Students smell soaps and other bath products from Riverdale-based Mystic Water Soaps at yesterday’s farmers’ market on Hornbake Plaza.
Students in Hornbake Plaza yesterday were faced with options they wouldn’t find at The Diner, such as jalapeño, egg and cheese crêpes.
The crêpes, which students bought from the Ruben’s Crepes stand, were part of Testudo’s Market — the university’s first-ever on-campus farmers’ market. Amid the other Earth Day-themed festivities happening around the campus, the market, sponsored by the university’s Wellness Coalition, was intended to present students, faculty and staff with an opportunity to improve their health and sustainable living habits. But despite the event’s marketing as a farmers’ market, vendors selling healthy produce staples were notably absent.
The market featured about 12 different vendors, selling everything from jewelry to free-range eggs to soaps and lotions, as well as several tents offering Indian and Korean foods. But despite the array of vendors, none were selling fruits or vegetables, which are necessary for the healthy diet the Coalition wanted to push by creating the market.
“They’re just not in season,” said Lauren Stewart, coordinator of special health programs at the health center. “If you go to farmers’ markets at this time, you won’t find much produce. In June and July, it’s usually the height of the produce season, which is why we’re hoping to have this in the summer and fall.”
Although yesterday’s event aimed to improve accessibility for students who wanted to buy organic and locally-grown products, a key element in many university environmental groups’ platforms, some questioned how well the market would appeal to students with limited resources.
Senior Spanish major Caitlin Osborne said she wasn’t sure about the look of the herbs being sold and said she wondered how organizers expected students without kitchens to use the products.
“People living in dorms can’t use things like the herbs for cooking, they need things that are ready to eat,” Osborne said.
The nearest farmers market is by College Park Airport and Herbert Wells Ice Rink and is open on Saturdays. Students without cars can only access it by bike, Shuttle-UM or a lengthy walk.
But vendors said they were generally happy with the turnout at their stands.
“It’s been very busy,” said Julie Bolton, who ran the Groff’s Content Farm stall selling free-range eggs and organic meats. “We would absolutely come back if they did this again.”
The planning committee for Testudo’s Market began preparation in October, working with a farmers market manager to help attract vendors. Members said they hoped the event would generate enough interest to keep it going into the summer and fall, possibly on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
“This was something we found other universities had done to reach out and provide help to improve physical, as well as social wellbeing,” Wellness Coalition chairwoman Tracy Zeeger said.
Bolton said the on-campus market is a good idea, as she often sees many students at the Riverdale Farmers Market where she has been selling her products for three years.
“We usually have students there,” Bolton said. “It has a lot do with location, but college-aged boys like meat!”
Stewart added that she thought the market ultimately went well — all 300 reusable bags the Wellness Coalition gave out were gone.
“The numbers are there,” Stewart said. “We just have to wait for feedback from the vendors and the students and then we can go from there.”
dcetrone@umdbk.com
