The West Virginia University downtown farmers market will return on Thursday (Aug. 27). The market is a collaborative effort between WELLWVU and WVU Dining Services and it will be held across from the Mountainlair each Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This is the fifth consecutive year that local farm vendors will travel to campus to deliver and sell seasonal produce including apples, peaches, corn, peppers, and much more. WVU Dining Services will also be on hand to offer students samples of dishes featuring locally-sourced vegetables and fruits, along with recipes and nutritional information.
“Purchasing sustainable food products provides quality seasonal menu items while supporting local farm economies,” said Bryan Jarrell, Dining Services manager of public relations. “Our goal is to provide recipes that offer sound nutrition that students will want to recreate at home.”
The WVU Organic Farm will join the market this year, as well as Mountain People’s Co-Op, Garcia’s Latin Market, and Fair Trade 2.0 of WVU. Fair Trade 2.0 is a student organization that partners with agricultural cooperatives in Central America to promote intercultural exchange, economic fairness and healthier working conditions for farmers.
“The market is just one more way to inspire our students to make healthy food choices,” said Shannon Foster, WELLWVU Wellness & Health Promotion health education specialist. “By combining the WVU Organic Farm with existing vendors this year, we are able to support the local farm economy and the importance of the enhanced nutritional quality that comes from in-season, organic fruits and vegetables.”
WELLWVU aims to lead the way to a culture that embraces health and wellbeing. WELLWVU’s goal of increasing students’ consumption of fruits and vegetables is aligned with Healthy Campus 2020 objectives designed to set targets for campus wellbeing across the United States.
For more information on WELLWVU, visit http://www.well.wvu.edu/.
-WVU-
ta/8/21/15
CONTACT: Shannon Foster, WELLWVU Office of Wellness and Health Promotion
304-293-2355, shannon.foster@mail.wvu.edu
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