It is no secret that children crave sweets. What seems to be a secret is that those sweets do not have to be snack cakes, or the latest in snack chip flavors, but nature at its finest! The Agricultural Marketing Service has compiled a national database in the hopes of helping families to find the sweets that they crave, in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables, by developing a website which lists local farmers markets, state by state.

Currently in the United States, there are more people who suffer from obesity than who suffer from hunger. With obesity on such a rise, the government is doing what it can to let Americans known that there are healthy sweet alternatives to refined sugar products. More and more children are growing up knowing what snack cakes, ready made foods taste like, while less and less can recall when the last time was that they had a fresh food or vegetable.

With the numbers stacking up on the side of poor eating habits, the Agricultural Marketing Service has launched a new database of farmers markets, which can be searched on a state-by-state basis. This makes it easier for families to find local venues where fresh, wholesome foods are not only available, but where children can have an enjoyable afternoon picking them out.

An afternoon out at the farmers market is quite different than a trip to the grocery store. Children are afforded the opportunity to not only be out in the fresh air, and walking while picking out what it is that they would like to eat, but there are often activities at farmers markets such as hay, and pony rides, picking your own fruit, as well as crafts and handmade items that are not found anywhere else.

When it comes to visiting a farmers market, children can become focused on the event itself, rather than focusing on getting healthy foods to eat, which can help to lower their resistance level to picking out fruits and vegetables. Spending a day at the farmers market can be seen as a fun outing, rather than simply food shopping, which can greatly help when it comes to the cooperation of children.

Parents too can enjoy the outing to a farmers market, taking in the sights, sounds, smells, and experiences, having fun with their children, rather than arguing about what is being bought. Many farmers markets offer free samples of the produce that they have to offer, giving children the chance to sample different fruits and vegetables, before picking out what it is that they would like to bring home. This can be a lifesaver for those who have picky eaters, and are not sure of what their children will enjoy.

By clicking on THIS link, parents will find themselves at the website for the Agricultural Marketing Service, and by clicking on the link which pertains to the state in which they live, they will find a listing of the local farmers markets, complete with contact information. The list on the site, is a continuing work in progress, so if one is not listed in your local area, check back often for updates, or simply look for your own local farmers market, and than send the link to the Agricultural Marketing Service, and help other families out in your area. Together we can all make the United States a healthy nation both now, as well as for the future.