University launches monthly ‘Healthy Carolina Farmers Market’

Hundreds of faculty, staff and students bought fresh fruits and vegetables and sampled spanakopita made from First Lady Patricia Moore-Pastides’ recipe Tuesday at the university’s inaugural farmers market.

Michelle Burcin, director of Healthy Carolina, said the event was a success, prompting some vendors to send for additional items to sell.

“We were thrilled with the turnout,” Burcin said. “In fact, some vendors had to send their helpers or family members to bring back more produce because they had nearly sold out. The only thing we heard people say is that that wish we could have this more often.”

Tents lining Greene Street featured South Carolina farmers selling local produce and natural products. Vendors came from Blythewood, Chapin, Lexington, Pelion, Rembert, Swansea, Columbia, Effingham, Vance and West Columbia. Among the items were produce, gourmet and organic vegetables, bakery items and pork, chicken and 100 percent grass-fed beef products. Natural products included soy candles, honey, goats-milk soap and beeswax candles.

Even Fido was remembered at one tent where natural cheddar cheese and peanut-butter dog biscuits were selling fast.

A ribbon cutting featuring the first lady, S.C. Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers and Student Body President Andrew Gaeckle and former Student Body Vice President Jay Laura officially opened the market, which is cosponsored by the university and the S.C. Department of Agriculture and the Student Government Association.

Moore-Pastides said the foods for sale would help people make wise nutritional choices.

“Older people are worried about having a heart attack, having a stroke and getting Alzheimer’s Disease. A diet rich in antioxidants and colorful fruits and vegetables will help fight that. Young people are interested in looking good and having lots of energy. Everything here today, including the grass-fed meat, will help do that.”

The market, scheduled monthly through the fall semester, will add an important dimension to the university’s Healthy Carolina initiative, she said.

“The goal of Healthy Carolina is to make healthy choices simple,” she said. “This Healthy Carolina Farmers Market will do exactly that by providing our students, faculty and staff with easy access to healthy products and produce. It also will give the university community the opportunity to support South Carolina growers, which is healthy for the state.”

Dates for upcoming markets are Wednesday, Oct. 22, and Thursday, Nov. 13.

The Healthy Carolina Farmers Market is part of a national collegiate trend to promote nutrition education and sustainable agriculture (buying fresh produce from local farmers) to students, faculty and staff.

Traditionally, college farmers markets were only seen at institutions with agricultural-science units. Burcin said, particularly in the last 18 months, farmers markets have quickly become a mainstay at many public and private universities and colleges nationwide.

For more information, contact Holly Harring at 803-777-0597 or via e-mail at 803-777-0597. For more information on Healthy Carolina, visit the Web site: www.sc.edu/healthycarolina/.