Kids Learn About Food At Public Market
By: Bob Metcalfe
Updated: September 2, 2009
"If we all ate just one more fruit and vegetable every day, we'd all be a lot healthier," said Margaret O'Neill, who's helping kids to get healthy.One fruit, one vegetable? That shouldn't be too hard to do with a selection like the one at the Rochester Public Market.
"When we bring families and young people out to the market, they see the bounty of food, the fresh produce, sometimes for the first time," said O'Neill.
MVP Health Care and friends of the Market offer guided tours, not only to help adults learn, but kids as well.
"One reason people love to come to the market is they find such variety - sometimes more than you'd find at your local supermarket," said O'Neill.
That's perfect for a picky eater. The tour is also designed to help broaden your culinary horizons.
"Sometimes people see the food, but they don't know what to do with it. If you've never cooked Swiss chard, or never had fresh plums or apricots, the tours help people know what the food is but also how do you use it, how do you select it," said O'Neill.
Their challenge to you?
"Buy something you've never had before. Today, we were taking a group through and we saw celery root and most of us had never tasted celery root, so that was the challenge. Buy something you've never had before, take it home and give it a try," said O'Neill.
Who knows, your kids favorite food may have yet to be discovered!
"I'm glad MVP offered this," said Janet Yurgosky, who shops at the Public Market. "This was a nice treat to be able to get this behind the scenes look, and I'm glad that they did offer that."
"It's a real experience. It's getting a chance to talk to the person who actually grew the food," said O'Neill.
Now may just be the best time of the year to visit the market.
"In August and September with the harvest, the apples are just coming in, the berries, peaches, the cabbage, the potatoes, there's just so many wonderful fruits and vegetables to buy," said O'Neill.
The Public Market is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m, and Saturdays from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.
