ATHENS FARMERS MARKET: SUSTAINABLE OR OUT OF REACH?
STORY AND PHOTOS BY OLIVIA LEGGANS
Amid a slew of environmental dilemmas, buzzwords like sustainable and eco-friendly are meaninglessly tacked onto products and thrown around without real understanding, making it difficult for consumers to understand their agency. From zero-waste TikTok accounts to under-consumption core, young people are beginning to shoulder expectations to use less plastic, buy sustainably grown food, and avoid supporting large corporations.
Supporting local farmers reduces carbon emitted via the food distribution system and funnels resources into local economies. Shopping seasonally contributes to an ideological shift away from food as a commodity, ultimately giving consumers more control over their needs and their environmental impact. Helping one’s community ultimately helps oneself. Local patronage is not a new concept, yet it is far from the norm.
Many know that supporting local farmers is environmentally sustainable yet are unsure if they are individually sustainable. Can low-income groups consistently afford inconsistently priced local produce? Can a smaller array of seasonal foods dominate the countless packaged and processed products? In Athens, in particular, is the farmers market a viable option for all college student food purchases?
Athens’ own farmers market attracts many local and visiting customers. Clusters of kids trailed behind dogs while they weaved in and out of the stalls that lined the Athens Community Center. 20-somethings aided elderly women by carrying their weekly loot of meat and produce. Ohio University students traveled in groups and held boxes of diverse plants and crocheted characters. Despite the heavy turnout, not all shoppers relied on the farmers market for their daily food consumption.
Last Saturday, Zelda Thayer, Anna Stenger, Lily Sobey, and Jess Shimp, who attend Ohio University, visited the Athens farmers market, yet not out of necessity for food.
When asked what they hoped to purchase, Stenger said, “just fun things.”
“A lady pulled me in to buy plants,” Shimp said, with a cardboard box in hand and plant vines cascading down its sides.
Countless other young people perused the produce stalls but ultimately purchased the pottery, jewelry, or plant products. Some gathered around music groups that sang and played guitar, while others simply walked and talked. The Athens Farmers Market was evidently a social outing, a Saturday morning activity — not an alternative to Walmart or Kroger.
Thayer said their grandmother visits the Athens Farmers Market with a set list to stock up on staple items like meat, eggs, bread, and produce. Thayer’s grandmother buys what is available at the market and freezes items for the future. The four OU students agreed that their shopping habits differ greatly from those of Thayer’s grandmother because of convenience and the high prices at the farmers market.
“Establishing relationships with the [sellers] would probably get you deals,” Thayer said. “The costs would likely even out.”
Athens has three major grocery stores with wide product selections and consistent, although not always affordable, pricing — all less than a mile away from the Athens Farmers Market. On the surface, corporate grocers are understandably the preferred option among college students.
The variation in seasonal availability and shopping habits (available brands, organic options, personal preferences, etc.) makes price comparisons between supermarkets and local markets complicated. However, produce that is in-season does not have to travel as far as out-of-season produce, therefore intentionally buying seasonal produce is both environmentally and economically beneficial.
Utilizing local markets as the first stop on grocery runs allows consumers to learn what is in-season throughout the year and save money in the process. Forgoing the out-of-season options that traditional supermarkets offer year-round may seem like a loss of flexibility, yet choosing where and who food comes from gives consumers more agency over what comes out of their pockets and goes into their bodies. Using the Athens Farmers Market, even if only for supplemental food purchases, benefits the local farming community.
Gaewelyn Krisher, a sophomore at OU, comes to the Athens Farmers Market every week with her mother. Krisher’s family partially relies on the market for their routine groceries. Typically, their purchases at the farmers market and traditional grocery stores are split half and half, she explained.
“It’s something really special about Athens and I think it’s really unique,” Krisher said. Everyone is really nice here.”
Krisher and her mother know Dr. May, owner of Dr. May’s Thai Kitchen at the Athens Farmers Market. She enthusiastically referenced vendors that she developed relationships with and continues to support.
During the summer months, the market sports a spread of staples including hydroponic lettuces, root vegetables, corn varieties, tomatoes, peppers, berries, apples, and countless other locally grown produce. Food stalls provide pockets of alluring smells and sizzling sounds. From Dr. May’s mango sticky rice and siracha quail eggs to Hei Hei’s kimbap and Spam musubi, ready-to-eat snacks ensure no one shops on an empty stomach.
While students’ various financial means and food preferences make explicitly relying on the Athens Farmers Market for all food needs unrealistic, buying locally whenever possible increases awareness concerning the value of buying seasonally. Simply by showing up to the Athens Farmers Market, students can learn about and show support for local farms. This takes power away from corporate grocery stores and returns it to local farmers, consumers, and students.
The Athens Farmers Market takes place every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, year-round, and on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon from April 17-Nov. 27. Located at the Athens Community Center, the L2 and L3 Athens Public Transit bus lines service the Athens Farmers Market.
