Food Doesn't Grow in Boxes

My mom often tells stories about how she would find a grubby-handed, 4-year-old me, hidden behind stalks of green in our backyard garden, crunching away at the sweet sugar snap peas that were growing there. I consider myself lucky to have witnessed firsthand at an early age that food actually grows out of the dirt (thanks Mom and Dad), but not every child has that opportunity.

Enter this weekend's Green Kids at Market Day: an event sponsored by the D.C. Chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier to help kids understand the importance of eating fresh and healthy seasonal foods and feel a stronger connection to the land and local farms.

On Saturday, kid-friendly events will take place at the Arlington Farmers' Market at Courthouse Square and the FRESHFARM Markets at Sixth and H streets NE and in downtown Silver Spring. On Sunday, take the kids over to the Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market and Takoma Park Farmers Market.

From 10 a.m. to noon each day, kids can take part in treasure hunts through the market, make their own butter and ice cream, build bugs using fresh veggies and more. Kid-friendly cooking demonstrations will also be held at each market. Kate Jansen and Tracy O'Grady of Willow will be in Arlington, journalist Alexandra Greeley at H Street, Janis McLean of Red Dog Cafe at Silver Spring, chef Carla Hall at Takoma Park and Jamie Leeds of Hank's Oyster Bar at Dupont Circle.

No kids? No worries. It's a good excuse to make a trip to the market nearest you. And I'm sure there's an inner child in there somewhere.

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