Crowds of Princeton students, faculty and staff joined members of the local community in Firestone Plaza on Sept. 25 to kick off the University's inaugural farmer's market. Local farmers and vendors selling organic produce, fresh coffee and newly baked breads successfully began what could become a new staple of Princeton life.
The venture's organizers, Kathryn Andersen '08 and Ruthie Schwab '09, say their goal is to call attention to the benefits of buying locally grown produce. The enterprise sprung from a joint effort of Greening Princeton, a student organization devoted to supporting environmentally friendly practices on campus, Dining Services and with other on-campus cosponsors. Princeton is the latest to follow in the footsteps of other universities like Brown, where they have held a successful farmer's market on campus for the last five years. Their success inspired Dining Services Director Stu Orefice to approach Greening Princeton with the idea of bringing a similar experience to University students. This is the latest effort by Dining Services in what has been a long-running effort to support environmentally sustainable and healthy practices in dining halls across campus. With more locally grown and organic food being offered on campus, including local, grass-fed beef and sustainable seafood, the farmer's market is another sign of Dining Services' commitment to environmentally friendly practices.
One needed only glance at the farmer's market to see that the event was a success. The first 200 shoppers were given organic cotton shopping bags — a freebie that went quickly as throngs of shoppers overran the plaza moments after the market opened.
The market's organizers emphasize that it will be necessary for future world leaders to understand the importance of environmentally sustainable practices. They hope that bringing the farmer's market to campus will help educate students to make educated choices when it comes to food and the environment. "An appreciation of healthful food will, ideally, grow to encompass a stronger understanding of our connection to the local and global environment," Schwab said, "and a greater sensitivity to our impact on it."
Seeing and experiencing what local producers have to offer can help bring this awareness to campus. This is not the only benefit of the farmer's market, however. The products also serve some very basic and immediate needs. The goods sold encompassed a huge variety, with free samples of bread and organic olive oil, salad and potato leek soup available to convince skeptics that the offerings were delicious as well as extensive and environmentally friendly. Organic fruits and vegetables were abundant, freshly picked and supplied by local farms. Vendors were also selling grass-fed beef, free-range eggs, fresh honey, aged cheeses and freshly baked breads. If anyone came imagining a quaint couple of tents and some dirty vegetables, they were in for a surprise. The market's offerings were so abundant that it seems miraculous that everything there is a product of local agriculture. (A list of participating vendors can be found online at princeton.edu/greening/market.)
The vendors were not only selling their goods, either. Among the successes of the event were the cooking demonstrations by Dining Services chefs. Using the same produce being sold to the public, they showed the potential of locally grown, sustainable food as well as the market's ability to be more than just a place to shop.
Lastly, the open-air setting and community involvement make the farmer's market a welcome contrast to typical student shopping spots like the WaWa. Andersen, who grew up on a farm, was inspired by the particular feelings that a farmer's market stirs up. Perhaps the freshness of the experience, and not just the food, is just one more factor that will keep Princeton students coming back over the next month. With any luck, continued success could bring more of the same in the months and years to come.
The farmer's market at Firestone Plaza will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Tuesday through Oct. 23.
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