Students looking for fresh, locally grown food will have another option on campus this fall as the ETSU Farmers Market returns to Borchuck Plaza.
The market operates Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and serves as a weekly connection between regional producers and the university community.
According to the Local Food Guide from Appalachian Grown, a program of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, the market was established as a student organization in January 2012 and held its first season that spring.
According to ASAP, the market was created by “ETSU graduate students in the College of Public Health who wanted a source of healthful, local food on campus during the work week.”
The market’s mission includes increasing access to locally produced foods for ETSU students, faculty and staff by making those products available weekly and participating in events and programs sponsored by university departments and organizations.
The market also aims to “facilitate a homegrown community at ETSU around local food, sustainability, and Appalachian roots.”
Its core values include sustainability, excellence, integrity, commitment to local Appalachian roots and collaboration. Organizers also emphasize the role of the university community in supporting the market.
“The Market would not be without the support of ETSU’s students, faculty, staff, and administration,” according to the market’s description.
The fall 2026 season will run from Sept. 10 through Oct. 29. Shoppers can find a variety of products from regional vendors throughout the season.
Produce offerings listed in the Local Food Guide include cabbage, carrots, chiles, collard greens, garlic, green onions, hot peppers, lettuce, microgreens, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, salad greens, spinach and sweet peppers.
Other available products include baked goods, bread, honey, hot sauce, jams, preserves, pickles, salsa and teas. Vendors also offer artisan crafts and other products, including beeswax items, candles, floral wreaths, hand-spun yarn, plants and soap, as well as dried and fresh flowers, herbs and sprouts.
Faculty advisers Dr. Christen Minnick and Dr. Taylor Dula oversee market operations.
For more information about the ETSU Farmers Market, contact Minnick at minnickcy@etsu.edu or Dula at mckeenhan@etsu.edu.
