Shoppers at the Lawrence Farmers’ Market on Thursday got more than hothouse tomatoes and heads of locally grown lettuce.

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger visited the farmers’ market in the 1000 block of Vermont Street, handing out reusable shopping bags filled with insurance facts and other helpful information.

It was Praeger’s first stop in a summerlong campaign. She’ll be visiting farmers’ markets across the state to tout the benefits of making healthy choices.

“We’re going around the state to farmers’ markets, advocating that buying local is good for the health of the economy, and eating good, locally produced products is good for your personal health,” Praeger said.

Praeger said eating healthy is just one step we can take to help combat rising health care costs.

“Personal responsibility of taking care of ourselves is really important, and that’s part of the message,” she said, “but the other is just to use this as a way of advocating for making improvements in our health care system and letting folks know that we’re working on it.”

During her brief visit, she heard at least one story of a family struggling to pay the monthly premiums to keep their kids insured.

“Almost everybody has some sort of health insurance story, most of them not great,” Praeger said. “It’s unfortunate, but that’s why it’s one of the No. 1 issues in Congress right now.”

Praeger will make a stop at the farmers’ market Saturday in Topeka. She plans to visit markets in Ottawa, Atchison, Holton and Overland Park throughout June.