Next Friday, Halloween, will be the last UMass Student Farmer’s Market of the fall semester before they kick off again in the spring. Any student in the Five College Consortium can apply to table at the market, given that they sell either homemade items or “used items that you’ve created,” according to UMass, after complaints of clothing resellers taking up too much real-estate at the event.
Farmer’s markets are a staple in small town culture, and provide a way to connect with and give back to the community. So what can UMass students expect to find at the Student Farmer’s Market, and what aspects do they find most appealing?
On Sept. 25, the first thing attendants saw when they entered was a floral display and shop, put on by Stockbridge Floral Design with students from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. UMass students helped run the group’s table at the market, under the guidance of Sarah Berquist, a UMass instructor that teaches the Retail Floral Design class at UMass. Students taking this class get to help run the Stockbridge Floral Design farmers’ market table each fall semester.
One of the most frequent products among the different tables was hand-made jewelry. Eve Adler, a junior at UMass Amherst, was selling some of her jewelry pieces from her business, Eve’s Atelier. Eve’s inspiration behind her business was to “create fun pieces,” focusing on being “accessible to everybody.” Eve offers traditional earring backs, as well as clip-ons, which she can change out for any pair of earrings.
New2U, a student-run thrift shop on campus, tabled the event, showing off what UMass student Eva Bergloff called “a collection of underrepresented items,” like clothes and dorm knick-knacks. Eva ran the New2U table with fellow student Maitri Chandrashekar. The thrift shop is in Hampden Commons 205, open Wednesdays-Friday from 12 to 5 pm. New2U had their tag sale back in August, and the shop officially re-opened on Sept. 24.
Chainmail, or armor and jewelry made from interlocking metal rings, might not be the first product that comes to mind from the words “farmer’s market,” but the Student Farmer’s Market is a hub of creativity. The UMass Chainmail Cooperative, who tabled at the market on Sept. 25, works to make chainmail available for students to purchase. The cooperative hosts workshops on creating chainmail and supports other chainmail creators by selling their work.
The clouds from early in the day started to pass around 2:30 pm, and the energy of the market attendees came alive. UMass
sophomore Morgan Stewart shared that her favorite part of the market is the food different tables sell.
“I love the way that people bake so many different things, I literally got five cider donuts at this one place, it’s so good,” Stewart said. Other favorites among UMass students included the sustainable fashion stands, jewelry stands and the UMass Agriculture stand.
Another facet of the Student Farmers’ Market is the opportunity for clubs to get their message out to more students. A variety of clubs, including UMass Student Democrats and UMass Students for Justice in Palestine, showed up to promote their organizations and give out information for students interested in joining.
“It’s so cool to see all the different ideas people have and get to reconnect with all your friends unplanned,” UMass junior Jenna D’Antona, who said, painting the UMass Student Farmer’s Market as a way for students to show off their creativity and get involved with their community.
