South Whidbey Tilth farmers market offers kids scavenger hunt, $4 voucher

Children at the South Whidbey Tilth Farmers Market will be able to turn a walk through the stalls into a small purchase of their own on Sunday, June 28, when the market’s kids scavenger hunt returns in Langley. Children who complete the hunt will receive a $4 local bux voucher to spend at the market, and there is no charge to participate.

The rules are simple: pick up a scavenger-hunt form at the welcome table, move through the market to find the listed items, write them down, return the form and collect the voucher. Adults are welcome to help younger children, which makes the activity easier for families with mixed ages and gives the market a built-in way to keep children engaged while parents shop.

The market runs Sundays from May 3 through Oct. 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 2812 Thompson Road on State Route 525 in Langley. South Whidbey Tilth describes the market as family-friendly and says it includes picnic tables, live music, and educational and children’s activities. It also accepts SNAP cards and offers SNAP Market Match currency, a detail that matters for families watching grocery budgets as well as visitors looking for an inexpensive Saturday outing on South Whidbey Island.

South Whidbey Tilth has been part of that landscape since 1982, when gardeners and farmers on the south end of Whidbey Island founded the local chapter. The organization bought its current 11-acre home on Thompson Road and State Route 525 on April 21, 2000. Its campus includes a community garden, educational workshops, a commercial kitchen, a picnic and play area, a fruit orchard and trails, and the upper six acres are designated nature conservancy land.

The campus is open to the public for walking and viewing projects, and the market area stays open for picnicking and playing even when no market is underway. South Whidbey Tilth says it is building a community of gardeners, farmers and consumers who support good tilth and an atmosphere of kindness where people of all cultures and backgrounds feel safe and supported. The scavenger hunt fits that mission neatly, giving children a chance to learn what is sold at the market while giving growers and vendors a reason to see more families at the stalls.

The kids scavenger hunt will return again on July 26 and Aug. 30, continuing a summer pattern that has already become part of the market’s rhythm. A similar format was also used last year, with a $4 local bux reward and additional hunt dates later in the season.