Enriqueta Dominguez buys produce from Debbie McCorkle of the East Texas State Fair Farmer's Market outside of the WIC office on Amherst in Tyler May 11, 2017. Beginning Thursday, May 11th, and running every Thursday morning until July 27th, NET Health is operating the Farmers Market & Block Party at both of the Tyler NET Health WIC locations - 815 North Broadway and 225 East Amherst. Each event will be held every Thursday morning from 8:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

AUGUSTA ROBINSON, augustarobinson@tylerpaper.com

Buying and sampling vegetables from vendors with the East Texas State Fair’s Farmer’s Market on Thursday morning gave Ashley Crim, of Tyler, a chance to help her daughter develop healthy eating habits.

As she strolled her 9-month-old daughter, Avery Crim, past the vendors, Mrs. Crim enjoyed getting to meet the farmers who grew her food – asking questions and learning new recipes along the way.

“It’s very important to instill healthy eating to the little one here,” Mrs. Crim said. “We try to eat healthy for the most part – especially since she is just starting to eat food.”

The experience was made even more convenient for the Crim family, and many others, because the market was set up outside a North East Texas Public Health District’s Women, Infants, Children (WIC) location and she was able to use a produce voucher from the WIC program.

From now until July 27, NET Health will host a farmers market and block party from 8:30 a.m. to noon each Thursday at both of its Tyler NET Health WIC locations, 815 North Broadway Ave. and 225 East Amherst Drive.

At the locations, WIC-eligible families are able to receive produce vouchers and redeem them with vendors. Each block party is open to the public, and there will be a variety of games, activities and special appearances at each event.

“A healthy lifestyle is based on making informed food choices according to your individual health and nutrient needs,” said Tecora Smith, director of the NET Health Women, Infants and Children Program in a news release. “Farmers markets being held at our Tyler WIC clinics will help foster healthy relationships between our participants and local farmers, expanding the access of fruits and vegetables throughout the Tyler area and improving the overall health of our citizens.”

WIC provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website. NET Health is a recipient of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, a grant that is awarded by the Texas Department of Agriculture.

The goals of the program are to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to WIC-eligible families who are given vouchers that can be redeemed at TDA-certified farmers markets in Texas, according to a NET Health news release.

Vendor Elissa Oefinger, who runs “The Veggie Stand,” said she enjoyed the opportunity to help provide nutritious meals to attendees of the farmers market.

“They all seem to be focused,” she said. “It’s fun. I enjoy the people.”

For more information about the events, call NET Health’s WIC offices at 903-593-8331.

Twitter: @TMT_Augusta