The Power of Produce (POP) Club is returning to the Cotton Mill Farmers’ Market in Carrollton and The Mill Amphitheater in Villa Rica.

Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well is hosting the POP Club on July 9 and July 16, from 9 to 11 a.m., at the Cotton Mill Farmer’s Market at 609 Dixie Street in Carrollton. Get Healthy, Live Well is also hosting the club from 9 to 11 a.m. at The MILL Amphitheater in Villa Rica on July 11 and July 18.

The POP Club is a free program that empowers kids ages 4 to 12 to make healthy food choices.

“The Power of Produce Club is one way we are teaching children about the importance of good nutrition and healthy eating habits,” said Gail Downing, nutrition program coordinator at Get Healthy, Live Well. “We want to make sure kids have a fun experience at the farmers’ market while also learning about where their food comes from and trying new fruits and vegetables.”

Get Healthy, Live Well teamed up with the Cotton Mill Farmers’ Market and volunteer Caron Connelly to launch the POP Club in 2015. The POP Club allows children to engage in the local food system through fun learning activities.

Each week there is a different activity in which kids can participate, like making kale chips, potato pets and zucchini race cars. There will also be cooking demonstrations. After participating in activities, each child receives $2 in POP Bucks to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables at the farmers’ market. 

The POP Club is one of several initiatives funded by a grant that Get Healthy, Live Well received from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program (CFPCGP), administered by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), is helping to make finding healthy, nutritious food in west Georgia easier.

The CFPCGP provides funding to organizations so they can develop local solutions to food security and increase access to healthy food for low-income communities. 

For more information about Get Healthy, Live Well and the POP Club, visit GetHealthyLiveWell.orgor email gethealthy@tanner.org.