Tables full of fresh, organic vegetables, fruits and herbs can be found in the University of Massachusetts Campus Center every Friday thanks to the Student Farm Enterprise Farmers’ Market.

Offering students organic produce through Nov. 18, from 12 to 4 p.m. on Fridays, the farmer’s market has expanded since its inception in 2011. The market now offers 38 varieties of crops and its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) membership has grown to 50 shares.

The farmers set up just outside of the UStore. But that is not the only place students can find fresh farm goodies.

Student-grown vegetables are now also available in Franklin Dining Commons.

Student Farm Enterprises has joined forces with UMass Permaculture and Auxiliary Services to bring the farmers’ market and organic produce to the campus. Small amounts of their produce can now be purchased at Big Y grocery store in Amherst.

Nell Finnigan, a member of the Student Farm Enterprise, and one of the organizers of the farmers’ market, told the Collegian last year that the market was established in an effort to increase students’ exposure to sustainable food at the University.

Selling everything from tomatoes, squash, salad mix and beets to jars of tea leaves, hot peppers and even necklaces made by an African tribe, the farmers’ market strives to offer healthy and affordable food to the UMass community, according to their website.

It was created by Nathan Aldrich, the sustainability Specialist for Auxiliary Services at UMass and a co-leader of UMass Permaculture.

“Part of the point of this market and the sustainability work we do in general is to show students how much power they truly have at UMass,” Aldrich told the Collegian last year. “Students can create a lot of change … and by focusing locally, (they) can make a huge impact.”

Aldrich also said a farmers’ market on campus will give recognition to the three sustainable food organizations on campus in one location, and offer interactions between students and the farmers’ who grow their food.

The market is the perfect spot, Aldrich said, to “stumble upon sustainable food.”
Steffi Porter can be reached at [email protected].