A Farmers' Market on campus once a week? Could such a wonderfully healthy rumor be true?
According to an article in The Diamondback last week, that's the goal of university officials. After a highly successful market in April this year, the University Wellness Coalition, Office of Sustainability, dining services and students are organizing similar events for Sept. 28 and Oct. 19 this fall, with the hopes of eventually making it a weekly occurrence, according to the article.
This is an idea The Healthy Turtle can't help but get excited over. Busy students can have a hard time working grocery trips into their schedules. Easily accessible fresh fruit and vegetables would encourage those students to get healthy foods more often.
Tracy Zeeger, co-chair of the UM Wellness Coalition (of which our own Dean Gold is a member) told The Diamondback that the market will also be an educational opportunity. “We can teach students about the importance of eating locally grown foods," she is quoted as saying, "as well as offer tips and ideas on what to do with the foods purchased at the market in their own kitchens.”
Even nationally recognized nutritionist from The TODAY Show, and a former Terp from School of Public Health, Joy Bauer tells us to buy as much seasonal, locally-grown fruits and vegetables as we can, in her blog Joy's Healthy Bite. She encourages us to consider looking in organic or regular grocery stores for those out-of-season items not available at farmers' markets.
"As a nutritionist," she write, "I'd have to say that no matter what type of produce you buy - locally grown, organic or conventional - it's VITAL for your health. Tens of thousands of studies have confirmed that the intake of fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of chronic illness and improve the quality of life."
On top of that, supporting local growers cuts down on the demand for food from far away, and thus the demand on transportation costs and emissions. A healthy environment supports healthy bodies!
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