Welcome to the 2024 Kid’s Kits Program! Last year we distributed over 600 kits and purchased $5,500+ of local produce. This year, you’ll be able to pick up a Kid’s Kit at the Champaign Farmers Market (May through October) or the CU Winter Farmers Market (November through April).
Each kit will have all of the ingredients to make that month’s dish, a recipe card, and a link to the recipe and accompanying video on our website. You can also watch the YouTube videos on The Land Connection’s YouTube Channel. Each kit features local, in-season produce or products that can be purchased at the farmers market so that kids learn about seasonality and how to prepare local food. It also creates a great opportunity to engage kids in the kitchen through a family-centric activity.
For regular Kid’s Kits updates, please sign-up for our weekly e-newsletter, The CUrrant, to get updates on all market activities, including the Kid’s Kits.
2024 KIDS KITS SCHEDULE
2025 Champaign Farmers Market (Located in downtown Champaign)
Stay tuned for the 2025 season of the Champaign Farmers Market.
2024-2025 Champaign-Urbana Winter Farmers Market (Located inside of Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana)
November 23rd, 2024
December 21st, 2024
March 29th, 2025
April 26th, 2025
SWEET POTATO PARMESAN TOTS
PUMPKIN PIE IN A BAG
Ratatouille
Sunny Summer Salad
Very Berry Muffins
June 25, 2024
These Very Berry Muffins make a great addition to breakfast, or even as a snack on their own! Filled with yummy ingredients including plenty of seasonal berries, this is sure to become a go-to recipe.
PB Energy Bites
PLANT SEEDLINGS/PLANT STARTS
April 27, 2024
Learning how to properly plant and care for the plants in a garden are really important skills for kids to learn, whether they are interested in food or farming or not. We hope you like this week’s non-cooking Kid’s Kit, with plants from Sola Gratia Farm, and hope to see you back next month when we move OUTSIDE and start the 2024 season of the Champaign Farmers Market!
SPINACH RANCH DIP
March 30, 2024
Kids Kits make their 2024 debut on March 30th at the Champaign-Urbana Farmers Market with a fan favorite – Spinach Ranch Dip! A special thank you to this month’s Kids Kits sponsor, Martinelli’s Market Bakery & Deli.
CARROT CAKE ENERGY BITES
December 16, 2023
Carrot cake energy bites are a tasty treat made with wholesome ingredients like oats, carrots, coconut and cinnamon. This healthy snack packs a lot of flavor in a small bite that makes a delicious and healthy snack to keep you going throughout the day.
SWEET POTATO PARMESAN TOTS
November 25, 2023
These homemade sweet potato tater tots are the perfect side dish or appetizer for the season! They are baked, crusted with parmesan and incredibly delicious. Best of all? They are easy to make and a total crowd favorite! Make a big batch, they will fly off the plate in minutes!
PUMPKIN PIE IN A BAG
October 31, 2023
A special thanks to Diamond’s Homestead for providing the pumpkins and Kilgus Farmstead for providing the milk. Also a big thanks to Collective Pour for keeping all the yummy, healthy, local milk cold for us and our families. Don’t forget to swing by Collective Pour to pick up the milk component of your Kids Kit!
Veggie Toad-in-the-hole
September 26, 2023
Ratatouille
August 29, 2023
Mediterranean Tomato Toast
July 25, 2023
Herbed Irish Soda Bread
June 27, 2023
Baked Asparagus Fries
May 30, 2023
Asparagus is one of the first true spring crops to find its way into the sunlight and into our bellies. The delicious tender stalks are a true treat when picked fresh and consumed quickly. Making these Baked Parmesan Fries using asparagus is a great way to get kids to try these tasty spears. Try them out and let us know what you think.
A special thanks to Havilah Gardens for providing the asparagus!
Planting Seedlings / Plant Starts
April 29, 2023
Learning how to properly plant and care for the plants in a garden are really important skills for kids to learn, whether they are interested in food or farming or not. We hope you like this week’s non-cooking Kid’s Kit and hope to see you back next month when we move OUTSIDE and start the 2023 season of the Champaign Farmers Market!
