Farmer’s Market Provides Fresh Food for All
By Marissa Shea | Observer Contributor
The Brewer Center runs the Food for Thought food pantry – a widely used resource on campus that helps provide students in need with meals.
Shelly Nicholson, the director at the Brewer Center for Civic and Community Engagement, helped organize a farmer’s market on campus to provide fresh, locally grown, organic ingredients to students. She is on the board of Growing Places, a Leominster company whose mission is to “…inspire and connect the North Central, MA community to create equitable access to healthy food and environmental sustainability through education, collaboration and advocacy.”
“We provide the space and they bring in the vendors,” said Nicholson. Market vendors accept SNAP, which allows all students and faculty to eat fresh, locally grown ingredients.
According to Nicholson, students and facility are often unable to attend local farmer’s markets because of timing. There are several farmer’s markets that run in the middle of the afternoon while students are in class or at work.
Transportation is another issue. “The problem for a lot of our students is lack of transportation and timing, so it only seemed logical to have the farmer’s market on campus,” said Nicholson. Consumers are excited about the new market. “It was one of those things where I don’t know if people knew they wanted it until it happened,” said Nicholson. The market’s current fall harvest includes fresh tomatoes, peaches and onions.
The mobile market can be found in the South Cafe, Commons Center, or, weather permitting, in the parking lot. They are usually up and running by 11 a.m. and close around 1-2 p.m. if they have produce to sell. The market has had a very successful year and plans to continue if the growing season allows.
Due to winter, they are planning to take a break in January and February and start back up in March. If you are a student or faculty member with a green thumb and would like to sell your produce at a future farmer’s market, see Nicholson in room 152.
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