By Stephanie Starks | Staff Writer
White tents lined Fountain Mall Wednesday as Baylor students gathered for the 10th annual Free Farmers Market. The event provided fresh produce and other healthy food at no cost to students while raising awareness of food insecurity on campus.
Hosted by The Store with help from BaylorEats, community partners and vendors, the Free Farmers Market aims to give students access to nutritious food while reminding them of the resources available through Baylor.
Trey Baldwin, assistant director of Student Success, said food insecurity remains an issue for Baylor students, even if their classmates may not realize it.
“We serve about 800 students per week in The Store,” Baldwin said. “Students might be sitting beside another student who eats once a day or even once a week. There is a need on our campus for students to support one another.”
Baylor hosts the Free Farmers Market once a semester to provide students with fresh fruits and vegetables, located on Fountain Mall close to the Paul L. Foster Success Center, where The Store is located.
“[The Success Center] wants to make the Free Farmers Market a big party to make students feel comfortable with getting what they need to survive,” Baldwin said. “When students gather together, it can take the pressure away from students. Students should know that they do not need to struggle by themselves.”
San Antonio junior Ashley Paz said she wanted to help address food insecurity by working as a stocker at The Store.
“I wanted to give back to Baylor in the many ways that it has given back to me. Some of my classmates are in need of food,” Paz said. “Mainly, I chose to be a helping hand for my friends.”
Paz said the market gives students a chance to connect with others in the Baylor community.
“Everyone is waiting in line, and it’s a way for students to get to know one another,” Paz said. “Students can start to realize that they are not alone but surrounded by people who care for them.”
Beaumont senior Jared Orridge volunteered at the market to help students learn about resources beyond academic support.
“A lot of students know about [academic] resources that exist for them, but I think that events like the Free Farmers Market are a good way for students to show them other resources that will help them out,” Orridge said.
Dr. Nathan Alleman, an associate professor of higher education, said student volunteers have played a crucial role in making the market possible.
“Students put out food, sometimes standing in the rain; they unpack boxes; it is students who lead this event,” Alleman said. “I think students appreciate the opportunity to give back to others.”
Alleman said the market began after conversations about food insecurity among college students led to the creation of the Baylor Food and Security Working Group in spring 2016.
Around that time, local pastor Ruban Andrade contacted Baylor about giving away a “truckload of food” to students because he recalled “what it was like to struggle with food insecurity in college.”
Together, Alleman said, the working group and Andrade “masterminded” the idea of the free farmers market.
Alleman recalled the first market taking place on a cold, rainy day in October 2016, when organizers were unsure how many students would attend.
“I remember students standing in line around what is now the Moody School of Education to get free food from our small tents,” Alleman said. “It was clear that the Free Farmers Market was needed, and students were responding to it. The beginning of the Free Farmers Market started other free food efforts at Baylor.”
Dallas graduate student Matthew Gomez, an MBA health care administration student and graduate assistant at The Store, said working with the organization has changed his perspective on how food insecurity affects students.
“We as humans do not always know what other people are going through,” Gomez said. “In my undergrad, no one talked about being hungry. The Free Farmer’s Market provides an opportunity for students to not disclose that they struggle with food insecurity, but it’s just like another event on campus.”
The Store partnered up with local vendors to provide produce and other resources at the market. One vendor, Mr. Green’s, brought mushrooms and information about growing food and sustainable agriculture.
Gomez said the event has evolved during his time at Baylor, giving students greater access to fresh ingredients while helping change perceptions of food insecurity.
“I wanted to be a part of [The Free Farmers Market] because we are actively changing how people view food insecurity on campus,” Gomez said. “It is crazy to me what my impact has had on other students. Now, students have high-quality ingredients to cook with and take charge of their nutritional goals.”
