June 12, 2018
Seneca News
Fun, flavour and freshness at Farmers Market
Locally grown food comes to Newnham Campus
You can bob your head to Latin pop and chow down on a seriously large chocolate-glazed donut with purple sprinkles. And no one will judge you (gawkers notwithstanding).
That’s just the kind of groovy vibe that is revving up Fridays in Parking Lot 1 at Newnham Campus this summer.
“Everyone has fun here and that’s what we want. We want people to come to the market and enjoy themselves with farm-fresh products,” said Paula Echeveste Petrone, a Sustainable Business Management grad and organizer of the Farmers Market.
A Sustainable Seneca initiative, the Farmers Market officially kicked off last Friday with ribbon-cutting and traditional sage-burning blessing ceremonies.
The market is open to the public and features locally grown food, such as cured meats from Albion Hills in Caledon, fruits, berries and vegetables from Sun-Ray Orchards in Beamsville and pastry goods from Organic Chef in St. Jacobs.
“We want to engage and build relationships between the Seneca community and the local food growers,” Echeveste Petrone said. “The market not only brings fresh Ontario-grown produce to the campus, but it supports the local economy and promotes a healthy lifestyle.”
Just ask Annette Harrison of Organic Vibes, one of about a dozen vendors at the market.
“People are actually shopping and we are pleasantly surprised with the turnout so far,” she said.
Harrison grows her produce on two acres of land on McVean Farm in Brampton. Her veggies and greens range from arugula, beets and carrots to non-traditional world crops like okra and callaloo.
“I’m almost braggish,” she said. “We take a lot of pride in telling our customers that everything is local and fresh. In fact, everything we bring to Seneca is freshly picked in the morning before we come.”
Carmen Ellul, Administrative Assistant, School of Leadership and Human Resources and School of International Business and Management, took in the fun at the official opening.
The Farmers Market, she said, speaks to Seneca’s reputation as a family-oriented institution.
“We are a big family and the market is a great idea because it brings a lot of people together. You get to meet new people and catch up with colleagues and friends,” she said. “It’s very educational as well. You learn all sorts of things just from talking to different people here.”
