UA Students Bring Farmers Market to Campus

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Homegrown Alabama, a student-led group that educates the community about the value of local produce, will bring an open-air market to the Ferguson Center Plaza on The University of Alabama campus Thursday, May 3 beginning at 3 p.m.

Farmers not from Florida but your neighbors from Tuscaloosa, Northport, Duncanville, Coker, Fayette, Thorsby, Clanton and elsewhere around the state will display racks of fresh tomatoes, turnips, onions, new potatoes, English peas and collards, as well as eggs, cheese, pastries and jars of home-prepared honey, jams and jellies.

“This event will bring the message that, when it comes to produce, home-grown is best, best for nutrition, best for the local economy, and best for personal health,” said chief organizer of the event Max Young, a senior food and nutrition major at UA from New Orleans.

The key student planners of the homegrown farmers market are Amber Goodrum of Jasper, Molly McNutt of Birmingham (zip code 35223), Sierra Perkins of Greenbrier, Tenn., and Andrea Marbry. The students are currently enrolled Nutrition and Hospitality Management 490, an independent study course. More than 10 students have worked for several months to bring the event to the campus, giving dozens of local farmers a chance to showcase their products.

The event will feature Tres Jackson, chef and owner of Tuscaloosa’s Epiphany Restaurant, who will give a demonstration of how to prepare several dishes using the produce at the market for guests to sample.

Partners for the event include the UA Office of Community Affairs, Ferguson Center, Bama Dining and the Alabama Farmers Market Authority (http://www.fma.state.al.us/).

Homegrown Alabama, formed in 2005, has 10 student members from varying academic majors in the UA College of Human Environmental Sciences. The student group’s faculty adviser is Mildred Switzer, UA instructor of human nutrition and hospitality management.

Web site: www.homegrownalabama.com