Minden Elementary School students sold cookbooks, herbs and crafts at the Giant Student Farmers Market held at Fuji Park.
Photo: Jessica Garcia
The 'farmers' at Empire Elementary School have discovered that candles are one of the big-ticket items among avid shoppers.
Green Our Planet's second annual Northern Nevada Giant Student Farmers Market was held Wednesday at Fuji Park, where students put their best foot forward as they demonstrated their school crops, hydroponic programs, and various crafts. I was encouraged to do my best.
Seven schools in Carson City, Douglas, Lyon and Washoe counties have returned to the market with help from several businesses and nonprofits.
Katie Zimmerman, Green Our Planet's education and engagement coach, said it's gratifying to see community members browsing student products such as bracelets, wind chimes, plant starches and outdoor gardening supplies. Ta.
“Some students do things on their own, such as counting money for customers and handling cash, while others are guided by teachers,” she says. “I'm really glad I had this experience.”
Adrian Wiggins, a kindergarten through fifth grade computer teacher and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) coordinator at Empire Elementary School, leads the students' Green Biz Kids Club. The club meets on Friday lunchtimes to discuss environmentally friendly practices. Ten of the club's 30 students were selected to participate in Wednesday's farmers market and sell products made by the school's second and third graders. Wiggins said she shared with the second-grade teachers that while the soap was a little slow to sell, the candles made by the second-graders sold “very quickly.”
“I think part of the reason was because they made soap. It smelled really nice, but the students put in essential oils and herbs without any markings and said, 'Wow!' 'That's a mystery!' That may have made some people uncomfortable,” Wiggins said with a laugh. “But it's all good. The third graders made magnets. They're just beautiful. They did a really good job.”
Wiggins said Empire applied for a producer certification through the Nevada Department of Agriculture that would allow it to hold its own farmers market. The goal is for all grades to participate in the Giant Student Farmers Market and sell crafts next year. The funds will go back into the hydroponic program, she said.
Students at Minden Elementary School harvested fresh herbs Wednesday morning. Ms Minden's students Jamie Gehring and Olivia Carney, 9, told the Appeal their cookbook was a crowd-pleaser.
“Our principal just bought so many things,” Goering said. “We sell hydroponics and crafts. … We sampled every recipe in (the cookbook). (Farmers markets) are just so much fun and amazing!”
Minden Elementary School Principal Crespin Esquivel said he is looking forward to watching the students learn how to grow their own crops and learn about nutritious meals.
“At this age, you carry that with you for the rest of your life,” he says. “We've been growing vegetables for the last few months. … It's so good. It was amazing to see all the fresh herbs this morning when all the aromas and aromas were being harvested at our school. That was it.”
Esquivel said he hopes to bring a state-of-the-art STEM building to campus that will house programs in agriculture, computer science, and more.
