Student Rose Chavez said the UNM Growers' Market is here to stay.
The market was set up at Cornell Plaza on Thursday with about 25 vendors, including local farmers and herbalists.
The vendors were selling organic foods, vegetables and environmental products.
Chavez, with the help of five student interns, organized the Growers' Market and Sustainability Fair this semester.
Chavez said she is dedicated to sustainability.
"It's such a great opportunity because it's educational and relationships can be built, which is a huge component of sustainability," she said. "Sustainability requires honoring other people's
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
talents and supporting them and mutually benefiting."
Chavez said she hopes to have two market events per semester in the future.
Student Jasmine Bennett said she shopped at the market because she loves sustainable agriculture.
"The food tastes better," she said. "It helps our community economically, and it helps our community sustain its own food production."
Bennett said she is worried about keeping food available to people in the community.
"This way, we have some safeguards in case the national industrial agricultural complex collapses or has a shortcoming of some kind," she said.
Bennet said she'd like to see the Growers' Market become a weekly event at UNM.
"I really hope that, eventually, it makes it to that point, because that will help the farmers with a reliable market that they can sell at," she said. "I think it will also help UNM students a lot, because it's not easy for us to get access to fresh vegetables outside of prepared stuff that's really expensive, like at the Mercado."
Douglas Findley, co-owner of Heidi's Raspberry Farm, said the market is beneficial for everyone, not just students.
"I'm involved in a big way with the whole local movement, and a lot of what needs to be done is educating people on the importance of eating, buying and doing everything locally," Findley said. "Every chance we get to get out in public and educate people is a good thing, and it will be good for the community of UNM, and hopefully it'll also be good for the local farmers."
Student Aaron Silverblatt also had a booth at the market.
Silverblatt, a biology student, farms an acre of land in Corrales called Majestic Valley Farms.
"It's cool to be able to get out. I think a lot of people aren't really aware too much that there are people growing foods and doing other agriculture related stuff around the city," he said.
Chavez said putting together the event has been a struggle, but she hopes UNM will continue to support the Growers' Market.
"Sometimes, the University has a tendency to just do a little and then let it drop away, but we really want to build this up and help them reclaim their tradition of agriculture and building a sustainable food shed," Chavez said.
