Duke Farmers Market Opens Friday
Markets runs Fridays through September and features local vendors
For Duke Farmers Market shoppers, the bounty of fruits, vegetables and farm-fresh items offer an array of possibilities for getting produce into a diet.
But on average, 33 percent of American adults consume two or more servings of fruit a day and 27 percent eat three or more servings of vegetables, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read More"Our goal by hosting the Duke Farmers Market is to make healthy eating options easily accessible and affordable for employees," said Julie Joyner, manager for LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program that sponsors the market.
The annual Duke Farmers Market returns to West Campus on Fridays beginning Friday, April 25, through September. The market runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and is between the Bryan Research and Nanaline H. Duke buildings off Research Drive. A map and directions is available on the Farmers Market site.
Two new features will kickoff on Friday: a weekly, "featured" farmer will set up their table by the Cancer Center Cafe and LoMo Market, a mobile produce truck, will visit.
Kasey Carroll, a staff specialist in the Molecular Genetics and Microbiology Department, uses the Farmers Market to supplement fruits and vegetables she grows in a garden at home.
"There are some things that I do not grow myself - like strawberries - that are a treat to be able to pick up," said Carroll, who also enjoys buying lunch with coworkers at the market from Mexican restaurant Cosmic Cantina. "The people are wonderful and the selection is usually great."
For faculty and staff looking to better align their diet with healthy options from the market, here are farmers and vendors that can help meet the ideal standards of "MyPlate," the nutrition guide supported by the Department of Agriculture. [click to enlarge]
