Mason Dining to promote local foods at farmers' market

The market will be outside of Southside on September 6. (Photo courtesy: Mason Dining).

In an effort to promote locally grown produce, George Mason University Dining is hosting its first farmers’ market on campus. 

“The purpose of the farmers’ market is to draw attention to our buying local products,” said Ben McElhaney, the sustainability coordinator at Mason. McElhaney explained that Mason buys from farms within a 250-mile radius, a region that reaches parts of New York and North Carolina.

“We buy from 33 farms,” McElhaney said. “But they are all bought through Keany Produce,” a wholesale food provider.  

Many of the foods at the farmers’ market will be the same fruits and vegetables used in many of Mason’s eateries, including Southside, Hot Spot, Ike’s, Sub Connection and the Rathskeller. 

“Not all of the foods will be organics,” McElhaney said. “Probably 10% or less will be organic, as organics are highly expensive.”

At the market, students will not be able to use their student IDs to purchase food.

“Unfortunately this time it’s only cash, but students can buy pretty much anything they see,” McElhaney said. “I asked Keany to bring a variety of goods.  We will also have three or four farmers or workers here selling their own produce.” McElhaney says there was one farmers’ market in the past by Auxiliary Enterprises, but this one is the first of its kind.

According to McElhaney, Mason Dining is planning to put small signs in campus restaurants, labeling locally grown ingredients. He also hopes to make food options more seasonal, using ingredients that are only available during certain months of the year.

“Tags should begin to show up over campus, labeling local foods,” McElhaney said. “We were already doing this, but now we are getting the word out.”

The Southside Farmers’ Market will take place September 6, from 10 am to 2 pm on the Southside Pavilion. The market will come twice per semester, with the next one on the October 24th.