The Washington Farmers Market is doing well, according to the midseason report.

The market, which opened April 8, has regularly seen 25 to 30 vendors of the 40 who registered for permits each week of its season, according to Amanda Griesheimer, marketing director for the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber operates the covered market, which is located at 317 W. Main St. in Downtown Washington, every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The market is growers only, meaning only produce that is in season in Missouri will be sold each week. Guests can regularly find a selection of produce, baked goods, jams and jellies, meat, eggs and handcrafted items.

Its going great. We have had steady traffic, and that continues to increase as we hit our peak season, said Griesheimer. Right now there is a great selection of produce, so that always helps attract new visitors. I love looking into the market and seeing mounds of fruit and veggies all around.

In addition to the market, children ages 3-10 can participate in the markets Sprouts Club, which started in 2016.

The club was designed to introduce children to a variety of fresh, local produce while encouraging families to shop at the market.

The sponsored program allows children to check in each time they visit and receive two $1 tokens to spend only on fresh fruit and vegetables.

Griesheimer said that 238 children have participated in the program this year, spending nearly $600 in Sprouts tokens. Vendors are reimbursed for the tokens they collect, so without the sponsors, Griesheimer says the Sprouts Club would not be possible.

The program also features many hands-on learning opportunities for the children, such as crafts with the YMCA and outdoor activities with Hillermann Nursery & Florist.

The program has always had the goal of being a healthy kids initiative, said Griesheimer. We started with the tokens last year to build our audience and encourage children to choose fruits and vegetables. There is so much more I would love to incorporate over the next few years and if there are groups interested in providing an educational activity, I would love to hear from them.

One of the things Griesheimer would like to utilize is a healthy foods tracker where children can place a sticker by foods theyve tried, adding she hopes there arent too many stickers beneath the I dont like this food category.

The Sprouts Club is looking for more volunteers to help at the check-in table, as well as people wishing to sponsor. Information on both opportunities can be found at http://www.washmomarket.com/kids-club.

The Chamber also is planning many upcoming events at the market, such as live music and hands-on activities, to help create a more relaxing environment.

Music adds a little more charm to the atmosphere, said Griesheimer. The market is an experience, more than just a quick place to stop and grab some groceries. Its really the benefit of shopping at the market you have time to have a conversation and develop a relationship with the person growing your food.

The events are as follows:

July 1 Music will be played by Just Us. The Sprouts Program will be hosting Sprout House with Hillermann Nursery & Florist.

July 8 Music will be played by Dan Chiras and the Wind River Band. The Sprouts Club will have frog coloring pages and frog toppers with Hillermann Nursery & Florist.

July 22 The Sprouts progam will have monarch coloring pages with Hillermann Nursery & Florist.

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City Farmers' Market Reaching New Heights - The Missourian