By: Nicholas Daman, Christine Morgan, and Mady Parks
There’s a growing trend among students nationwide to eat locally. Over the last decade, students have become increasingly aware of where their food is coming from and its environmental impact. The Oxford Farmer’s Market provides a unique shopping experience where students and members of the Oxford community can socialize with the vendors, buy locally grown products, and benefit the community. It offers a welcoming environment, full of lively people and music. At the farmer’s market, you have the option to taste foods before you buy them and speak with the growers about the quality and production of their products. This is an experience that cannot be replicated in a grocery store. The Oxford Farmer’s market is located in the heart of uptown, so all students and residents can walk there and enjoy all that it offers. The Oxford Farmer’s Market brings together the community to support local producers. The vendors all seem to know each other, and this creates a sense of community and family gathering, rather than a quick shopping trip. In addition to providing a friendly atmosphere, the Oxford Farmer’s Market encourages eating locally, and this reduces your carbon footprint. Most of the food available in grocery stores has traveled thousands of miles to reach the aisles, and this consumes gasoline and energy to preserve the food through the journey. Even if the farms are not certified organic, the Oxford Farmer’s Market offers environmentally friendly and healthier products. Most of the produce is grown with little to no pesticides compared to commercial farms. This makes the produce fresher and healthier, and many of the vendors pick their produce from the garden the night before selling. Small, local farms tend to plant a wide variety of produce. This, in turn, conserves biodiversity and sustainability of farming.Going to the farmer’s market is a beneficial decision ecologically and economically. Local farms protect biodiversity, reduce global warming, and support the local economy. It is important to frequent farmer’s markets because it supports the small farmers and the community as a whole. The Oxford farmers market has three seasons:- Summer season: May - September 8 a.m. - Noon every Saturday
- Fall season: October - November 9 a.m. - Noon every Saturday (before Thanksgiving)
- Winter season: December - April 10 a.m. - Noon, every 3rd Saturday of the month
Images via Creative Commons.