Opinion | Falling in love with the farmer’s market

I’m tired of eating TV dinners.

Olivia Harden
Opinions Editor

Eating well can be a challenging task for any young college student. Between classes, extracurriculars and working more than one job, it seems nearly impossible to find time to cook using fresh groceries. My diet often consists of frozen meals, fast food and quick snacks I can eat on the go. I want to eat food that is good for me, but I rarely have time to seek out healthy food that I can feel good about eating that doesn’t also break the bank.

I’m fortunate enough to know where my next meal is coming from, but 60 percent of college students are considered “food insecure,” according to a 2014 study published by The Journal of Nutritional Education and Behavior. Food security defines someone’s access to meals, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the levels of food insecurity range from marginalized (a few indications of anxiety over food sufficiency or shortage of food) to very low food security.

To cut the costs of attending college, students can spend less on feeding themselves and end up going hungry, according to a study conducted by the Wisconsin HOPE lab in 2015. Chapman has programs to help students with food insecurity, such as the food pantry in the Cross-Cultural Center, but supplies are limited.

California is a hub for crazy diets and healthy people, which is something we explored in our special issue, Generation Health. The internet has made information about health more accessible, but it can be overwhelming. Between people who rave about fads like juice cleanses, kale or going paleo, it can be difficult to know what works for your lifestyle and your body.

One weekend, my Saturday plans got canceled, and somehow, I ended up at the farmer’s market with two friends. The Orange farmer’s market is across the street from Dodge College, open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday morning.

And it’s heaven.

Booth after booth of organic fruits and vegetables, cheeses, hummus and honey might be overwhelming to some, but to me, it was a paradise. My friends are regulars and knew the owners of all the booths by name. They were very friendly, and one even offered me a discount.

It solves both problems of convenience and price, and it’s also more fun to go to the farmer’s market than the typical grocery store. There are live performances, dogs and free samples – lots and lots of free samples.

It took an hour to pick out my groceries because I was more conscious of how I would use the food I was buying and what I could prepare it with throughout the week. I actually had money to spare in my weekly grocery budget, so I treated myself to some new plants at the market.

This is a good option for students who want to eat fresh food, but may not be able to afford organic options at a traditional grocery store. There are definitely some options that are pricier, such as the seafood and grass-fed beef, but overall, you get a pretty good bang for your buck. This may be helpful to students who struggle with food insecurity — or who live off microwave meals like I do — and want to be able to eat well.

If you haven’t taken a trip to the farmer’s market yet, I would highly recommend it. To have access to one so close to campus is a privilege. I’m grateful to know that I can leave there on a Saturday morning and feel good about the choices that I’m making for myself.