Farmers’ market promotes fair, local food on the quad

FLO and Carolina Creates Music Present: FARMER'S MARKET ON THE QUAD. Organic farmers from Virginia and North Carolina collected on Polk Place to work with FLO and Carolina Create Music to promote organic foods, farmer's markets, and music. Woman with jelly jars: Rose Shepherd makes and jars all types of jellies, peppers, and vegetables. She owns Blessed Earth Farm in Graham, NC. She is originally from Long Island but moved to NC in 1989 and has been "creating impeccable pickles and preserves since 1989," according to her farm's slogan. Woman with cheese: Kathryn Spann owns Prodigal Farm in Rougement, North Carolina where she specializes in artisanal goat cheese, chevre-cakes, and bread. She says she is working on developing a unique goat sausage. Three students: From left to right, Matt Farley, sophomore, Peace, War and Defense major, volunteer for Hope Garden. Alex Snedeker, junior, Environmental Science major, volunteering outreach coordinator for Hope Garden. Alyssa Davis, first-year, Global Studies major, volunteer for Hope Garden. Girl in front of FLO: Marisa Berry is a sophomore Environmental Studies major who volunteers for FLO Food which according to their flyer is "a studnet organization dedicated to the creation of a sustainable food system at UNC-Chapel Hill. We believe in food that is Fair, Local, and Organic." FLO works with Carolina Dining Services to provide local food and raise awareness to students about eating local.

Organic fruit, fragrant soaps and homemade bread filled a semicircle of tables on Polk Place Thursday as vendors brought local products to students.

The UNC campus farmers’ market was planned as part of national Food Day in hopes of promoting sustainability in students’ food choices, organizers said.

Meredith Rountree, sustainability coordinator for ARAMARK, said this was the second time dining services coordinated with Fair, Local, Organic Food on the event.

Ten vendors — the most in market history — sold a variety of products ranging from cheese to apples.

“This year, we tried to have as much variety as possible,” Rountree said.

“The vendors do not only want to talk with students but also to display what they’ve been doing to keep local alive.”

Marianne Ciala, a vendor selling honey and flowers, said she drove two hours from Kenbridge, Va., to attend the event because she was passionate about the local food movement.

Ciala said she advocates all-natural gardening, unlike other farmers who might use chemicals.

Sara Nelson, a vendor from Carrboro, said she not only wanted to sell food, but to teach about the food’s relationship to the environment.

“We should think about the relationship between the materials we get from the earth and the food we eat,” Nelson said.

“The more connection that we can make on the local scale, the better food we can sell,” she said.

Nelson and Ciala were both first-time vendors at the event.

Danielle Balderas, a member of FLO, said she distributed information about the organization and the local farmers who attended.

Rountree said FLO will try to increase farmer participation in future farmers’ markets on campus.

Laura Schoenfeld, event coordinator for FLO, said she believes the farmers’ market will encourage students to incorporate local products into their diets.

“The goal is mainly to increase students’ awareness about their food choices, and to offer them a sample of the many healthy, sustainable foods available to them from local producers,” Schoenfeld said.

Junior Kiva Moore said she attended the event after passing it on her way to class.

She said she has been to other farmers’ markets but never one at the University.

“We’ve been used to going to grocery stores, so it’s good to let people see the difference,” Moore said.

Rountree said the organizations plan to hold more farmers’ markets in the future.

Contact the University Editor at university@dailytarheel.com.

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