UNBC students swapped beer and pizza for grass-fed bison meat, baked goods and organic produce on Tuesday.
UNBC's Northern Undergraduate Student Centre hosted the University Farmer's Market Tuesday afternoon. The market featured 13 local vendors - including Red Rooster Bakery, October Farms and P & R Organics - from the Prince George Farmers' Market.
"It was above and beyond our expectations," organizing committtee chairman Scott Green said. "For the first two hours we were just packed. Several vendors sold out. I'm sure we were well over 400 people."
Green said a second University Farmers' Market will be held on March 22. The goal, if successful, is to bring the market to the campus on a regular basis.
"The plan is in the fall to roll it out and make it a weekly event. We want this to be a place people can get their groceries and enjoy the social aspect of it," Green said. "And for some of the vendors, they basically doubled their [weekly] sales."
The University Farmers' Market was a collaboration of students, faculty and staff from UNBC - along with the Prince George Farmers' Market - to promote sustainable, local food product and have some fun doing it, he said.
"People were getting up and doing music. It was a really exciting day for us," he said. "We want to connect with the bigger community, not just hang out up here on the hill. People can come up, have a coffee and hang out."
The second University Farmer's Market will take place on March 22 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Northern Undergraduate Student Centre.
