Edition 3 (2016) GOAL STATEMENT: Students will simulate a farmers market to learn about the benefits of locally grown food. OBJECTIVES: Students will understand the benefits of purchasing and consuming local produce. Students will define locally grown produce. Students will identify Maryland agriculture products. Students will learn to make nutrition decisions when selecting foods to eat. REQUIRED MATERIALS: Copy of the MyPlate dietary guidelines (1 per student) Farmers Market Activity Instructions (1 per student) Reflection Questions worksheet (1 per student) In this lesson, up to 10 students will act as farmers. The remainder of the students will act as chefs. Farmer s Worksheet (1 per farmer) Set of food item pictures (1 per farmer) Paper or poster board and markers (for farmers) Chef s Menu worksheet (1 per chef) $30 worth of paper money (per chef) AMOUNT OF TIME TO ALLOW: 50 55 minutes. Extension activities will take additional time.
A farmers market is made of many individual vendors (often farmers) selling produce and animal products like meat and eggs. In many cases, farmers markets are comprised of booths or stands set up by local producers, providing consumers with the opportunity to purchase fresh foods produced near where they live. Farmers markets exist worldwide, and since they are comprised of local vendors, each market greatly reflects the culture and economy of the community where it is located. Farmers markets have many benefits for local communities. Because the vendors are most often also the producers, there is no middle man (such as a grocery store). This means that there is very little profit loss to the producer since he or she markets products directly to the consumer. Also, consumers who shop at farmers markets know exactly where and how their food products are produced. The food is fresh and grown locally, which is considered healthier than most heavily-processed foods. Finally, money used at farmers markets supports the local community rather than a far-away corporation. While many farmers markets were replaced by grocery stores during the Industrial Age, an increase in desire for healthy, fresh, and local foods has led to an increase in farmers markets in the United States in recent years. Some markets have strict rules and policies on prices and quality, while others are more relaxed and dependent on the farmers. 10 minutes Ask students if they have ever been to a farmers market. If anyone has, ask them to share their experiences with the class. Explain that a farmers market is a place that farmers go to sell their locally-grown produce to people in the community. Ask students what they think locally grown means. Explain that locally grown means sold close to home rather than being shipped from across the country. The national definition of locally grown is food that travels less than 100 miles to reach you. For example, Florida oranges are not locally grown in Maryland. On the other hand, corn harvested from a farm that is 15 or 20 minutes away from your house is locally grown. Have students define what an agricultural product is (a basic definition is food or fiber grown and harvested). Have students identify local farms, what they grow, where the farm stands are, and if they think the farmers may participate in the farmers markets. Ask students if their families buy from local stands or farmers markets. A list of county farmers markets in Maryland is available at the Maryland Department Agriculture website (www.mda.maryland.gov). Use the search tool to locate the most recent year s Farmers Market Directory. of
30 minutes Part 1 (Introduction and Setup): 10 minutes 1. Distribute copies of the MyPlate dietary guidelines. As a class or in small groups, have students identify each food category and discuss examples of food items in each. 2. Distribute the Farmers Market Activity Instructions worksheet. Ask students to follow along as you explain the instructions. 3. Select 10 students to be farmers and provide them with the farmer s worksheet. Assign each student two food items to grow and sell (i.e. milk, apples, peaches, potatoes, peas, corn, eggs, ground beef, chicken, etc.). Distribute the food item pictures among the farmers. 4. The rest of the students in the class will be chefs. Hand each of them a chef s menu sheet and $30 worth of cutout money. 5. Explain that the farmers will market and sell their food items, and the chefs will buy enough items to create one healthy dinner. Each farmer will have their own stand at the market. Chefs will need to purchase the ingredients for their meal from the market. 6. Allow students time to prepare for the market. Chefs should use this time to plan their meal, which should take into account the MyPlate dietary guidelines and include vegetables, fruits, dairy, grains, and protein. Farmers may use this time to determine a marketing strategy for their products. Farmers may use paper or poster board and markers to create signage for their stands and should set out their goods for the chefs to view. PART 2 (Activity): 20 minutes Allow students time to simulate the farmers market. Farmers should sell their food products, and chefs should shop for the ingredients they need. Allow 15 20 minutes for students to simulate the market. PART 3 (Conclusion): 10 minutes Have farmers and chefs complete their respective worksheets individually or with a partner. If time allows, have students also complete the reflection questions.
