Our Mission is Education for All Ages
** Scroll down for some great ideas for kids to learn at home like this yummy Flower Pot Bread .......as well as information for "Foodies" of all ages!!
We have several ongoing programs with primary, elementary and high school students which include offering mini food/nutrition lessons at the market and inviting students to participate in our annual "Art Competition". For 
adults, we hold two Chef's Demos every month at our "Chef's Table" under the redwood trees.
Amanda Tuttle is our Market Educator and liases with our local schools and guest Chefs as well as running Market Classrooms throughout the season.
Community Outreach
Upcoming Spring Programs
- Veggie Color Wheel: On May 17th and 31st, students will circle a color wheel with Amanda Tuttle to learn about healthy eating based on a rainbow of colors of fruits and veggies.
- Kids Story Time: Every first Friday of the month starting on Friday: May 3rd, kids can join Amanda Tuttle, for stories, from 9:30 till 10:00 a.m. in the Market Classroom tent, located near the volleyball courts, behind the market's General Store.
Food of Love Program
Check out the teen cooking program,"Food of Love",recently featured in the St. Helena Star. And we are looking for teens, from thirteen to twenty, to join A. & A. Kitchens and Market Educator, Amanda Tuttle after school on Tuesdays and during the summer to help"Food of Love"cook for St. Helena Hospital's cancer patients. Volunteers will help with set-up and cooking from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. and with clean-up from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. If any kids or families are interested in donating fruits/veggies for this program, or have fruits/veggies that can be gleaned by volunteers, please contact Amanda Tuttle - Amanda.shfm.gmail.com.
2012 Autumn Market Educational Programs
Farm Taste: Classrooms from St. Helena Primary, St. Helena Elementary, and The Young school joined Market Educator, Amanda Tuttle at the Market Classroom during the month of September. Students explored their sense of taste, with the help of farm fresh produce, and explored the market in teams of 4-5 students, with the help of parents, and teachers.
Mozzarella Cheese Making: On September 28th Montessori Farm School Students and Australian students, hosted by St. Helena High School students, joined the locals and Nash Cognetti, Executive Chef from St. Helena’s Tra Vigne, to learn fresh cheese making.
This Chef's Demo was a “full table,” with the largest Chef Demo audience yet.
"Meet Chick-Chick": Chicken and Egg, Show and Tell. On October 19th at 9 a.m,. St. Helena 
Primary School classrooms will joined Nutritionist and Chef, Kay Wilson, and Market Educator, Amanda Tuttle at the Market Classroom. Kids met Kay’s chicken, “Chick-Chick,” and learned about her life amongst her flock of Bantam Cochin hens. After growing, many hens from Chick-Chick’s flock, were sold to the French Laundry and moved to Yountville.
Learn about the Bantam Cochin and the variety of color breeds here.
"Apples and Pears" at St. Helena's Library Storytime. Amanda teamed up with Leslie Stanton, for the children’s room Tuesday morning storytime which featured books on apples followed by craft time. Leslie picked a few good apples (we mean books) that Leslie and Amanda read together. Leslie is always good at weaving together stories and a related craft. Kids glued “apples” on little felt trees. Amanda passed out apples and pears to the kids. A few of the little ones followed her around waiting for more apples and pears.
"Winter Squash Show and Tell/Raviloi Making". On November 19th, Amanda Tuttle, Market Educator brought a variety of winter squash to Terilynn Buchannon’s fifth grade classroom at St. Helena's Elementary School for kids to see and learn their names. The Trombetta Squash and Sugar Pie Pumpkin was cooked and used to fill Vegan Raviolis. This pre-Thanksgiving "Farm to Table" Treat ws a tasty, fun time!.
Navidad Ranchera: The St. Helena Farmers’ Market supported two festive holiday programs this season. A "Navidad Ranchera Fiesta" in Teralin Bucanon’s fifth grade class at St. Helena Elementary School’s. Kids made tamales with the teacher, volunteers, and Market Educator, Amanda Tuttle. The market contributed a persimmon salsa and Rancho Gordo Rancheros beans. eralin Bucanon and Amanda Tuttle teamed up again and brought the Ranchera spirit to the “Food of Love” Tuesday program. Patients and teen cooks enjoyed tamales and rice and beans.
For Kids to Learn at Home
Flower Pot Baking: Here's a great baking activity made even more tasty with the help of smaller hands. Kids can see their bread rise in the oven, in these flower pots.
Begin by seasoning the terra cotta pots before baking: Wash and dry new unglazed small terra cotta flower pots (make sure they are plain, true terra cotta and not sealed or decorated} If you are able to find pots without the precut drainage holes even better - however if the holes are already cut they can still be used. Coat the insides and rims well with shortening. Place the pots on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 425° for 1 hour.
And here's the 
recipe for Flower Pot Bread!!
For Foodies of all Ages
These are great reads for inspiring your gardener's spirit!!
- Roots of My Obsession: Thirty Great Gardeners Reveal Why They Garden”.
- Gathering: Memoir of a Seed Saver: This story captures what is best in the American spirit: the ability to dream and through hard work and perseverance inspire others to join the effort.”
Bring your edible garden flowers (rosemary, nasturtium, dill, chive, calendula, pansy etc) and garden herbs indoors to finesse your table setting with these beautiful floating spheres for any cocktail or beverage. 
Here are the molds for creating these floating jewels.
What edible flowers can you eat? Add colors to your salads. Design your flower garden according to what you can eat.
And here are some more flowers to eat, including those you can eat from your vegetable garden.
And in favorite Things, we have listed:
- some of our Favorite Cookbooks from local Chefs/Food Writers recently featured in the market's Book-Signing Program,
- Websites that will give you food for thought!
- and for the "Movie Buffs", take a trip down memory lane and watch one of the great movies shown at past market "Movie Fundraisers".