Polenta Shapes
March 25, 2023
Making Polenta Shapes is a fun and creative way to introduce your kids to a new food they might not have tried before. Polenta is easy to make and kids have a blast using different cookie cutters to cut the polenta into fun shapes.
A special thanks to Hazzard Free Farm cornmeal and Berries & Flour jam for participating in this month’s Kids Kits program!
PB Energy Bites
December 17, 2022
[Pickup inside of the C-U Winter Farmers Market]
Our most popular kit of the year is making a return this month: PB Energy Bites! These yummy, oatmeal – chia seed – peanut butter – chocolate chip cookie balls feature local honey from The Hive by Maple Street Gardens. In July, we FLEW through these kits in record time. This month (December 2022) we will have extra kits, but we definitely recommend getting to market early because they will go fast!
Pumpkin Pie in a Bag
November 26, 2022
When you think of fall, what smell and flavors come to mind? A common answer to this question is pumpkin spices and pumpkin pie! Sometimes making a pie can be overwhelming, but we’ve broken this recipe down to prepare pumpkin pie in a bag. The great thing about the pumpkin pie in a bag is that it can be made anywhere! It’s a fun activity to do with kids, too.
Candied Apple Nachos
October 25, 2022
This month’s Kids Kit will include the ingredients you need to make Candied Apple Nachos. Grab your FREE Kids Kit (while supplies last) on Tuesday, October 25th at the Champaign Farmers Market. We will provide all of the ingredients that you need to make your own, homemade fruit snacks using fresh and local ingredients. Thank you to our Kids Kit partner this month: Lodgic!
Homemade Fruit Snacks
September 27, 2022
This month’s Kids Kit will include the ingredients you need to make homemade fruit snacks. This month we are featuring a fun (and slightly healthier) take on a kid favorite nibble – fruit snacks. Grab your FREE Kids Kit (while supplies last) on Tuesday, September 27th at the Champaign Farmers Market. We will provide all of the ingredients that you need to make your own, homemade fruit snacks using fresh and local ingredients.
Mediterranean Tomato Toast
August 30, 2022
This month’s Kids Kit is Mediterranean Tomato Toast. Florosophy Farm shares their family favorite snack: Mediterranean Tomato Toast! This versatile recipe can be adapted to easily create a yummy snack or side of nearly any vegetable flavored with whatever spice combo your family loves most. Plus you can easily freeze your roasted tomatoes (or other veggies) to enjoy year round!
PB Energy Bites
July 26, 2022
This month’s Kids Kit is PB Energy Bites! Brought to us by Compassionate Crumbs, this recipe combines all the yummy of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with nutritious ingredients like chia seeds, local honey and local rolled oats for a fun bite full of energy.
Cucumber Sandwiches
June 28, 2022
This month’s recipe is the perfect addition to any tea party! Cucumber sandwiches are fun to make and even better to eat.
Baked Zucchini Fries
May 31, 2022
For week one of our Kid’s Kits program at the Champaign Farmers Market, we’re bringing you a delicious Baked Zucchini Fries recipe – the perfect recipe for kids of all ages.
Planting Seedlings / Plant Starts
April 30, 2022
Learning how to properly plant and care for the plants in a garden are really important skills for kids to learn, whether they are interested in food or farming or not. We hope you like this week’s non-cooking Kid’s Kit and hope to see you back next week!
Polenta Shapes
March 26, 2022
Making Polenta Shapes is a fun and creative way to introduce your kids to a new food they might not have tried before. Polenta is easy to make and kids have a blast using different cookie cutters to cut the polenta into fun shapes.
Breakfast Eggs & Potatoes
February 26, 2022
Breakfast can easily be one of the most creative meals of the day; if you have time for it that is. Most people however don’t have time for a nice sit-down breakfast with their family. That doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy typical breakfast food at other times of the day!
