Looking for a way to eat healthier this fall? As part of the sustainability project, Mercyhurst is beginning to sell fresh produce on campus.

Mercyhurst West’s Garden Project is selling vegetables and herbs in Garvey Park every Thursday from noon to 4 p.m., and on the corner of East 38th Street and Pine Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Grown locally, this campus market sells seasonal vegetables such as corn, potatoes, tomatoes and green beans. They also sell herbs such as sage, basil and parsley from their 4-acre garden in Girard.

Everything is priced reasonably and the quality of the products is outstanding. Sophomore Hannah Beck says that the market is “a great way to bring local products to Mercyhurst.”

The stand also gives away free recipes each week. This week’s was for an easy salsa and almost all the ingredients needed to make it, minus a few spices, were available at the market.

This market is part of the college’s efforts to increase sustainability and education about sustainability. Along with recycling and energy conservation, growing a garden can be a great way to teach people to become more sustainable.

Photo by Ethan Magoc/The Merciad: Mercyhurst’s Farmer’s Market operates on campus in Garvey Park on Thursday afternoons and at the corner of Pine Avenue and East 38th Street on Saturdays.

Mercyhurst students, along with many volunteers take time to make sure these crops are properly cared for. They weed and spray for insects, only using organically approved pesticides so customers know the produce is expertly cared for.

Sophomore Alianna Whiteaker-Chudecke says, “This farmer’s market is cool. It has healthy food that is decently priced and the vegetables look amazing!”

The Mercyhurst gardens not only provide our campus with locally grown veggies, they also supply a decent amount of produce to the campus cafeterias and offer service learning and enrichment opportunities for anyone that might be interested.

The college offers a sustainability minor and contract major for those who are interested in pursuing a career in this increasingly important field.

If you would like more information on the campus market, stop by the market at Garvey Park on Thursdays between noon and 4 p.m. Or you can visit their website at green.mercyhurst.edu and click the Mercyhurst West Garden Project link.

This is a great opportunity for students to benefit from having fresh produce on campus and to learn about sustainability.