Every Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m., local farmers and their products can be found on the corner of College Street and West 22nd Street. The College Hill Farmers Market (CHFM) has been running since June and will continue through October of this year.

“[We have] fresh, high-quality vegetables at a reasonable price located close within walking distance of campus,” said Jodie Huegerich, manager of the UNI Local Food Program. “Grab some veggies and other great items after class or on your way home from work!”

The UNI Local Food Program, under the umbrella of the Center for Energy & Environmental Education, works to strengthen the local food economy in Iowa. One of the ways they achieve this is by connecting farmers to local markets.

Vendors at the CHFM come from towns located around the Cedar Valley and sell a variety of products including seasonal produce, honey, baked goods, chicken, beef, eggs and sometimes lamb.

One vendor present at the market on Sept. 27, Timeless Prairie Orchard, was selling Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon apples grown using modern sustainable practices that include integrated pest management. Business-owners Susan and David Differding came to the farmers market from Winthrop, IA. Their ten-acre orchard has 6,000 trees with 23 apple varieties.

Another CHFM vendor offered a large variety of vegetables, baked goods and jams. Adolphs’ Produce and Bakery owners, Ken and Carolyn Adolphs, operate their farm in Traer, IA.

Junior marketing major Katie Payne is a frequent customer of the farmers market.

“I love the variety of products, but above that, the vendors are so friendly and really take time to explain what measures went into growing produce,” Payne said.

According to Huegerich, the CHFM offers a rewards program where farmers market shoppers are able to receive discounts at College Hill businesses. Those interested in the program can stop by the CHFM informational tent during the market.

The CHFM also gives back to the community in other ways. At the end of every market, the Northeast Iowa Food Bank arrives to pick up donations from vendors and customers interested in donating canned goods.

Aside from going to the CHFM, people can also support local farmers during the 2018 Farm Crawl hosted by the UNI Local Food Program. The crawl is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 7 from 12 to 5 p.m.

“Learn how farmers grow your food and manage their farms,” said the Farm Crawl website. “Visit one or all of these farms in any order. The more farms you visit the more chances you have to win prizes! Also, purchase local food available at some locations and earn another chance to win prizes!”

To learn more about the 2018 Farm Crawl, students can visit ceee.uni.edu/localfood. More information about the CHFM can be found on their Facebook page or at collegehillfarmmarket.org.