From Apples to Gratitude: 5 Farm Market Lessons Kids Will Remember

Some of my favorite childhood memories happened this time of year. It always started with apple picking—drinking cider straight from the jug and then coming home to a kitchen that became the epitome of fall. My mom would take the bushels we’d gathered and turn them into pies, crisps, and applesauce. Her pork chops with apples and sauerkraut? I still make that for my own family.

And if it wasn’t apples, it was squash. She was drawn to farmstands overflowing with acorn, butternut, and spaghetti squash, alongside earthy bundles of kale, Swiss chard, and spinach. I can still picture her wandering through the bins, lifting a butternut squash to inspect its skin or breathing in the scent of fresh herbs like rosemary, oregano, or sage. She’d close her eyes, take a slow, deep breath—and then that soft, contented smile would appear, like she’d found something sacred.

Those quick stops weren’t just about dinner—they were lessons. We learned to notice. To appreciate. To connect what we ate with where it came from. At home, the learning continued—scrubbing potatoes, peeling carrots, helping prep whatever would land on the table that night.

It might sound magical—and it was. That’s why I’m sharing this now, hoping you’ll bring a little of that local magic into your own home this fall.

5 Quick Tips for Making Farm Market Trips Meaningful for Your Kids

1. Plan it together
   Before you head out, check what’s in season—apples, pumpkins, Brussels sprouts—and make the shopping list as a family. It builds planning skills, curiosity, and healthy choices.
2. Give them a role
   Let your kids carry a tote, pick produce, or ask the farmer a question. It teaches responsibility, confidence, and teamwork—and makes them feel part of the process.
3. Pick one new thing
   Try a fruit or vegetable you’ve never eaten or cooked with before and try it together. It encourages openness, builds confidence, and sparks curiosity.
4. Help them notice the small things
   Point out the variety, the lack of packaging, the smell of the soil, and how many hands helped bring the food to your table. These details spark conversations about sustainability, community, and gratitude.
5. Continue the lessons at home
   Have them help wash and prep what they chose and talk about where it came from. It builds food knowledge, responsibility, and turns dinner into a shared story.

These little moments at the farm market can grow into lessons your kids carry for life. After all, look at the impression it made on me.

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