Going to market
Sodexo-hosted market aims to promote community
With the freshest produce, one-of-a-kind jewelry, hand-stitched leather accessories, top-of-the-line coffee and enough food options to satisfy even the belly of a college student, the Liberty University Farmers Market is the place to unwind after a hard day and store up for the week ahead.
The market offers a variety of goods for students and the community to enjoy in the easily-accessible parking lot of Doc’s Diner.
Hosted on Thursdays throughout the fall and the spring semesters, the market allows students to enjoy goods from the Lynchburg area without leaving campus.
LOCAL — The market is held every Thursday at Doc’s Diner, featuring vendors from Lynchburg such as Liberty’s Morris Campus Farm. Photo credit: William Rice
Casey Kelley, a regular attendee of the weekly markets brought her husband, Micah Kelley, to the market for the first time for a Momma Crocketts doughnut – one of the 50 vendors that make appearances at the markets.
“We try to eat well, but you need to get a doughnut every once and a while,” Micah Kelley said.
The market is held every Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to give the student body a ‘taste’ of the local community.
Students Taylor Bohon and Sarah Breyer admitted they showed up for the free samples, but also because the market is a good place for talking with friends and doing a little light shopping.
“They have good selection of different variety of things,” Breyer said. “It’s neat to just walk around and shop.”
Sodexo District Manager Anthony Delligatti expressesd his motives for launching the market as a means to expose students to a new environment.
Delligatti explained that one-fifth of the artisans attending the market are former Liberty students, who need as much support from not only their previous classmates, but also from the faculty and administration.
Delligatti feared that beginning another farmers market in the area would spark a strong competition between the already existing markets in the area.
Before Liberty’s market began gaining traction, Delligatti was in constant contact with the Forest Market, the Lynchburg Market and the Bedford Market to ensure that there would be no backlash.
Delligatti, with the approval of the other markets, decided to host Liberty’s Farmers Market on Thursdays, a day that is untouched by any other market in the area.
Furthermore, the market makes no profit. Delligatti and his coworkers have volunteered their time, ensuring that the market has no business affiliations and primarily runs to promote unity with the local community and Liberty.
As the market does ask for the vendor to “give a monetary donation,” all the proceeds are donated to local charities.
Previous donations have gone to Lynchburg Daily Bread, Society of Saint Andrews, and this year’s donations will go to Miriam House.
RICE is a feature reporter.