Faculty and staff brainstormed ways to improve the University’s new farmers’ market Monday at one of two semester meetings hosted by LSU Dining at the Faculty Club.
Because there is not a large variety of local produce available, LSU Dining is looking for ways to keep the momentum of the farmers’ market through the beginning of spring semester, said LSU Dining Interim District Manager Don Koshis.
While nothing was decided at the meeting, LSU Dining asked for input to help solve some of the obstacles the farmers’ market is facing.
The market currently only sells produce that is locally grown, and LSU Dining is hesitant to bring in fruits and vegetables that are not, said LSU Dining Director of Marketing Dean Samuels.
Also, the new USDA
guidelines could affect the number of approved growers LSU Dining has access to in the area, Koshis said.
LSU dining is exploring
giving presentations to teach students how to grow herbs during the weeks of limited produce options, Koshis said. It is also looking into possibly partnering with Residential Life or other campus organizations to find places on campus for residential students to grow herbs.
During the meeting, it was also discussed whether having the farmers’ market on Thursday was the best way to get student involvement, especially because students are already eating healthy during the week, Koshis sale.
One option is to move the farmers’ market to the weekend when students are more likely to eat unheathly foods, Koshis said.
Although students asked for a farmers’ market, they are not the main people supporting it, Samuels said. Most of the people taking advantage of the farmers’ market are faculty and staff.
“We are not dissatisfied with the numbers, but we are looking for ways to spread the word,” Samuels said.
More students will take advantage of the farmers’ market, but it takes time, said LSU Auxiliary Services Executive Director Margot Carroll.
LSU Dining also hosted a meeting to get feedback from students, but it is more difficult to find students than faculty to participate, said LSU Auxiliary Services graduate assistant Kourtney Gray.
The purpose of meeting with faculty and students is to receive feedback on dining services, Gray said. LSU Dining is trying to find out what people in the University community are and aren’t using and what can be changed.
The meetings are held separately to cover topics more in depth that are specific to the groups and encourage more
honest feedback, Gray said.