UT Partners with community and student growers to offer Wednesday farmers market May 15, 2013
Market features locally grown produce and family activities every Wednesday beginning May 15
Locally grown produce and homemade products of all kinds can be found in abundance at the UT Farmers Market
The UT Farmers Market will open Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at the University of Tennessee Gardens and will continue through October 23 every Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. Local produce, music, food, crafts and children’s activities will be featured each week at the gardens’ location on the UT Institute of Agriculture campus off Neyland Drive.
The opening market on May 15 will feature an ‘Ask the Expert” booth and family activity from Every Child Outdoors, as well as products from East Tennessee vendors that include goat’s milk items, homemade salsa and personal care products. Produce to look for includes kale, lettuce, Swiss chard, arugula, mustard greens, collards, spinach, salad mix and green onions along with radishes, beets and broccoli.
New this year is an initiative at the UT Institute of Agriculture called “Grow More, Give More.” Area gardeners are invited to plant an extra row of fruits and vegetables for the hungry and to bring their produce to a collection site at the farmers market. If you don’t have a garden, you can contribute to this cause by donating produce purchased from the market or grocery store. Volunteers from the Society of St. Andrew will collect donated produce and deliver it to agencies that feed area hungry.
Market manager Becca Mattingly Harman says, “Our UT Farmers Market features local produce and homemade goods from the community. We are also excited to have children’s activities, demonstrations in cooking, gardening, biking and yoga and picnicking in the UT Gardens. Whether on the way home or family night out, pass through or stay awhile at the UT Farmers Market.”
Some of the participating partners include West Wind Farms, Grassy Creek Soaps, Cruze Dairy, JEM Farm, VG’s Bakery, Seven Springs Farm, as well as the UT Famers Market booth, where the produce is grown and sold by UT students interested in becoming growers.
The UT Culinary Institute and area chefs will be offering cooking demonstrations and members of UT Extension and community organizations will be providing information on gardening, food preservation and food safety.
The UT Farmers Market is presented by the UT Organic and Sustainable Crop Production Program and the UT Gardens. For more information and to keep up with new information, see Facebook “UT Farmers Market.” For information on being a participating vendor, musician or offering an educational booth see http://vegetables.tennessee.edu/ or contact Becca Mattingly Harman at becca.mattingly@gmail.com or 615-473-0332.
