Better School Lunches Have Produce from Farmers' Market

As children enter school this fall, they will learn their ABCs, but they also need to learn about good nutrition to live long, healthy lives.

Parents can help play an important role in their child's nutritional health when packing school lunches. To help keep families involved in the process and help spark a nutritional interest among the children, the Ventura County Farmers' Market Association invites parents and schoolaged children to come to the market, sample the items and talk to the many farmers who bring the food directly from the field to the table.

"One of our continuous goals is to educate families about good, wholesome nutrition," said Karen Wetzel Schott, operations manager for the market. "We have plenty of lunch bag favorites available with ample amounts of fruits and vegetables available through September and a new crop of apples starting in midAugust to early September. If we can get kids excited about including fruits and vegetables in their daily lunch sack, we've done our job."

According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the modern American diet is public health threat No. 1. Research has shown that when a child's nutritional needs are met, the child is more attentive in class and has better attendance and fewer disciplinary problems.

The Ventura County Farmers' Market Association provides fresh produce, flowers, eggs, nuts, honey and potted plants direct to the consumer from California farmers.

The Thousand Oaks market is open from 2 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at 403 W. Hillcrest Drive, on the rooftop of the Conejo Recreation and Park District office.

Ventura has a market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays at the Pacific View Mall, front west parking lot, and from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays, Santa Clara and Palm streets, downtown Ventura.

For more information, call (805) 529-6266 or visit www.vccfarmersmarket.com.