LAKEPORT — At the First Street end of Library Park under the shade of trees, a group of children set up tables to sell their homemade cookies, brownies, chocolate truffles, tomatoes, zucchini, zucchini muffins, lemonade, ice tea and eggs. Young Wyatt Means, 4, said very seriously, “We have eggs from our chickens, ducks and roosters.” When showing off the yellow and green summer squash on the table, he said, “Our garden grows them.”
Means’ mother Amber McKinney, said that the market has been a great learning experience for Wyatt, especially making change. “He got a $5 dollar bill and had to give back four one-dollar bills, which didn’t make sense to him since they gave him one bill and he had to give back four.”
Kaylee Robinson, 6, from Kelseyville, was more interested in eating one of her pear cupcakes than selling them. Her grandmother Jamie Patten from Scotts Valley, said, “We have a lot of pear orchards around our house and Kaylee loves to help me bake. Yesterday she learned how to make pear jam.” Kaylee chimed in, “We get our tomatoes big because we sing to them.”
Three Luchsinger sisters, Clara, 7, Alina, 6, and Holly, 3, made M&M cookies, brownies, and chocolate truffles. “It took us two hours to make it all,” said Clara. Michaela Rodriguez with her 22-month-old daughter, Bella, bought some cookies from Alina. It took Bella less than a minute to devour one.
Twelve-year-old Jaclen Seal and his mother Yamile live in Middletown and planted their tomatoes at the community garden patch. Elaina French, 10, and Morgan Bertram, 10, served iced tea and homemade muffins.
Ellie Galvin, 10, with her sister Yasmina, 8, planted their vegetables from seeds. “They grew everything,” said their mother Lulia. “We’ve been going to the children’s farmers market in Ukiah and decided we should have one here in Lakeport.” She spoke with the Lakeport Library Storytime representative and made it happen. “The market really motivated them to work in the garden.”
Library representative Barbara Green, said the library wants to support having more children’s farmers markets in front of the library and is in the process of working with the city on permits and other necessities. The library had a table at the park where children could check out books.
Brinlynn Baker and her best friend Twyla Berglund had a table for their necklaces made out of epoxy and glitter with some sprinkles and moss thrown in. They also had some eggs for sale. Proud of the eggs, Baker said, “I have ducks in my life and horses in my life and chickens in my life and rabbits and lizards.”
Vanessa Goodrich, from Early Head Start at Lake Family Resource Center, said, “I think this is an excellent opportunity for the kids to market their wares. This is super cool!”
One little boy fell on the sidewalk and started crying. He was more upset about spilling his glass of lemonade than his skinned knee. He ran to his grandmother and was given another lemonade, so all seemed to end well for him.
