Students, faculty and staff purchased a variety of fruits and vegetables during Sodexo’s produce stand event Sept. 3 on the steps of the Montview Student Union.
The produce for sale included peaches, tomatoes, berries, grapes, apples, nectarines, lemons and mangoes.
Campus Dietitian Rachel Sanders said she and the Sodexo team are always looking for ways to bring healthy options to students.
“We know how important personal health and wellness is to our student body, so the produce stands are an ongoing event that gives them to opportunity to make healthier choices,” Sanders said.
Hundreds of students stopped by the produce stand and used their meal plan’s allotted amount of dining dollars to purchase the fresh goods. The produce stand has been a recurring event on campus since 2017, and Sodexo will be hosting other produce stands later in the semester.
“It is a campus staple now; it’s something students recognize as they walk out of Convo and get excited about,” Sanders said.
Freshman Alexia Buchesky said this produce stand appeared at the perfect time.
“I was actually looking for a farmers market in general, and this has been perfect because it’s so busy and it’s so easy right after Convo,” Buchesky said. “If they had this weekly, I would cry with happiness. I would love that.”
She said events like this alleviated several of the fears she had before coming to Liberty.
“It’s very relieving. One of my fears in college was not having healthy options, and I feel like this is a great way to have that and it’s super easy to pay,” Buchesky said.
Junior Nathan O’Neill said he was glad to see so many students come to enjoy the stand.
“Going off campus to buy food, especially if you don’t have a refrigerator or somewhere to store it, can be pretty difficult … so having it on campus, readily available and also being able to use your dining dollars to cover it is pretty cool,” O’Neill said.
Freshman Ava Webster said this produce stand immediately put her into a better mindset.
“I think that this boosts happiness and feelings of overall health. … I already feel so much better … It just feels fresher, and I feel boosted,” Webster said.
She said having healthy options on campus is refreshing to see.
“It’s a little bit different than what we are used to at the ROT and different locations, so to switch it up with something healthy, I love it,” Webster said.
Alongside the produce stand, Homestead Creamery served free samples of ice cream which are now available for purchase in the Montview Market.
For students who missed this event, there are still two more produce stand events this semester, scheduled for Oct. 1 and Nov. 5.
Riden is the on-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.