Published 12:00 pm Monday, September 12, 2022
When organizers developed a youth activity program for Washington farmers markets in 2015, they thought they might reach 50 kids at one or two markets.
Instead, the program, called KERNEL, immediately expanded to eight Spokane farmers markets. KERNEL is the acronym for Kids Eating Right-Nutrition and Exercise for Life.
“It blew up,” said Carolyn Knowles, who works with Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington under the Food for All program, which includes KERNEL. “It’s a real draw for families. … We’ve been getting requests from all over the state to host this program at their markets.”
KERNEL began in response to a survey of parents enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children program known as WIC.
“The biggest barrier for them shopping at farmers markets was there was nothing for their kids to do — nothing to entertain the children, nothing to encourage them to want to come along,” Knowles said. “It’s now something for the whole family.”
KERNEL activities are now at markets in Spokane, Pullman, Chewelah, Colville and Newport, with similar programs in the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, Ellensburg and Okanogan. The curriculum is provided free of charge, Knowles said.
The organization contracts with the Washington State Farmers Market Association.
Participating kids each receive $2 in “KERNEL cash” to spend at the farmers market.
KERNEL uses the SNAP Market Match program as a model. In that program, SNAP participants using electronics benefits transfer cards at farmers markets receive up to $40 in matching special currency, for a total of $80.
Both currencies can be spent on fruit, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms and vegetable starts.
KERNEL cash helps remove some of the potential stigma of using food aid currency, Knowles said. Kids do not need to be enrolled in SNAP, WIC or Senior Check to participate in KERNEL.
In 2019, the top year so far, kids visited KERNEL booths 10,108 times and spent $17,700 in KERNEL cash at eight Spokane farmers markets.
The activities are for ages 5 to 12, and provide education about exercise, nutrition, gardening and farming.
They can be as simple as coloring sheets with facts or as complicated as lessons about composting, water cycles and pollinators.
“We try to have them be as challenging and interesting enough for those older kids, but accessible to any kids that walk up,” Knowles said.
KERNEL aims to show kids how farming affects them. For “Give a Farmer a Hand,” kids trace and color their hands and then give their drawings to farmers participating in farmers markets.
A scavenger hunt asks the kids to find local produce from every color of the rainbow at the market, and “Farmers Market Bingo” asks them to find produce at different booths.
Knowles is open to working with farmers to expand and develop new activities.
About half of the KERNEL booths are run by paid staff and half by volunteers.
Knowles estimates it costs $50,000 each year in community funding to put on the program.
The Spokane Teachers Credit Union and Avista Utilities are funding KERNEL cash redemptions and supplies, hopefully for a three-year cycle, she said.
Emerson- Garfield 2310 N. Monroe Fridays 3 p.m to 7p.m. through Sept. 30
Fairwood 319 W. Hastings Road Tuesdays 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 11
Hillyard Northeast Community Center; 4001 N. Cook St. Mondays 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 3
Kendall Yards at Spark Central 1214 W. Summit Parkway Wednesday 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Sept. 23
Liberty Lake 1421 N. Meadowwood Ln. Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 8
Millwood at City Park 9103 E. Frederick Ave. Wednesdays 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 12
Spokane Valley 2426 N. Discovery Place Fridays 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. through Sept. 16
South Perry at Grant Park 1000 S. Perry St. Thursdays 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 27
West Central 1832 W. Dean Ave. Tuesdays 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Sept. 20
https://www.cceasternwa.org/food-for-all
