2019 
            Nutrition Education and 
            Culinary Demonstrations 
               at Farmers Markets 
             A GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS 
       Over the past ten years, the New York City (NYC) Health Department has provided nutrition 
       education and culinary demonstrations to more than 258,000 adult and child participants at 
       farmers markets. This guide is designed to support community based organizations (CBOs) in 
       implementing one of the following nutrition education curricula:  
         1) Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables (JSY) Stellar Farmers Markets
         2) Farmers Markets for Kids
         3) Cook Fresh at Farmers Markets
       This guide includes best practices and input from CBOs that have partnered with the Health 
       Department to provide nutrition education. Thank you for your efforts to empower your 
       community to develop and sustain healthier eating habits. 
                    TABLE OF CONTENTS 
                     I.       Introduction
                              A. Background ………………………………………………………….………..…………….  3 
                              B.    Curricula Descriptions …………………………………………………………..…..…  4 
                              C.    Using the Guide ………………………………..………………………………………….  5 
                     II.      Planning
                              A. Develop Timeline …………………………………………………….……..………..….   6 
                              B.    Conduct Capacity Analysis ………………………………………………….………..  7 
                              C.    Establish Program Location …………………………………………….……………  9 
                              D. Develop Program Budget …………………………………………………………..…  10 
                              E.    Consider Partners ………………………………………………………………………..  10 
                              F.    Develop Evaluation Plan ……………………………………………………...………  11 
                              G. Hire Seasonal Educators …………………………………………………..………….  11 
                              H. Develop Policies and Procedures ………………………………………………….  12 
                              I.    Promote Workshops …………….…………………………………………..…….……   14 
                              J.    Obtain Equipment, Supplies and Materials .……………………………….…  15 
                     III.     Training
                              A. Prepare for Seasonal Staff Training …………………………….………………..  16 
                              B.    Conduct Seasonal Staff Training …………………..………………………………  16 
                     IV.      Implementation
                              A. Duties of the Educators ………………………………………………………………..  20 
                              B.    Duties of the Program Coordinator ……………………………………………… 23 
                     V.       Wrap-Up
                              A. Conduct Program Debrief …………………………………………………………….  25 
                              B.    Evaluate Data ……………………………………………………………………………….  25 
                              C.    Create Season-End Report ……………………………………………………………  25 
                              D. Inventory and Store Equipment ……………………………………………………  25 
                     VI.      References …………………………………………………………………………………………  26 
                                                                                                          
                                                                                                          
               VII.  Appendix   
                                                                                                     
                     A.  Planning ……………………………………………………………………………………….  27 
                              1.  Sample Budget                                                      
                              2.  Sample Farmers Market Agreement Form                               
                              3.  Sample Site Information Sheet                                      
                              4.  Suggested Equipment and Supplies List                              
                              5.  Sample Job Descriptions                                            
                              6.  Sample Interview Questions                                         
                              7.  Sample Policies and Procedures                                     
                              8.  Sample Seasonal Calendars                                          
                                                                                                     
                     B.  Training ………………………………………………………………………………………..  45 
                              1.  Sample Staff Training Agenda                                       
                              2.  Sample Staff Training Binder ‐ Guide to Contents                   
                              3.  How to Lead a Culinary Demo                                        
                              4.  Proper Glove Use                                                   
                              5.  Food Safety Guidelines                                             
                              6.  Basic Knife Cuts                                                   
                              7.  Cooking Methods and Techniques                                     
                              8.  Tips for the Field                                                 
                              9.  Setup and Breakdown Checklist                                      
                              10. Tent Setup Diagram                                                 
                              11. How to Price a Recipe                                              
                              12. Toolkit Storage Setup Diagram                                      
                                                                                                     
                     C.  Implementation ……………………………………………………………………………  67 
                           Forms for Educators                                                       
                              1.  Sample Tracking Form                                               
                              2.  Sample Time and Temperature Log                                    
                              3.  Sample Survey                                                      
                              4.  Sample Comment Card                                                
                              5.  Sample Farmers Market Receipt                                      
                           Program Coordinator Tools                                                 
                              6.  Sample One‐on‐One Meeting Questions                                
                              7.  Sample Site Monitoring Checklist