Reds, greens, purples and browns dotted the Plinth on March 30 as students gathered around the monthly pop-up farmers market hosted by UTD Dining. The market featured a variety of items including fresh produce, jams, breads and freshly made chicken sandwiches.
UTD Dining partners with multiple local farms once a month in the spring semester to assemble a list of fresh foods to sell at the market with the goal of bringing healthier food options closer to home.
“We want to bring local fruits and vegetables for students so it’s convenient for them to shop on campus, because we’ve also gotten comments where it is hard for students to get off campus so we want to give an opportunity for the students to shop locally,” UTD Dining marketing assistant Gaby Trisna said.
Ivana Ajakpov, media arts and design sophomore has found that attending the market helped cut down time she usually spent on grocery shopping.
“I was going to go grocery shopping downtown and I would have to take the train so when I saw they had a farmers market here it was perfect. I know they have fresh organic stuff and their prices are really nice usually. So I was very happy because [I] saved time and money,” Ajakpov said.
The market also serves as an opportunity to educate students on buying fresh produce and figuring out new things to try, according to UTD Dining marketing director Madeline Anthony.
“One of my main goals is educational awareness around fruit: what’s locally available, what’s seasonal fruit. Being able to help educate the students on how to source fruit throughout the season is really fun,” Anthony said.
Many students, like ATEC senior Kamille Schuster, take advantage of the cheaper prices and local convenience to cook healthy meals for themselves.
“[The market] usually has cheaper prices on some things if you go for the right items. My dad used to be a chef, so I like to cook and I know how to make things taste good,” Schuster said.
Lauren Tindall, a UTD JSOM advisor, also enjoys coming to the market and sees it as a way to practice healthy eating.
“I think these kinds of markets are really good. They seem fresher and that seems a bit healthier especially now recently in some of the stores they don’t have the best looking produce so I thought [the food from the market] would be a bit better,” Tindall said.
The impact of this market seems to be felt on both sides of the register as UTD Dining executive chef Thomas To shares his experience of making fresh food for the students at the market. He grilled chicken jerk sandwiches for students at the market.
“Cooking in front of kids is way better because they can actually smell the food from far away and you get to see live action. That’s part of excitement, and [it’s] a great opportunity for us to showcase [the food],” he said.
The pop-up market is next set to return to the Plinth on May 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
