Farm Stand comes to campus
Starting Nov. 9, members of the Duke community can buy fresh farm produce in the Great Hall.
The Great Hall will feature a “Farm Stand,” a new farmers market-style booth that will sell local and seasonal organic fruits and vegetables. Produce will be delivered multiple times a week from farmers within 150 miles of campus, including Duke’s own Community and Honey Patch gardens, which are cared for by Duke students and employees.
All produce will be sold by the pound, with prices ranging from 99 cents a pound for baby sweet potatoes or green beans to $5.50 a pound for salad mix. Produce will vary weekly and even daily depending on the growing season and what items are available from local farms. The Farm Stand is located in the entrance to the West Union Building off of the Plaza and will run during the same operating hours as the Great Hall.
“This gives everyone at Duke a convenient option to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables right here on campus almost every day,” said Nate Peterson, director of operations for Bon Appétit Management Company, which operates the Marketplace on East Campus and Great Hall on West, Duke’s largest eateries. “There’s been a demand for a program like this on campus and we’re happy to work with the surrounding community to meet this demand, provide more healthy eating options and put some dollars back into farms on and around our campus”.
Produce will come from Eastern Carolina Organics, which partners with 18 farms in North Carolina to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the region. When the stand first opens, produce won't immediately be available from Duke’s gardens. Some of the first products to be sold include zucchini, squash, tomatoes and tatsoi. Items can be purchased with cash, credit or food and FLEX points at the Great Hall.