West Virginia University students will have the opportunity to add fruits and vegetables to their diets at the Downtown Campus farmers market.

WELLWVU and Dining Services are teaming up for the farmers market, which will take place Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the Mountainlair. Vendors will bring a variety of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables to campus including apples, peaches, corn, peppers and more.

“The farmers market is designed to help WVU students increase their fruit and vegetable intake, as a majority of them do not consume the recommended five to nine servings per day,” said Colleen Harshbarger, director of WELLWVU Office of Wellness and Health Promotion.

Dining Services will be on-hand to provide students with samples, recipes and nutritional information of dishes featuring locally sourced vegetables and fruits. Recipe items will be purchased at the Morgantown Farmers Market, Bridgeport Farmers Market and WVU Farms.

“Purchasing sustainable food products provides quality seasonal menu items while supporting local farm economies,” said Bryan Jarrell, manager of public relations for Dining Services. “Our goal is to provide recipes that offer sound nutrition that students will want to re-create at home.”

In addition to the local farm vendors, some of the participants in this year’s market include Mountain People’s Co-Op, Garcia’s Latin Market and Fair Trade 2.0 of WVU, a student organization that partners with agricultural cooperatives in Central America and promotes intercultural exchange, economic fairness and healthier working conditions for farmers.

-WVU-

ta/08/27/14

CONTACT: Shannon Foster, WELLWVU
304-293-2355, Shannon.Foster@mail.wvu.edu

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