This week’s Kid’s Kits shows that a fun, family dinner can be a perfect time to roast some local veggies, scramble some delicious fresh eggs, and enjoy breakfast for dinner! Roasting a variety of vegetables is also a great way to get kids to try new veggies and can always serve as a “refrigerator clean-out” meal when you’ve got a lot of random things left to use.
Massaged Kale Salad
January 29, 2022
It might be the middle of winter, but you can still enjoy the deliciously light and complex flavor that exemplifies the warmth and vibrancy of the summer sun with this Massaged Kale Salad.
Spinach Ranch Dip
December 18, 2021
This month we turned to our fans to choose their favorite recipe to bring back in December. The response…Spinach Ranch Dip! Despite it being December, there are still lots of delicious vegetables that you can get locally, one of the most common ones being spinach. In watching the video to learn how to make the Spinach Ranch Dip, you’ll also get to visit BlueMoon Farm in Urbana, Illinois where the spinach for the Kit was grown, and hear all about spinach from Ann Swanson, the chef preparing this local dish!
Butternut Squash Quesadillas
November 27, 2021
With the colder temperatures, we find ourselves craving heartier, more filling meals. What better ingredient to use than butternut squash. Here is a twist on a kid favorite… quesadillas! Check out this delicious end-of-season recipe created by Alisa DeMarco using local butternut squash.
Apple Ginger Pancakes
October 26, 2021
As our bountiful harvest season winds down, we are finding the last of the apples. Check out this delicious recipe created by Alisa DeMarco using local apples and local ginger! You and your kids will be wanting to have this one on repeat.
Garden Pizza
September 28, 2021
When we think of summer gardens, we think tomatoes and peppers. In this wonderful recipe made by Chef Ann, she takes our favorite summer garden vegetables and turns them into a delicious pizza! This pizza can be a snack or a small meal. It is quick and easy to make, and uses a simple list of equipment and ingredients.
Bokashi Composting
August 31, 2021
Well, it wouldn’t quite be summer without a few curveballs, so instead of doing a traditional summer recipe with sweet corn, peaches, or tomatoes, today we’re going to learn all about composting, and not just any kind of composting, we’re going to learn about Bokashi composting which is great for people with small living/cooking areas that can’t have a large compost tumbler outside or may not even have any greenspace of their own where they live. The kit is also a little more involved and requires at least 3-4 weeks of setup, but given that it is summer, this could be a great way to keep your kids engaged with a project during the summer.
Cantaloupe Salsa
JULY 27, 2021
The heat is here and so we look to deliciously cooling vegetables like cucumber and melon to help refresh us o these long hot days. This salsa might seem to be a little out there for some, but it is delicious. Plus, as Illinois is one of the largest producers of melons in the country, we should all work to find more ways to be kind to cantaloupe.
Massaged Kale Salad
JUNE 29, 2021
Summer is finally here and we can start enjoying the deliciously light and complex flavor that exemplifies the warmth and vibrancy of the summer sun.
Planting Seedlings / Plant Starts
MAY 25, 2021
Now that we’re past May 15, we can all get out and start planting our gardens! Learning how to properly plant and care for the plants in a garden are really important skills for kids to learn, whether they are interested in food or farming or not. We hope you like this week’s non-cooking Kid’s Kit and hope to see you back next week!
Baked Parmesan Asparagus Fries
APRIL 24, 2021
Asparagus is one of the first true spring crops to find its way into the sunlight and into our bellies. The delicious tender stalks are a true treat when picked fresh and consumed quickly. Making these Baked Parmesan Fries using asparagus is a great way to get kids to try these tasty spears. Try them out and let us know what you think.
Spinach Ranch Dip
MARCH, 27, 2021
At this time of year, everyone just wants it to be Spring. It would be nice if Spring weather came along for the ride though. That being said, there are still lots of delicious vegetables that you can get locally in the late winter and early spring. One of the most common ones is spinach. In watching the video to learn how to make the Spinach Ranch Dip, you’ll also get to visit BlueMoon Farm in Urbana, IL where the spinach for the Kit was grown, and hear all about spinach from Ann Swanson, the chef preparing this local dish!
