Seeds of success
'Overwhelming response' from students
Clare Dickerson
Issue date: 9/9/09 Section: News
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The first day of school was kicked off with Health and Wellness day, an event sponsored by Co-President of Phi Theta Kappa, Sabrina Bodden. With the approval of food services, Bodden managed to bring to a farmer's market to Madison Area Technical College, out in the cafeteria patio. Items for sale included fresh produce, beautiful bouquets of flowers, and homemade baked goods, all of which were supplied by local farmers and gardeners.
"(I) suggested offering a Farmer's Market at MATC when I first joined the [Phi Theta Kappa] officer team last year," Bodden said. "We've been discussing this idea since then, but have been very busy with various events, as well as our scholarship workshops. When I was offered the opportunity to head up the Health & Wellness Day for Student Life's first Welcome Week, I thought that would be the perfect opportunity to introduce the idea of bringing the farmer's market to the school."
It's no secret several of the organizations at MATC, including Phi Theta Kappa, United Common Ground, Student Senate and the MATC Environmental Sustainability Alliance (MESA) have been working towards making the school more "green"
There is also encouragement from these groups and others to work towards giving back to the community, which has led Bodden to pursue the possibility of bringing back the farmer's market on a regular basis.
"This is a great chance for MATC to promote sustainability, and provide a valuable service to the students and to the community," Bodden said. "The farmers who were involved all participate in the South Side Farmer's Market, Sundays through Thursdays, and were thrilled to have the opportunity to come to MATC. The response they got from the students and staff was overwhelming, everyone asked them when they would be back."
Would having a regularly scheduled farmer's market at MATC be something the students and faculty benefit from? There would be an array of fresh produce at attractive prices made available to us, and we would be supporting local agriculture by helping individuals who live on the profits they make by selling their homegrown goodies.
The only question is, would it hurt the sales in our own food service? Bodden said she "received enthusiastic approval from Paul Renzi (Auxiliary Service Manager) before organizing the Aug. 24 farmer's market." She does not want to create competition for Food Services, but thinks it is "important to provide healthy food for students and create a bond with the community farmers."
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