Great Park to create Wellness Gallery at Farmers Market

          IRVINE, Calif. — The
Orange County Great Park Board of Directors has accepted a grant from the
United States Department of Agriculture to create a Wellness Gallery at the
Great Park Farmers Market. The Wellness Gallery will feature an education area
for visitors to learn about healthy living practices through a series of talks,
hands-on cooking demonstrations and take-home recipe cards.

          The free programs will consist of monthly health and
wellness themes such as Let’s Get Moving, Grains and Breads, Delicious and
Fresh, Local and Organic, and Heart Health. Podcasts of selected talks will
also be made available on the Great Park website. The Department of Agriculture
awarded $22,500 to create the Wellness Gallery, and the grant was accepted at
the Jan. 19 Great Park Board of Directors meeting.

          “We are thrilled that the USDA awarded the Great Park
Farmers Market a grant to help us expand our program to raise awareness of
healthy eating and good nutrition,” said Beth Krom, chairwoman of the Orange
County Great Park Corp. “Promoting health and wellness is one of the Great
Park’s core values. This grant adds more educational healthy eating and living
opportunities to our popular Sunday morning Farmers Market.”

          Volunteer faculty and students from universities will
assist in supporting wellness and education opportunities. Local volunteer
chefs will teach hands-on cooking demonstrations showcasing easy healthy
recipes for children, parents and seniors.

          Since opening on Oct. 31, 2010, more than 100,000 people
have gone to the Great Park Farmers Market to shop for locally grown fresh
fruits and vegetables. Gourmet food vendors allow shoppers to taste and buy
honey, cheeses, olive oil, breads and sauces. The Great Park Farmers Market is
open every Sunday, rain or shine, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

          For more information, go to
www.ocgp.org.