Harring peddles health at USC Farmer's Market
By Jennifer Standard
On Dec. 1, Davis Field, the area between the Russell House and Thomas Cooper Library, was lined with tents and long tables full of fresh South Carolina produce. Students browsed the area, sampling homemade salsa, honey and grits. Other vendors offered fresh vegetables grown on local farms. Holly Harring, coordinator for Healthy Carolina, was in the middle of it all, busily overseeing the University of South Carolina's Farmer's Market.
Harring encouraged students to look around at all the produce the vendors offered. H.C. Farms carried fresh vegetables such as potatoes, broccoli and tomatoes. Another local farmer was selling lamb meat and wool blankets, and there were also several vendors that had homemade items such as soup mixes and popcorn.
The idea for the farmer's market "has been brewing for a few years," Harring, 26, said.
Former Student Body Vice President Jay Laura and Supervisor Michelle Burcin had wanted one here for a long time, Harring said.
"It was a collaborative partnership between the Department of Agriculture, Student Government and Healthy Carolina."
Also attending the market was Beth Crocker, general counsel for the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. Crocker said she hopes that the market will encourage students to eat healthily.
"This is a great opportunity for young people to experience local, seasonal agriculture," Crocker said.
She also said that one of the goals of the farmer's market is to encourage students to always buy locally even after they leave college.
Harring, who has been employed with Healthy Carolina for two-and-a-half years, has an extensive background in health. She received her bachelor's degree in exercise science from Furman University. She received her master's degree in public health at USC and is currently working on her Ph.D. in public health also at USC.
She said the Agriculture Department played a big part in getting the farmer's market on campus. The agency provided Healthy Carolina with a $10,000 specialty crop fund that gave them the revenue to start the market. Harring said they also helped to recruit farmers in the beginning.
"Certified South Carolina Grown" signs were seen hanging from the tents of some of the vendors. Harring said these signs were used as marketing devices to increase awareness. Harring said all of the vendors offer locally grown produce except for a few items, like oranges, which are brought in for variety, but those items are marked that they are not locally grown.
A few of the vendors are also certified USDA organic farmers but Harring said it is not a necessity.
"We believe in local food so being organic is not a requirement," Harring said.
One of the vendors that carries a local product is Misty Rawls who makes "Just Wanna Melt" lotion bars. She receives the beeswax from a farmer in Bamberg and she handmakes her bars in Lexington with all natural ingredients.
Rawls said Harring has been great at organizing the market.
"She is really fast at getting back on e-mails, and she is always willing to help vendors get things out of cars. Seems like they are doing a great thing for the students," Rawls said.
Harring said one of the goals of the farmer's market, which started in September 2008, was to increase the availability of fresh produce to students.
"Residential students may not have access to grocery stores where they can buy fresh produce. It also makes healthy eating that much easier for the staff," Harring said.
Harring said that they also want to instill on the campus an understanding of where their food comes from.
"We want students to feel a connection between healthy eating, farmers, and about when certain produce is available," Harring said.
Harring said Healthy Carolina is allowed five markets during fall, summer and spring semester but she is working on increasing the number of future markets. RCT
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