Youth Farmers' Market at Brown

On Friday, September 25th, Brown will introduce students to fresh, locally grown produce and healthy eating practices through its new Youth Farmers’ Market program. The initiative involves a collaboration among several Denver organizations including Denver Urban Gardens, Slow Food Denver and Operation Frontline.

The school’s first Youth Farmers’ Market will take place Friday, Sept. 25 and Friday, Oct. 2 from 4:00-5:00pm at Brown. The market is open to the public.

Students will sell vegetables, fruit, homemade arts and crafts, and bread. All funds raised will benefit Brown’s community garden. In addition:

• A cooking demonstration will be provided by Operation Frontline, a division of Share Our Strength, a nonprofit organization that collaborates with community groups, activists and food programs to catch children at risk of hunger and provide nutritious food options.
• Brown’s parent-teacher organization will sell reusable bags and “zero-waste lunch” sandwich and snack bags, the proceeds of which will benefit the school’s EnviroKids after-school program.
• Kids will be invited to play on the Zen Swing or participate in a Soulfire Fitness boot-camp.

Denver Urban Gardens and Slow Food Denver are providing the sponsorship for Brown’s Youth Farmers’ Market as a fundraiser to help expand Brown’s community garden.  

“The Youth Farmers’ Market is a great way to teach kids about healthy eating, gardening and entrepreneurship,” says Karen Sorensen, a parent volunteer at Brown who is helping to coordinate the market. “By bringing together different members of the Denver community that are dedicated to good nutrition, we create a sense of importance about leading healthy lives and creating environmentally sustainable opportunities. Plus, it’s a lot of fun for the kids.”

More than 25 Brown students participated in four days of training from September 14-17 as part of an after-school program. These students will participate in the market by helping with setup, sales and distribution of the produce to market visitors.

About the Youth Farmers Market Coalition

The Denver Youth Farmers’ Market Coalition (YFMC) consists of leaders from Denver Urban Gardens (DUG), Slow Food Denver (SFD), and school community gardens throughout the city.  The Denver YFMC promotes opportunities for schools to bring fresh, locally grown produce to their communities by involving youth in school gardens and markets, thereby promoting healthy eating.  The YFMC collaborates with culinary and nutritional professionals to provide lessons on how to cook using healthy ingredients and cooking techniques.  The flexibility of the YFMC model allows each participant to tailor programs and events to its school community.