On the second Saturday of each month, the Port Orchard Farmers Market transforms into a hands-on classroom where kids as young as three learn to plant seeds, pollinate flowers, and choose their own locally grown produce, all through the POP Kids Club.

POP stands for “Power of Produce,” a national program created by the Farmers Market Coalition. In Port Orchard, it’s coordinated by community engagement coordinator for the PO Farmers Market, Ingrid Hartsock, who is now in her second season leading the effort to grow the program’s reach and impact.

“We really see the farmers market as a place where the community and our kids can come to learn about our food system, the environment, and try new foods,” Hartsock said. “And we want kids to start connecting with those things early.”

The POP Kids Club engages children ages 3–12 through educational games, planting projects, science-based activities, and direct interactions with local farmers and organizations. Each child who participates receives a $4 produce token, a recent increase from the previous $2, to spend at the market.

“It gives kids the chance to actually buy something from a farmer, ask questions, and begin to understand where their food comes from,” Hartstock said.

That direct exchange is core to the program’s goals: teaching kids to make healthy food choices, supporting local agriculture, and creating future farmers market supporters.

Each month’s activity features a new theme. In May, kids learned the parts of a plant, planted edible violas donated by local grower Action for Nature, and participated in the “Eat the Rainbow” project, a lesson in nutritional diversity using color-based games and produce shopping challenges.

“Seeing kids run around the market with their pollinator sticks, fluttering from one paper flower to another, is one of my favorite visuals,” Hartsock said. “They’re learning while having fun, and that’s what we’re all about.”

The club partners with a wide range of organizations to bring additional activities. Harbor Montessori School has offered rescue-making crafts, the Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society sets up STEM tables focused on mushrooms, and Master Gardeners lead water conservation workshops. Other partners include the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, West Sound Beekeepers Association, and the Kitsap Audubon Society.

In June, the market is expected to host its first live beehive demonstration, weather permitting, courtesy of WSB.

“We’ve done pollinator-themed activities before, but this will be our first time having a live hive on-site. The kids are going to love it,” Hartsock said.

Participation in the club has more than doubled over the last two years. In 2023, 170 children participated with an increase of 383 participants in 2024. This year, the club has already seen 232 young participants in just the first two months of the season.

The club runs during full market hours (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) every second Saturday through the season.

“We want families to know we’re here, and that we’re a free resource,” Hartsock said. “We’re here to help kids explore local food, try something new, and walk away excited about eating healthy and supporting their community.”