Children are getting ready to go back to school, which means busier schedules, eating on the run and time for parents to once again start packing school lunches.

The Ventura County Farmers' Market invites children to learn how to eat healthier and be part of the decision-making when it comes to family meals.

"One of our goals is to educate the family as a whole about good nutrition," said Karen Wetzel Schott, operations manager for the Ventura County Farmers' Market. "We invite families and schoolchildren to come to the market, sample the items and talk to the many farmers who grow the food."

Personal chef and food consultant Heidi Rae Weinstein believes it's very important to get the American family back to the dinner table and teach kids good eating habits.

"There are many behaviors that keep people from getting together at dinner, which is creating poor eating habits within families," Weinstein said"People are overbooked, overscheduled and are not putting a priority on mealtime. I believe it's time to get back to basics and encourage families to make meal planning fun by utilizing the farmers' markets, developing market lists, creating menus and learning the benefits of purchasing fresh foods.

"The American family is in crisis, nutritionally speaking. We need to get the whole family involved and teach them how to cook proper meals, which will reverse this trend." Weinstein frequents the Ventura County Farmers' Market and is an advocate for fresh produce as part of the American diet.

"It all about education," she said. "We need to create environments where our children can develop lifelong skills in good eating and nutrition."

Weinstein, who recently led a group of third-graders from Sycamore Canyon Elementary School on a field trip to the Thousand Oaks Certified Farmers' Market, believes that children are genuinely interested in nutrition.

"The students were truly eager to learn as much as they could and enjoyed interacting with the farmers as well as trying out the many new foods," she said.

The Ventura County Farmers' Market offers regular tours to school groups and organizations. To arrange a tour, call the Ventura County Certified Farmers' Market at (805) 529-6266. For general information, visit the website at www.vccfarmersmarket.com.