10 15 minutes Explain that all the goods the students sold or bought are sold in farmers markets across the state of Maryland. Consumers sometimes go to these markets instead of grocery stores because they can purchase locally-grown food. Discuss the benefits of locally-grown food. Ideas may include: money goes to local farmer and thus helps the community; it s better for the environment because less fuel for transportation is used and less packing supplies are used; and food is fresher and thus crisper and more nutritious than foods purchased in grocery stores. A fact sheet with reasons to buy local produce can be found at the University of Vermont Extension website (www.uvm.edu/extension). Search the website for 10 Reasons to Buy Local Food. Have a discussion of the farmers market simulation to see if there were problems in purchasing adequate goods for the menus, availability of enough food for menus, etc. Sample Question Prompts: What environmental effects can buying locally-grown foods have? Would you rather eat food a day after it is picked or a week after it is picked? Why? Who gets the money from food bought at a farmers market? Who gets money from the food you purchase at a grocery store? 10 minutes Ask students to brainstorm other products they might find at a farmers market held in Maryland. These could include crabs, oysters, melons, strawberries, blueberries, ornamental plants, nuts, and black walnuts. Have students complete the worksheet with reflection questions and then discuss with the entire class. Have students work in small groups to create a poster advertising a fictional farmers market. Posters should include what is sold and some of the benefits of buying locally-grown food. Have students research where local farmers markets are within their city and/or county and have them report back. Clerk This person may work at the market booth. Farm personnel This person works to produce the goods. Farmers market manager This person runs the market itself. Chefs and other food service workers may purchase goods from the farmers market.
Student understanding can be evaluated through class discussion or assessment of completed activity data sheets. The following questions may also be used to evaluate student learning. 1. What is a locally-grown food? Name three foods you can buy that are locally grown. Name one food that is not locally grown. 2. List two benefits of buing locally-grown food. 3. Create a balanced meal utilizing the MyPlate dietary guidlines. Describe which ingredients in your meal could be purchased at a farmers market. Maryland Department of Agriculture, <www.mda.maryland.gov>. So. Maryland, So Good website, Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, <www. somarylandsogood.com>. ChooseMyPlate.gov website, United State Department of Agriculture, <www.choosemyplate.gov>.
Farmers Market Activity Instructions Name: Date: Period: Goal: Simulate a farmers market to learn about the benefits of locally grown food. Materials: Paper money Paper goods Background: Have you ever been to a farmers market? Do you know what a farmers market is? Farmers markets are places where local farmers go to sell the products they have grown or raised to other members of their community. Going to a farmers market can be a very exciting experience because there are always lots of things going on! Instructions: Your teacher will select several students to be farmers, and the rest of the class will be chefs. If you are a farmer, your job is to sell your goods to the chefs. You will receive a farmer s worksheet and two different types of food products to sell. Before the market, set up your stand by displaying your goods for the chefs to see. Think about how you will market your products so the chefs will want to buy from you. You may use paper or poster board and markers to create signs. During the market, try to sell as many of your goods as you can. If you are a chef, your job is to buy goods to create a well-balanced meal. You will receive a chef s worksheet and $30 worth of cutout money. Before the market, plan your meal. Your meal should take into account the MyPlate dietary guidelines and include vegetables, fruits, dairy, grains, and protein. During the market, purchase the ingredients you need to prepare your meal. You will have $30 and 15 minutes to buy what you need. After the market, complete the remaining questions on your worksheet. because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry,
Name: Date: Period: Food Group Item(s) Chosen: Why did you select this item? How will you incorporate it into your meal? Cost: Protein Dairy Fruit Vegetables Grain Total Cost: What other items would you liked to have seen available for purchase at the farmers market and why? because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry,
Name: Date: Period: List the food you sold and the amount: Do you have any leftover goods? If so, make a list of the goods you have left and explain why you think they might be left over. What do you think farmers do with the leftover goods that do not get sold at the farmers market? because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry,
Reflection Questions Name: Date: Period: Who do you think sells their goods at farmers markets small family farmers or large companies? Why? List the benefits of purchasing food at a grocery store and a farmers market. Which one would you choose and why? GROCERY STORE BENEFITS FARMERS MARKET BENEFITS Why do you think that one stand at a farmers market can be more successful than another stand? because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry,