Author’s name: Kathy Jamieson
Author’s title: MSU Extension Educator
Email address: jamies13@anr.msu.edu
Office phone #: 586-469-6093

Title: Don’t Veg out, Put the Veg In!

Summary: With the growing consumer demand of buying locally grown foods and the greater interest in health and nutrition, the time is ripe to start a Youth Farm Stand.

Body:
For most youth, school is out for the summer. Finding constructive, educational activities for young people during the summer can be challenging for parents and guardians. Adults and families looking for ways to get young people outside and off the couch, computer or cell phone, may want to consider starting a family run youth farm stand. Developing a youth farm stand has the benefits of incorporating nutrition education with gardening and basic business skills. With the growing consumer demand of buying locally grown foods and the greater interest in health and nutrition, the time is ripe to start a stand.

Starting a youth farm stand requires planning and preparation, and may seem overwhelming at first.
However, Michigan State University Extension has many resources available to help connect youth to the soil and operate a stand. A free curriculum, Michigan Youth Farm Stand Project, is the perfect tool for a 4-H club, Boy or Girl Scout troop, local YMCA, school, church or other youth development organization interested in bringing fresh, local, and affordable food to their neighborhood and engaging youth in community food systems.

Healthy food is not equally available or accessible to all people. For some people, a grocery store or supermarket might be walking distance away. For others, the only place within reach to buy food is the local gas station or party store where food options are very limited. When youth explore their community food system, they discover what food is available, where it’s available and what gaps there might be. Can their youth farm stand fill these gaps?

Studying plants is a staple in science classes. Working