After a successful pilot project in the spring, the University Farmers' Market will return to the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) campus next week.
The university community will have the opportunity to support 18 to 20 local food producers and artisans every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Sept. 13.
The project is a partnership between the University Farmers' Market and the Prince George Farmers' Market Association (PGFMA), explained PGFMA president Nancie Krushelnicki. Vendors will be circulated and managed by the PGFM manager, but not all vendors at the university site have to be members of the association.
"The vendors people regularly see on the weekend, they can also see at the University Farmers' Market," she said.
"We are trying to expand on the idea of what's going on at the Prince George Farmers' Market, and provide additional opportunities for vendors," said University Farmers' Market committee chair Scott Green.
These are opportunities Krushelnicki said members of the association are excited about, but she added the market provides opportunities for students as well, whether they are interested in purchasing local goods or to have a venue to sell themselves.
But, Green said, this is a bigger project than just food or marketing. The market will become a gathering point, connecting diverse groups in a community atmosphere.
To celebrate the first market session, the university is holding the first Live, Love, Local festival, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with more than 30 vendors and community organization representatives in attendance. The afternoon will feature local food and live music at the Northern Undergraduate Student Society event space and lawn.
"A farmers' market is all about building community, no matter where they are," Krushelnicki said.
There will also be targeted activities throughout the year, such as workshops on cooking and growing food. For first year students, these could very well be the practical life skills which eventually help reduce the stress that comes with living away from home for the first time, said Green.
The market will run throughout the fall semester until Dec. 6 and restart in January.
