Photo courtesy Sofia Martinez
UTRGV students tasted the Valley’s local agriculture on Nov. 20 at the University’s farmers market.
Environmental Awareness Club Officer and Farmers Market Fundraiser Coordinator Sofia Martinez said the purpose of the event was to help students learn where their food comes from and promote sustainable agriculture.
Martinez said the Edinburg campus hosts a bigger farmers market. It also offers activities such as tarot card readings and face painting.
She added the farmers market sells products directly from local farmers or prepares meals and drinks for students.
According to Martinez, although the Brownsville campus farmers market is smaller, it still has the same purpose in mind.
The farmers Market was from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 20 in the Main Courtyard on the Brownsville campus
“Today, the ACJA organization, they were selling pumpkin spice lattes and the Geology Club, they were selling rocks, minerals and fossils,” Martinez said.
She said the market benefits students by giving them easier access to know what is around them. It allows them to connect with people with their own farms in the local community.
Martinez said the product availability depends on what the farmer has available at the time.
“So today, we have limes and we have potato greens and okra,” she said. “We had radish and turnips, but at the next farmers market, it can completely change based on what they have. In the past, we had chiles poblanos, tomatoes, we had limes, we had strawberries, we had mangos. So, it all just really depends on what they have growing.”
Martinez said she hopes the market in Brownsville continues to grow.
“We want to invite more organizations who have similar values to us about sustainability and environmentalism, to grow the market, be able to attract more students and tell them about our mission,” Martinez said.
Mass communication senior Andree Martinez said although he was familiar with the produce sold at the farmers market, it felt like a new experience as he had never been to one before.
Andree Martinez said it had been years since he had vegetables such as okra on his hands.
“I remember my grandma loved okra and this farmers market gave me some sense of nostalgia because I hadn’t seen it in years,” Martinez said.
The next farmers market is scheduled to be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 9 in the Main Courtyard on the Brownsville campus and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 8 in the EIEAB Paseo Sidewalk on the Edinburg campus.
