Spring Break
Students bring farmers market to campus
by Jillian Wagner
News Editor
News | 9/2/08
Posted online at 11:26 PM EST on 9/1/08
/ Last updated at 1:33 AM EST on 9/1/08
The first of three farmers markets planned for this semester will take place at Brandeis this Sunday in order to support local farmers and provide more healthful choices for students.
The idea for bringing a farmers market to Brandeis originated as a project in Prof. Laura Goldin's (AMST) "Greening the Ivory Tower" class last semester and was conceived by Mariah Rich '10, Nicole Starman '10 and Samantha Lenard '10, with help from Jessica Fernandes '10.
According to the project's Web site, "Due to the rising costs of food production and governmental incentives for large farms, many smaller farms must fight to stay alive. Thus, our market will serve a need for both farmers and students. Because all of our suppliers are from Massachusetts, Brandeis is giving back and supporting the eastern Massachusetts economy."
Lenard said, "The goal of the class is to have a project that makes Brandeis more sustainable. So we took on the idea of a farmers market because we thought there was a need for more produce on campus and more choices for students. Bringing a farmers market also supports local farms, and it would be a great thing for Brandeis."
In an e-mail to the Justice, Goldin wrote, "My initial reaction was that this was going to be a difficult project, and that they could be in for some unpleasant failures. But I appreciated their ambition in making this work, and the best projects in this class sometimes involve risks."
The farmers market, which is open to both the Brandeis and Waltham communities, will take place in the Gosman parking lot from 12 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7. According to Rich, Starman and Lenard, there will be vendors from all over Massachusetts selling fruits, vegetables, jams, tea and soap. Participating vendors include Hanson Farm, Flats Mentor Farm and Natick Community Organic Farm. The Brandeis bakery, part of dining services, will provide kosher and nonkosher bread, and there will be people selling crafts.
The administration was originally skeptical of the idea of bringing a farmers market to Brandeis, Rich said. "But once they realized it would work, they became very supportive."
The idea for bringing a farmers market to Brandeis originated as a project in Prof. Laura Goldin's (AMST) "Greening the Ivory Tower" class last semester and was conceived by Mariah Rich '10, Nicole Starman '10 and Samantha Lenard '10, with help from Jessica Fernandes '10.
According to the project's Web site, "Due to the rising costs of food production and governmental incentives for large farms, many smaller farms must fight to stay alive. Thus, our market will serve a need for both farmers and students. Because all of our suppliers are from Massachusetts, Brandeis is giving back and supporting the eastern Massachusetts economy."
Lenard said, "The goal of the class is to have a project that makes Brandeis more sustainable. So we took on the idea of a farmers market because we thought there was a need for more produce on campus and more choices for students. Bringing a farmers market also supports local farms, and it would be a great thing for Brandeis."
In an e-mail to the Justice, Goldin wrote, "My initial reaction was that this was going to be a difficult project, and that they could be in for some unpleasant failures. But I appreciated their ambition in making this work, and the best projects in this class sometimes involve risks."
The farmers market, which is open to both the Brandeis and Waltham communities, will take place in the Gosman parking lot from 12 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7. According to Rich, Starman and Lenard, there will be vendors from all over Massachusetts selling fruits, vegetables, jams, tea and soap. Participating vendors include Hanson Farm, Flats Mentor Farm and Natick Community Organic Farm. The Brandeis bakery, part of dining services, will provide kosher and nonkosher bread, and there will be people selling crafts.
The administration was originally skeptical of the idea of bringing a farmers market to Brandeis, Rich said. "But once they realized it would work, they became very supportive."
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