By Emily Picard
With strong agricultural roots, UConn Extension and UConn 4-H Fairfield County made sure National Farmers Market Week (August 3–9) didn’t go unnoticed. This annual celebration highlights the essential role farmers’ markets play in strengthening communities, supporting local economies, and connecting residents with fresh, local food.
The Monroe Farmers Market is more than a place to shop. It’s a hub for families picking up produce and flowers, sampling food, listening to live music, and getting a taste of agricultural education. As part of a summer-long partnership with the market, UConn 4-H Fairfield County has been on-site every Friday offering hands-on, agricultural-themed activities for young visitors. Some season favorites have included making lavender sachets, playing does it sink or float with produce while learning about the scientific method, exploring bugs during UConn Extension’s Bug Week, and crafting paper sunflowers while discovering the role of each plant part. The UConn 4-H tent engages kids in creative arts and experiences that allow them to learn about agriculture, STEM, and healthy living while at the farmer’s market. Each week anywhere from 50-200 kids visit the tent, expanding their understanding of important agricultural topics in a fun and interactive way.
While every week’s activities are a thrill, National Farmers’ Market Week was extra special because it wouldn’t be possible to celebrate without the main attraction: Farmers! The idea came about this spring when we were talking with the market manager, Kelly Plunkett, about weekly themes. We knew we had to do something special for National Farmers Market Week.
Starting with a foundation of thank you postcards from the Monroe Farmers Market, UConn 4-H intern, Max McCarthy ‘28 (CAHNR) expanded the farmer appreciation activity to include younger visitors to the 4-H table by creating a thank a farmer coloring activity. Visitors could choose to write a thank you postcard or color a thank you page. To accompany the thank you cards and show some love to the farmers, the Fairfield County Teen Community Service 4-H Club assembled farmer appreciation bags with goodies to help farmers stay safe in the heat including neon neck gators, instant ice packs, first aid kits, water, notebooks, and resources to learn about health risks of extreme heat from UConn Extension. Funding for the supplies in addition to other agricultural education activities held throughout the summer was provided by the Monroe Farmers Market through the Farm Credit East Farmers Market Grant and the Fairfield County Agricultural Extension Council.
Almost 80 youth from the community stopped by the UConn 4-H Fairfield County booth to write a thank you postcard to a farmer or color a page for them. “It was wonderful to see the children express their appreciation to the farmers who had been providing them with the food they loved each week. Their understanding of the farm-to-table process was uplifting to see in an era where traditional farmers are being forgotten,” said Max.
At the end of the market, we delivered the farmer appreciation bags. The first one went to our market neighbor, Steve from Laurel Glen Farm in Shelton. One of the kids had just finished a thank you coloring page, so we had them pop it in the bag, and personally hand it to Steve. You could see how touched he was and how proud the kid was to give the bag. Delivering the rest of the bags to farmers around the market gave us a great opportunity to connect with farmers, hear about their passion for agricultural education, and explore ideas for future collaborations with 4-H.
Being a part of the Monroe Farmers Market has allowed 4-H youth to connect with local families and farmers that will lead to future collaborations, kids connecting with local agriculture, and families learning about the benefits of becoming 4-H members even after the market closes for the season.
To learn more about UConn 4-H in your area, visit https://4-h.extension.uconn.edu/.