If there’s one terrific way to get kids interested in trying new foods, understanding where food comes from, and choosing produce over chips (at least some of the time), it’s a trip to the farmers market.

Along with farmers selling produce, there are makers selling everything from pickles to preserves to pesto; beekeepers offering honey; ranchers who have raised chickens, beef and pigs; fishermen and women selling their catch; bakers with breads, pies and muffins.

Shopping at a farmers market also means shopping seasonally, which makes us more aware of sustainability. It’s cool for kids to start to understand that, in much of the country, strawberries are around in May and June, peaches and plums are available in mid-summer, and once apples start rolling in, fall is on the horizon. It gives all of us an appreciation for the bounty of the moment. A fresh ear of corn tastes all the sweeter in August because its availability is fleeting.