SALISBURY — The Rowan Public Library is preparing to unveil a new set of workshops that challenge not only the mind, but also the body, over the summer.

The Sustainable Snacking program will be held on Monday, June 13, at 6 p.m. at the South branch in China Grove and again on July 18 at 11:30 a.m. at the Main branch in downtown Salisbury.

The program is a coordinated effort between the North Carolina State Cooperative Extension and the local public library system.

NCSU Cooperative Extension agent Toi Degree will be at both workshops to teach visitors all about the “nutritive value and benefits of  eating fish.”

Paulette Stiles of the library will have books and materials to teach students about how fish farms and other sustainable measures for protecting ecosystems make a major difference on the planet.

Stiles explained how even canned fish such as sardines and salmon can be a sustainable way of consuming seafood in a manner that is more beneficial to the oceans and less wasteful at the same time.

Many popular snacks and meals are unsustainable in terms of the resources that they deplete and the damage they can do to your health. Seafood offers a promising alternative to these more traditional options and Stiles hopes to raise awareness about this topic through the classes.

The workshop is free  and open for anyone to attend. For more information, call 704-216-7731.