Veggie Derby encourages young participants to build unique cars with vegetables

There was excitement in the air as youngsters assembled zucchini, potatoes, green beans, carrots, radishes, cucumbers and peppers into race cars at the Camas Farmer’s Market last week.

The Kids Connections booth was overflowing with children and veggie cars in all shapes and sizes during the fifth annual Veggie Derby.

The derby is an annual highlight at the market, organizer Marilyn Goodman said.

“The market kids look forward to playing with their veggies and making them ‘vroom’ once a year,” she said. “Kids worked very hard making their cars and vying for prizes.”

The veggie vehicles were judged in the following categories: Most use of veggies, fastest/farthest and most creative.

Vegetables, volunteers and gift cards for the winners were all supplied by Whole Foods Market.

Winners include twins Aiden and Owen Koch for fastest/farthest in the seven and younger age group; and Tristan Curl for fastest/farthest in the 8 and older age group. Other winners’ names were unavailable as of press time.

Kimberly Koch, mother to Aiden and Owen, said her boys had been looking forward to the derby for weeks.

“They had been counting the days,” she said. “It was a very big deal. Thanks to the whole market staff for making it fun for all kids. It was the best one yet and an amazing turn out, too.”

The Camas Farmer’s Market runs from 3 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday through Oct. 9, at the 600 block of Northeast Fourth Avenue.