Historically, attendance at the Winchester-Clark County Famers decreases after school begins every August. In order help bolster farmer’s market attendance as well as introduce children to the local market vendors and increase consumption of fresh, local produce, Clark County FCS and 4-H agents collaborated with the farmer’s market to present Kids Day on August 28, 2021. 

FCS and 4-H agents provided $5 vouchers to 100 children under 18 to use at the market for fresh produce. Children took a vegetable bingo card and a scavenger hunt to encourage visits to all the market vendors, receiving a prize if they returned them completed. Vendors were given Plate It Up Kentucky Proud recipe cards to match the produce they had available. Master Gardeners, FFA students, and 4-H Leadership club participants were utilized for activities such as seed planting, face painting, and games for families who came to Kids Day. 

All 100 vouchers were distributed in the first two hours of the event and everyone who took a vegetable  bingo card returned them, indicating visits to the market vendor tables. Through this activity, the children increased their knowledge of identifying fresh produce of fresh produce . As over 60% of Clark County school students qualify for free/reduced lunch rates, increasing knowledge of produce could help that population increase intake of healthy food. In speaking with market vendors, over half the market vendors received vouchers on that day to redeem for fresh produce. 80% of the vendors indicated that they had more business on this day than they had in the past few weeks and that the event was a success for them.