Kids' Cooking at the Farmers' Market       

by:Johanna Hicks
Hopkins County Agri-Life Extension Agent

 

Wow!  Some great recipes were submitted for the 2009 Diary Foods Contest.  This contest, which showcases dairy ingredients, is in its 5th year as part of the Hopkins County Diary Festival.  Unfortunately, the results of the contest were not available at the time of this writing, so stay tuned!  Recipe booklets of all the recipes entered can be picked up at the Extension office, 1200 W. Houston (former Chamber of Commerce), Sulphur Springs.    

Another great foods opportunity is coming up in just a few short days, just for kids...Kids' Cookin' at the Farmers' Market.  I'm teaming up with Jill McKeever (www.simpledailyrecipes.com) to provide a fun, hands-on learning experience for kids ages 7 thru 15.  Here's the scoop: Date: Saturday, June 27 Time: 9:00 a.m. to approximately 10:30 a.m. Place: Farmers' Market, Main Street, Sulphur Springs (look for our canopy & signs) Cost: $2 per child (payable at the event) Registration:  call the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, 903-885-3443, to sign up      

We'll be exploring all the wonderful exhibits at the market, talking about the benefits of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables (focusing mainly on fruits for this event), and giving everyone a chance to select fresh fruits for a hands-on snack preparation.  We'll also cover basic kitchen safety, hand hygiene, and discuss certain skills in selecting fresh produce and preparing them for serving.  Best of all, participants will get to eat what they prepare!  Yum!!     

Sound like something you'd like your child to be involved in?  Be sure to call my office and leave the child's name, age, and a contact phone number.  Then, just show up at the event!  We'll try to do a special focus just for kids each month, so keep posted.     

So why this focus on kids?  A first-of-its-kind study of more than 2.4 million Texas students found that students who are physically fit are more likely to do well on the state's standardized tests and have good school attendance.  Fit students are also less likely to have disciplinary referrals.     

These findings were based on results of six fitnessgram tests taken by students in grades 3-12 during the 2007-2008 school year.  Significant correlations were found between physical fitness and various indicators of academic achievement.  The study shows that: - Higher levels of fitness are associated with better academic performance.  At high performing schools that have earned the "Exemplary" rating, about 80% of the students have healthy levels of cardiovascular fitness. - At schools that have received the lowest "Academically Unacceptable" rating, slightly less than 40% of the students achieved cardiovascular fitness. - Higher levels of fitness were associated with better school attendance. - Higher levels of fitness at school were also associated with fewer disciplinary incidents. As Senator Jane Nelson stated, "These results provide yet another incentive to reverse the health trends we are seeing among our youth.  We need to move forward on this issues as if lives depend on it - because they do!"      

So what does the Kids' Cookin' at the Farmers' Market have to do with the issue of fitness?  We are teaching them that fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet.  For a complete article on this study, go to the Cooper Institute web site: www.cooperinst.org.  

Closing Thought The most wasted day of all is one in which we have not shared a smile with someone.  

Johanna Hicks
Texas AgriLife Extension Service - Hopkins County
Extension Agent - Family & Consumer Sciences
1200 Houston Street
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482 Phone: 903-885-3443
Fax: 903-439-4909
e-mail: jshicks@ag.tamu.edu