The DSU farmers’ market is committed to providing fresh, local, affordable, spray-free, and organic fruits and vegetables for students. They are located at the Studley Campus on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00am until 3:00pm at the Student Union Building lobby and the Sexton Campus on Wednesdays from 11:00am until 2:30pm at the Alumni Lounge B Building.
Kate Ashwood, market coordinator at the Studley Campus, says all the fruits and vegetables are purchased at wholesale prices from Noggins Farm and Abundant Acres, both located in the Annapolis Valley.
The DSU market also offers weekly food boxes for $20 that students can preorder on Thursdays and pick up the following Tuesday at the two campus locations. There is also the option of getting it delivered anywhere on the Halifax peninsula for $3.
If the regular food box is too much, there’s a mini option for $12. The food boxes entail approximately 13-16 pounds of various seasonal produce. Customers find that the regular food boxes are the perfect amount of food for one week or can be shared between two or three people. The market sells about 200 boxes each week.
Fruits and vegetables that are left over from the market at the end of the day are sold to the Loaded Ladle so that no produce goes to waste. This relationship contributes to the sustainability of the market and to providing nutritious meals for students.
Ashwood believes that the DSU market is integral to students’ health. By providing students with healthy options, it expands their fruit and vegetable pallet; it also introduces students to vegetables that they are not accustomed to eating and cooking, such as Swiss chard, tomatillos and spaghetti squash.
“When you consume healthy and wholesome foods, you have more energy to get through your day,” said Ashwood.
In addition to consuming nutritious foods, the market also allows students to connect with the Nova Scotia farming community by supporting local farmers.
That level of engagement not only broadens students’ vegetable pallet, but also opens up new opportunities for students to try different types of healthy dishes. With the growth of the food boxes and the DSU market, students are able to develop knowledge about economic sustainability as well as connect with the local community through buying locally sourced produce.
Learn more about the DSU market at http://www.dsumarket.ca/
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