Please join us this Saturday at our SFC Farmers' Market at Sunset Valley for our First Saturday Celebration and a special event to kick off the month of August: The Big Latch On!

The Big Latch On is a celebration that takes place during world breastfeeding week, which is recognized all around the world during the first week in August, with the goal of promoting and celebrating breastfeeding. As a worldwide peer support and community development event, the Global Big Latch On aims to strengthen national and global support for breastfeeding and to improve the health of children and women around the world. This Saturday, at 10:30 a.m. on the dot, the goal is to break the world record of how many moms and babies are latched on.

We spoke with Naya Weber, a board certified lactation consultant and Vice President of Central Texas Breastfeeding Coalition, to learn more about what she loves about the event. Peer support to new moms, she says, is one of the biggest drivers of breastfeeding success. That is what this event is all about. She recalls that many breastfeeding moms brought their older children to last year's Big Latch On, adding, "It was almost like a village, where everyone was helping each other out, whether or not they knew each other. It's so nice to see people come together organically." We also learned that Texas breastfeeding rates are second in the nation, after California. Hooray!

To compliment the celebration, our friendly Sunset Valley market staff will be grilling farm-fresh veggies and meats to share, so be sure to stop by Taste The Place! Sayuri from our Food Access team will also share an oatmeal beverage from our very own The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre cookbook - a food that is highly regarded as one that can increase breast milk supply. To provide further support, our friends at Texas WIC will be helping out at the Double Dollars booth and will be working directly with clients to access their benefits.

For our ears and dancing feet, we will enjoy the music of Diana Naranjo, a Colombian singer-songwriter. Learn more about Diana and listen to her music here : http://www.diananaranjo.com/english-1/

For the toddlers and slightly older kiddos, Wild Rumpus Books will be doing story time at 11:00. We will also feature FREE FACEPAINTING through the entirety of the market.

The Central Texas Breastfeeding Coalition has been active since 1991. It is open to everyone, not only breastfeed professionals or lactating people, but rather to anyone that considers themselves a breastfeeding advocate. Learn more at http://keepaustinbreastfeeding.org/.

Sunset Valley will have a fun-filled day, with the Big Latch On event from 9:30-11:00, followed by story telling. Music and face painting will be happening throughout the market. TOur SFC Farmers' Market at Sunset Valley is open, as always, from 9am-1pm. See you there!