Despite gray skies overhead, the color green was all the rage on Tuesday, Sep. 17 at the campus wide farmers market. Students gathered in Privett Plaza for the return of USF’s Market Day to pick up free, fresh veggies and plants and sample snacks from local vendors.
“As an environmental science major, I know that shopping local is an easy way to be more sustainable. Buying from vendors in your area drastically reduces greenhouse gas emissions, especially for produce,” said senior attendee Christopher Pry-Brown, who picked up kale, lettuce and a succulent. “Market Day reminded me what an awesome resource [the USF Food Pantry] is, so I’ll definitely be coming back this semester,” he added.
The recurring event is a collaboration between Student Leadership and Engagement (SLE), the Office of Sustainability, Associated Students of the University of San Francisco (ASUSF) Senate, the USF Food Pantry and Bon Appétit, and features a range of local and campus-based vendors. This year, Market Day welcomed local Portuguese bakery Holy Nata, who brought a cart filled to the brim with their homemade cinnamon topped egg custard pastries known as “pasteis de nata.” Additionally, family owned garden store Peace Love Plant had a table and supplied students with free succulents from local minority-owned farms.
Handing out natas with a smile was Julia Pfeiffer, co-founder of Holy Nata, where USF students get an in store discount. “This marks our third pop-up at USF, and thanks to the great relationship we’ve built with Bon Appetit, I believe it’s far from being our last. We love being present on campus, and definitely look forward to more pop-ups this semester!” Pfeiffer wrote in a message to the Foghorn.
Market Day began in 2017, when ASUSF Senate aimed to provide students with fresh produce from local vendors and farms by hosting a farmers market on campus. However, student participation was low due to the high prices of local produce, as well as scheduling conflicts with vendors. Though in following years the option to pay with Flexi was introduced, the same problems persisted. In Spring 2023, the event was given financial support by the Green Initiative Fund for Tomorrow (GIFT) which allowed for the food costs to be covered by a combined effort of Bon Appetit and funding from the ASUSF Advocacy Committee.
At this week’s event, product samples were donated by Bon Appetit and their vendors, and Star Route Farms provided discounted produce, allowing ASUSF to make groceries free for students.
“I know people [who have] had to choose between getting groceries or their textbooks, and this lack of food access often disproportionately impacts students of color. That’s just not equitable, and if schools want to support the success of all their students, they need to address this. Events like Market Day are fantastic for bringing attention to this issue, and I hope its positive effect can expand even further in the future,” said Pry-Brown.
“I hope attendees have a fun experience that creates positive association with fresh produce and local products available here at USF, not just at this event but through campus dining, stores, and the Food Pantry,” shared Marci Nuñez, director of SLE, noting that her favorite element of the event was the produce stand. “It’s been great to see students encouraged to try new items they may not have picked out otherwise.”
The produce stand was stocked with leafy greens all sourced from Star Route Farms in Bolinas, which was acquired by USF in 2017. Star Route Farms is a 100 acre fully functioning farm that serves the larger Bay Area community. The farm also provides produce for the USF Food Pantry, available to all USF undergraduate and graduate students experiencing food insecurity.
“The Food Pantry team loves tabling at Market Day because it gives us the chance to connect with students and share more information about our services,” said Hannah Ogden, basic needs and food pantry coordinator. “We love the sense of community that is created when students have access to quality food and great resources.”
Kathryn Clarke Garcia, a junior art history and fine arts double major, was sure to take home a succulent and a bundle of kale, and with it planned to cook an Irish potato and kale recipe called colcannon. “Everyone involved with the pantry is so kind and welcoming. I haven’t shopped at the food pantry before, I’ve helped set up for it, but I might go now,” Clarke Garcia said.
Several other campus organizations were involved with the event, including USFVotes, Kasamahan, who had a collaborative fundraiser with the Bay’s Own Boba Association (BOBA), KUSF and HiveMinders, a club dedicated to protecting and celebrating local pollinators.
Available at The HiveMinders’ table were jars of honey harvested from the on-campus hives that the club maintains, and all proceeds will go towards buying equipment, caring for the hives and towards the club’s project to establish a native plant sanctuary.
“My favorite part of the event was that many students got to take home fresh and organic produce for free. Access to local, fresh and affordable produce is often not an option for most college students, so it is refreshing to see the narrative changing,” shared Skye Nephew, senior environmental science major with a minor in urban agriculture, who manned the HiveMinders’ table.
To keep the energy levels high, KUSF’s DJ g1acie spun a medley of house, electronica and alternative indie music, “I leaned towards more upbeat stuff in the hopes that music would attract people to the event, but also didn’t want it to be overly energetic and loud, as the focus of the event [to] connect with local vendors. I tried my best to portray freshness … through music!” shared g1acie, also known as Agatha Schuman, a senior media studies major. “I’m glad I got to be part of [the] event”
The next Market Day will be on April 1, 2025
Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Premmer, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia McCrackin, Managing Editor: Jordan DelFiugo, Opinion Editor: Dakota Duran, Scene Editor: Elina Graham