2020
Pumpkin Carrot Bread
OCTOBER, 27, 2020
The holiday season is all about family, no matter what you observe or believe in, and no matter the size, shape, or composition of your tribe. From October through the middle of January, there is something in the autumn air that brings people together, it seems. Or, maybe it’s just the threat of a chill that drives people to seek warmth together. Who knows.
Either way, sharing food with family and friends is important, and this week’s Kid’s Kit is definitely a recipe you’ll want to pull out several times this holiday season. Plus, your kids will finally learn about a new way to use pumpkins besides carving them or watching squirrels eviscerate them with reckless abandon. Also, this recipe involves homemade whipped cream, which is pretty much the perfect reason to do anything in the fall.
Local Apple & Pear Hand Pies
October 13, 2020
Baking can be intimidating and frustrating, but it can also be fun, silly, messy, and delicious! Whether you have kids or not, if you ever made cookies as a kid with an older family member I’m sure that you have experienced this first-hand.
This week’s Kid’s Kit brings a few simple ingredients into your kitchen for some basic baking fun. Plus, once you learn this recipe you can have fun with it and use different fillings, make it sweet or savory, or even sprinkle sugar or hard cheese on top for some added fun. By using a frozen pie dough, there really isn’t much worry about in regards to messing up the dough, but if you want to get adventurous, Martha Stewart has a great pie dough recipe – it does require a food processor though.
Breakfast Eggs & Potatoes
September 29, 2020
Breakfast can easily be one of the most creative meals of the day; if you have time for it that is. Most people however don’t have time for a nice sit-down breakfast with their family. That doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy typical breakfast food at other times of the day!
This week’s Kid’s Kits shows that a fun, family dinner can be a perfect time to roast some local veggies, scramble some delicious fresh eggs, and enjoy breakfast for dinner! Roasting a variety of vegetables is also a great way to get kids to try new veggies and can always serve as a “refrigerator clean-out” meal when you’ve got a lot of random things left to use.
Bell Pepper & Tomatillo Quesadilla
September 15, 2020
One of the most versatile snacks/appetizers/meals has got to be the quesadilla. If you’ve got tortillas, cheese, and a bunch of random delicious ingredients you can make a quesadilla to use as a vehicle for your favorite condiment. Quesadillas are great for even the pickiest of children eaters. Everyone loves quesadillas!!
With summer produce slowing down as the nights get a little cooler, we decided to have one last quesadilla hurrah that features two summer favorites vegetables: peppers and tomatillos. If you’re intimidated by the tomatillos, just try one raw. They taste delicious and tangy, almost like a granny smith apple with a different texture. So let’s try some new veggies with this week’s kid’s kit as we make Bell Pepper & Tomatillos Quesadillas! Below you’ll find the recipe and video tutorial for preparing the dish.
Cherry Tomato Basil Bruschetta
August 25, 2020
Nothing says summer like fresh cherry tomatoes. With that in mind, for week two of our Kid’s Kits program at the Champaign Farmers Market, we’re bringing you a recipe and kit for seasonal Cherry Tomato Basil Bruschetta. Below you’ll find the recipe and video tutorial for preparing the dish.
The program is funded by the Nutrition Incentive Hub as part of a mini-grant to support our nutrition incentive program during COVID-19. The Land Connection and the Champaign Farmers Market are partnering with Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and Common Ground Food Co-op on the project. The project is also in conjunction with Common Ground’s “Cooking with Kid’s” program.
Baked Zucchini Fries with Sour Cream Ranch Dip
July 28, 2020
For week one of our Kid’s Kits program at the Champaign Farmers Market, we’re bringing you some delicious Baked Zucchini Fries with Sour Cream Ranch Dip. Below you’ll find the recipe and video tutorial for preparing the dish.
