August 20, 2008

Wayne State University goes green with SEED Wayne and the 4th Wednesday Farmers Market

 

Wayne State University is pleased to announce the arrival of a monthly farmers market on campus.  The markets are scheduled for the fourth Wednesday of August and September:

Wednesday, August 27, 11 AM to 6 PM\"\"

Wednesday, September 24, 11 AM to 6 PM 

Market Location: 5201 Cass Ave, in front of Prentis Hall (School of Business) on WSU campus

The Market will serve campus community members-WSU students, faculty, and staff-as well as passersby and bus riders on Cass Avenue, and near-campus residents. 

Vendors will sell fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, and prepared foods produced in the region-i.e., Southern Michigan, Northern Ohio, and Ontario, Canada.  Featured vendors include Vang Family Farm, Replenish the Earth, and Avalon Bakery.         

The 4th Wednesday Farmers Market will meet needs for fresh, healthy, and affordable foods near campus while also providing economic opportunities for family farmers and local food businesses.

The 4th Wednesday Farmers Market is a project of SEED Wayne, Sustainable Food Systems Education and Engagement in Detroit and Wayne State University.  SEED Wayne is a new campus-community collaboration dedicated to building sustainable food systems on the campus of Wayne State University and in Detroit area neighborhoods.  Eastern Market Corporation and Earthworks Urban Farm are key community partners in WSU's 4th Wednesday Farmers Market.

"Many universities across the country are reviewing the sustainability implications of their operations and asking themselves if they cannot do better," said Kami Pothukuchi, associate professor in WSU's Department of Geography and Urban Planning. "Food is a very important topic, and it relates to both, broader sustainability issues as well as the health of students."

Nabelah Ghareeb, Wayne State's associate vice president for business and auxiliary operations, believes that the new Farmer's Market will cultivate the University's overall mission of maintaining excellence in instruction, research and public services.

Other SEED Wayne projects include the Warrior Demonstration Garden on campus, in which students grow herbs and vegetables primarily for inclusion in dining hall meals; cafeteria composting, in which kitchen wastes at the McGregor Memorial Conference Center and campus cafeterias will be composted; and policy-making at the soup kitchen table, in which guests at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen provide input in local planning and policy processes to increase access to healthy foods in the community.  SEED Wayne is made possible by the Ford Motor Company Fund.

 

For more information please visit http://www.clas.wayne.edu/seedwayne/ 

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Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 12 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students.

 

Contact

Kami Pothukuchi
Phone: 313-577-4296
Email: k.pothukuchi@wayne.edu

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