Youth Crew: To Market!

By Ben Currotto, Farm Educator

April 30, 2015

Early in the morning on a recent Saturday,  a group of 10 or so teenagers rolled into the Waverly Farmers Market while the sun was still low in the sky.  Who were these mysterious early risers, you ask? The Real Food Farm Youth Crew, a group of 10 high school juniors and seniors focused on farming and food justice!  They meet twice per week in the fall and spring, and participate in farming, cooking, and food justice activities.  The crew hosted a community booth at the market to engage passersby about food justice issues.  As folks browsed the market, the crew invited them to take a chance at Food System Jeopardy (adapted from FoodWhat?! & People’s Grocery) and win a recipe card selected by the crew members.  They also created an idea board where folks could ponder the question “What is Real Food?” and write a response for others to see.  Check out some of the responses!

While this was an awesome opportunity for our crew members to flex their public speaking muscles (we had practiced our skills the week before), it was also a perfect day to explore the market.  Although a few crew members had visited other farmers’ markets, none had experienced the 32nd Street Farmers Market in Waverly.  The warm sun and cool morning breeze set a perfect scene for browsing from stand to stand pondering lunch options and talking to farmers.  They broke out into teams for a scavenger hunt in which they searched for herbs and their medicinal purposes, or a fruit or vegetable they’d never had before, and asked farmers when they woke up (5 AM!).  The crew members also got to spend time with our farmers Myeasha and Davon (a Youth Crew alum!) and give them feedback on their marketing skills.  Some crew members expressed excitement to return on their own on Saturdays to shop for produce (and get breakfast!), and all of us felt a little more connected with the community of ‘farm and food’ people in Baltimore.

Check back for more Youth Crew updates and adventures in the weeks to come!

About Real Food Farm

Real Food Farm works toward a just and sustainable food system by improving neighborhood access to healthy food, providing experience-based education, and developing an economically viable, environmentally responsible local agriculture sector.