoP Club Members will use toothpicks to assemble pre-cut pieces into vegetable art. Children can take their vegetable art home or compost it at the market. The featured community partner is Del Ray Citizens' Association.
• May 7: Pollinators: PoP Club Members will learn about the contributions bees make. The featured community partner is Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture.
• May 14: At-home gardening: PoP Club Members will choose seeds, then plant them in a biodegradable container that they can take home and place in a pot or their garden. The featured community partner is Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners.
• May 21: Giving Back: PoP Club Members will meet Scott Borger, founder of Breadcoin. Breadcoin provides tokens to those with hunger challenges that they redeem for meals at restaurants and online retailers.
• May 28: Thank you to our farmers: PoP Club Members will make thank you cards and give them to their favorite vendors. The featured community partner is FRESHFARM.

To register for the free PoP Club, visit delrayfarmersmarket.com/kidsclub.

The Del Ray Farmers' Market is open year round Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Pat Miller Neighborhood Square, Oxford and Mount Vernon Avenues.