Healthy Lincoln County SNAP educator Samantha Mehlhorn (left) and local student enjoy a summer salad at the Damariscotta Farmers Market. (Photo courtesy Healthy Lincoln County)
Samantha Mehlhorn, SNAP educator, popping into your column this week as a guest writer to invite you to join us at the Damariscotta Farmers Market.
Come the end of August, I will hit my one-year anniversary as the SNAP educator here in Lincoln County. If you have children at school in Nobleboro, Dresden, Waldoboro, Whitefield, Damariscotta, and beyond, they might have spent time learning about fruits, vegetables, and nutrition during my visits to their classrooms. SNAP-Ed runs programs for students age 3-18 and for adults of all ages learning about nutrition, cooking, as well as planning meals and budgeting. It was a wonderful year of working with students in 29 different Lincoln County classrooms.
Now that summer is upon us and Mother Nature has been very agreeable with hot sunny days peppered with just enough rain to keep all the wonderful produce flourishing, I spend much less time in the classroom and more time on the farms and at the Damariscotta Farmers Market. Friday mornings just as the sun is beginning to heat up, the growers, makers, and creators of the market are carefully setting up beautiful displays full of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs, breads, coffee, soaps, cheese, garlic, jams, eggs, meat, and more.
On a lucky week you will also find me at the information booth set up with free taste tests, recipes, resources, and activities for the kids. We started out the season with visitors making their own fresh yogurt parfaits and sampling freshly made hummus.
Next, we were lucky enough to purchase some fresh strawberries from Goranson Farm and gorgeous dark green spinach from Morning Dew Farm; with this we put together a delicious salad for tasting right at the market.
Last week our featured ingredient was kale, which we incorporated into a colorful summer salad complete with farro.
Anyone is invited to stop by the information tent and test a sample, take home a recipe, and explore the resources we have available. In front of the information tent, you will also find books, games, and veggie coloring pages for young market goers. For the older kids visiting the market, scavenger hunts and bingo games keep them busy and engaging with the market with fun and educational missions.
From my spot at the information tent I can hear people chatting and visiting with neighbors, vendors and farmers proudly talking with customers about the unique items they have to offer, and I can see kids waiting patiently in line for a pretzel from Hootenanny Bread that they will then enjoy at one of the picnic tables placed in the shade.
SNAP-Ed will be back at the Damariscotta Farmers Market with food tasting and activities from 9 a.m. to noon Fridays, Aug. 2, 9, and 16. For questions or information about SNAP Education, email me at smehlhorn@healthylincolncounty.org.
And remember that the Damariscotta Farmers Market accepts SNAP and matches your spending with coupons for more fruits and veggies! Stop at the info booth to get started!
