Mary Stevens/Daily Mining Gazette Farm on the Town returned this weekend for its fourth year in Hancock.

HANCOCK — On Saturday, Farm on the Town returned to Sunflower Books and Coffee in Hancock, hosted by Copper Country Farm Bureau. For more than a decade, Farm on the Town has made an annual effort to teach local children about where their food comes from. This year, displays included honeybees, farm animals such as goats and sheep, and a tractor where kids could climb into the driver’s seat. After stopping at all of the educational displays, participants were rewarded with a free ice cream.

“We bring in animals, and we have activities for kids so they learn more about where their food comes from,” said Judy Szyszkoski, promotion and education co-chair for Copper Country Farm Bureau.

” … we used to have a lot of farmers, and now only about two percent of the population is actively farming. So, a lot of kids don’t have the opportunity to actually see animals or be exposed to the way that honey is produced, or where maple syrup comes from, or those kinds of things.” Szyszkoski added.

One of the featured educators this year was Karyn Juntunen, the Farm to School Coordinator for Copper Shores Community Health Foundation. Along with free temporary tattoos of fruits and vegetables, Juntunen offered a variety of simple recipes that show parents how to incorporate more fresh produce into their families’ diets. She also had a display on how much sugar is in popular sodas, and encouraged attendees to choose healthier drink options.

Juntunen said her goal at Farm on the Town was simple: to teach families “how to incorporate more produce into your life.”

Copper Shores Community Health Foundation defines the Farm to School program as “food education.” Their aim is to bring “fresh, nutritious, and local food back to the table in our community schools.”

Farm on the Town was originally hosted at The Bookworm in Houghton. After The Bookworm was sold, Sunflower Books and Coffee in Hancock began hosting the event in its space. According to volunteers, the event draws about six hundred people every year.

“They love it,” Szyszkoski said. “Hancock has been so welcoming, they let us use their tables and canopies, and they just love this event.”