By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
June 1, 2011

This year, Mattie Rhodes is adding a twist to its Dia de la Familia (Day of the Family), scheduled for Thursday, June 2.

In addition to normal festivities, the event will also feature the grand opening of Mattie Rhodes’ farmer’s market and promote Mattie Rhodes’ new community garden. Area farmers and James Elementary students will have vegetables, fruits and baked goods for sale.

Activities will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Mattie Rhodes, 148 N. Topping, Kansas City, Mo., and will include a Cuban salsa band, inflatables, raffles, food and a variety of kid-friendly games. Northeast residents are encouraged to attend this free event.

“It’s just a time for celebration, fun and fellowship,” said Erika Noguera, director of community services for Mattie Rhodes.

Farmer’s market grand opening

For nearly three years, Mattie Rhodes has focused on new initiatives to promote nutrition, health and combat childhood obesity, Noguera said.

Through those programs, Mattie Rhodes learned about the lack of access to healthy and affordable foods in Northeast, she said.

“We learned from the parents it was like a food desert and prices were too expensive,” said Gerardo Martinez, Mattie Rhodes children’s health educator and soon-to-be Master Gardener.

As a result, Martinez thought about “going to the basics” and teaching youngsters how to grow their own food.

Martinez is currently teaching the curriculum “Eating from the Garden” to fourth and fifth graders in Mattie Rhodes’ program, who will help tend to the community garden.

“Many of them lack gardening skills and many are second generations here,” Martinez said of Northeast families. “There’s a lack of knowing what time of year to plant and what works better in Missouri.”

This is how the community garden concept was born and Mattie Rhodes is currently clearing out brush at 130 N. Topping to make room for 16 rows of fruit and vegetables.

“We hope that by having this community garden, parents will learn gardening skills and it will inspire them to do something at home, even if it’s a small raised bed,” Martinez said.

To further the community garden’s success, Mattie Rhodes has partnered with Kansas City Community Gardens, Kansas City Urban Agriculture and Kansas City Beans & Greens.

Through Kansas City Beans & Greens, Mattie Rhodes’ farmer’s market will be able to accept Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards associated with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program, and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). For those using their SNAP EBT cards at Mattie Rhodes’ farmer’s market, Beans & Greens will match up to $30 per week per card. For SFMNP cards, Beans & Greens will match up to $30 per season. Essentially, SNAP and SFMNP customers can double their money at the farmer’s market.

Mattie Rhodes will host the farmer’s market every Thursday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 148 N. Topping.

Next year, Mattie Rhodes hopes to sell fruits and vegetables from its own community garden and encourage additional community members to sell produce at the farmer’s market.