THE NEW BEET GENERATION: BROWNSVILLE'S WEEKLY FOOD FEST

BEETS ARE nutritional powerhouses. Don't like the taste of beets? Even die hard beet haters like roasted golden beets. Golden beets are just as nutritious as their crimson cousins, but have a sweeter, less earthy taste and are especially good roasted and served in a mixed salad with feta cheese. They are also good sliced and served on crusty bread with goat cheese and arugula. Get your golden beets by Acacia Farms at the Brownsville Farmers' Market this Saturday morning, 9am-noon, next to the zoo at 6th & Ringgold. Acacia farms is one of 20 vendors who sell food at our market, harvesting carrots, onions, broccoli, cabbage, incredible salad mixes and much more  this time of the year, plus several herbs spanning rosemary, thyme and cilantro. We also feature grass fed meats and farm eggs. And we've got olive-oil tamales and breakfast tacos, plus fresh squeezed juices to wash it down.

It's a huge day planned at the Texas Valley's funnest farmers' market this Saturday March 5. Free vision checks, glucose checks, body mass indexes. A story hour for the kiddos. And an awesome fresh food demonstration that incorporates market ingredients: VEGGIE SUSHI.

PLUS, SIGN UP FOR A KIDS' HEALTHY FOOD COOK-OFF

$1,000 for first place, $600 for second place, and $400 for third in a Walmart credit card. Two to 6 children, plus 1 chaperon and 1 adult chef per team.

AND DON'T FORGET

$3 admission to the Children's Museum of Brownsville during market hours www.cmofbrownsville.com and free admission to the new rock-climbing park that's across the street from our market. Also next to the zoo and a fine art museum, our market is one of the finest day trips in Texas. Bring your ice coolers to store your food, and stick around with the fam to have fun at the many attractions in walking distance.