I like fresh food. More than that, I like food that is fresh and has been in contact with as few people as possible. It is not that I do not trust people, it is more that I like to be in charge of what is done to and put into my food if possible. Thankfully, some N.C. State students are looking out for me in this regard.

Revving up again starting today, the Campus Farmers Market is out in the Brickyard every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until April 13.

I am a big fan of this program for lots of reasons. As a land grant university whose mission statement deals with providing for the needs of North Carolina, it makes sense that the University should have a program bringing local farmers to the school to sell farm fresh foods to students. Everyone wins.

My maternal grandfather was a North Carolina farmer. Much of my mom’s family still farms in rural North Carolina. I spent a great deal of time with farmers when I was growing up, and a lot of you probably did as well. The state of farms in this country is a mess by almost anyone’s standards. The people who end up holding the shortest end of the shortest stick are often the farmers themselves.

Also, the market is entirely student-run. I like initiative. I like putting the student body in touch with local farmers and merchants. And I love it when I can put to bed any concerns about one more program being run by a University system that already seems overburdened with responsibility.

It makes me proud to see there are students willing to put forth personal effort to provide the student body at large with access to farm fresh produce and other North Carolina products. I certainly hope they are finding that there is high demand for what they offer.

I remember a childhood filled with freshly picked apples out of my grandfather’s orchard. I remember my grandmother carefully rolling fresh strawberries in sugar. My grandfather’s prized tomatoes were the best. I eat a lot of tomatoes, and I cannot find any in any supermarket that taste as good as my grandfather’s.

This is a great way to support North Carolina business. Everyone likes to talk about how they love to shop local, but going to Harris Teeter for produce is not shopping locally. Statistics show the difference in reapplication of money between shopping at locally owned businesses and corporations to be not just significant, but drastically different. When you buy local, you are putting your money back into the community.

That is really all there is to say. Fresh food tastes better. It has likely gone through a healthier, more conscientious process to be grown, and you can tell. So take some time today and make your way over to the Brickyard and see what there is to offer at the Farmers Market. Even if you just buy cookies and a jar of peanut butter, you will be promoting local business and putting money into the pocket of someone who is growing food on North Carolina soil.