Every first and third Thursday of the month, California Lutheran University’s Wellness Programs partners up with the SEEd program to put on a farmers market. Fresh, locally grown produce is available to students, faculty and staff  members thanks to these two programs coming together.

What began last fall has turned into a program that students look forward to.

“I think it is awesome. It’s one of my favorite events that Wellness does,” said senior Derick Welsh, who comes to the farmers market every month. “I usually buy cherry tomatoes, honey, carrots and kale that the vendors sell.”

The prices of the produce at the farmers market bring Welsh back.

Amanda Namba, senior coordinator for student involvement and Wellness Programs, heads the event with help from Professor Samuel Thomas, who is in charge of the SEEd program.

SEEd stands for sustainable edible education and allows students at CLU to participate in their own sustainability efforts and garden.

“The SEEd program brings in all the produce from the community garden on north campus and we put on the event,” said Namba.

Join the Farm is an off-campus vendor from Oxnard that sells produce at the market each month alongside the SEEd program.
Having a farmers market helps support the community and locally grown food.

Every month, the market has a different theme. This month is unusual pairings, which included foods that people wouldn’t normally think would go together. Recipes included sliced apples and sunflower seed butter, basil hummus and bell peppers, cucumbers and apricots,  grapes with goat cheese and honey with pecans. Last month, the focus of the market was on blind tasting ,where students would blindly try samples of new foods and produce.

Wellness Programs provides recipes on their website that go along with the theme of the month. All the recipes are simple enough so students are able to make them in their dorms. At every farmers market small samples of the recipes for the month are offered. Wellness does this so students can decide whether they like the recipes before buying the produce.

“We try and interact with everyone to bring attention to the event,” said senior Emily Casarez, healthy living intern for Wellness Programs. “This is a great opportunity for students to have access to fresh produce. Hopefully it’s a fun thing for students too.”

So far, the farmers market has received great feedback from students, faculty and staff who enjoy having the opportunity to purchase fresh produce right here on campus.

Wellness also gives frequent buyer cards to anyone who purchases from the farmers market. You get a stamp on your card for every different type of produce you buy. Once your stamp card is full, you turn it in to be a part of a raffle.

“We are trying to encourage students to keep coming back,” said Namba.

Welsh was the first student to completely fill up his stamp card. When Welsh filled out the card, he was entered into the raffle and won a Trader Joe’s gift card to encourage further healthy eating habits.

“The farmers market is beneficial to the students but not enough take advantage of it, but that makes more for me,” said Welsh.

The next farmers market will be held on March 7.

Lindsey Walton
Staff Writer
Published Feb. 27, 2013