Staff from the Women, Infants & Children Nutrition (WIC)Program at the HealthFirst Family Care Center were on hand at the Ruggles Park Farmers' Market at Pine & Seabury Streets on June 29, 2011, along with nutrition educators from the  University of Massachusetts Extension Nutrition Education Program to share recipes and ideas for preparing fresh vegetables. Children from the nearby Citizens for Citizens Head Start Program stopped by to sample some of the food and to learn more about good nutrition. Children also got a drink of cold water from the Soda-free Summer Pledge table and learned more about the HealthFirst Family Care Center dental program. Face painting and resource tables were offered free of charge along with prizes for completing a vegetable scavenger hunt. The Ruggles Park market runs every Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. during the summer months. Click here for a video of the event. Click here for pictures of the Farmers' Market that operates on Saturdays at Kennedy Park and here for the Downtown Market that operates on Thursday mornings. For more information about the WIC Program, contact Lisa Alves at 508-679-9349.

(Top row, left) Jennifer Furtado of Somerset and Karen Perreira of Fall River talk with Brenda Viveiros of BMC HealthNet Plan at the Ruggles Farmers' Market. (Top row, center) Jose Maher of Berkley points out vegetables to Vivian Civiero of Fall River.  (Top row, right) Karen Perreira talks with Alyssa Janick, Susan Loughlin, Allie Lawlor and Lauren O'Flynn of the University of Massachusetts Extension Nutrition Education Program. (Bottom row, left and center) WIC peer counselor Roxanne Blackmore paints four-year-old Logan's face as the children from the Citizens for Citizens Head Start Program get to sample some food.