Fresh fruit and vegetables took over the Starbucks Lounge in the Montview Student Union Thursday, Feb. 5 courtesy of Sodexo. Liberty students got the chance to shop locally sourced fruits, vegetables and more.
The available produce included strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, grapefruit and mangos, along with local apples of the Ambrosia and GoldRush varieties sourced from Nelson County, northeast of Lynchburg. For vegetables, the stand offered sweet potatoes, baby-cut carrots and sugar-snap peas.
In addition to the fresh fruits and vegetables, the Montview Produce Stand offered food and drink products based in Virginia. Some of the brands included Blue Ridge Bucha, Wadel’s Farm Wagon, Route 11 Potato Chips, AR’s Hot Honey and Tastes Like Grandma’s.
For those with a sweet tooth, the stand also had Cupid cookies reminding students that Valentine’s Day is fast-approaching. At the stand, students could grab a grocery bag and choose from the available assortment. The stand accepted Flames Cash, Dining Dollars and credit or debit cards, allowing anyone the opportunity to purchase goods.
Rachel Sanders is Sodexo’s campus dietitian for Liberty University.
“Given that students are using Flames Cash and Dining Dollars to purchase these items mostly, it keeps them more accessible to all students,” Sanders said. “We have a fair amount of commuter students who purchase items without a meal plan as well.”
Sodexo’s District Chef Barry Spence was also on-site providing samples of his special, an island beef and rice bowl, which featured braised beef barbacoa with coconut-cilantro lime rice, mango fajita vegetables and avocado sauce.
Along with providing food for students, the produce stand also provided a chance for students to interact with the Sodexo staff.
“We enjoy the time to talk one-on-one with students,” Sanders said. “The district chef, the district marketing manager and myself as the district dietitian come together to put on this event. It’s fun for us to get in front of the students and talk to them about what they’re wanting or interested in too.”
With students heading to and from class, the Starbucks Lounge acts as a junction for people on the move and those wanting to sit down and relax. The time between classes provided students with a chance to stop by, talk and pick up a nutritious snack.
Sanders noted that this is how the Montview Produce Stand appeals to students.
“Students appreciate the variety and something different,” Sanders said. “It breaks up the monotony.”
While the Starbucks Lounge is a convenient location for the event, its location has varied around the Montview Student Union in the past.
In recent semesters, the Montview Produce Stand was held outside of the Montview Student Union, near the academic steps. However, due to the cold weather, the event has moved indoors for the winter season. Liberty University’s snow closures also impacted the date of the Montview Produce Stand.
“Well, this produce stand was scheduled for last Wednesday,” Sanders said. “We moved it to this week since school was closed then. Weather doesn’t really affect our ability to source items from our supplier though.”
While the weather has not impacted the delivery of produce, the season and what the supplier has available, affects what produce is sold at the stand.
The next Montview Produce Stand is set to take place Feb. 25 in the Starbucks Lounge from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Upcoming events in February include the Valentine’s Dinner at the Tilley Student Center loft on Feb. 10 and Speed Dating at the Reber-Thomas Dining Center Feb. 12.
To learn more about Sodexo’s involvement on campus, students can visit liberty.sodexomyway.com or follow @libertydining on Instagram.
Karl is a campus news reporter for the Liberty Champion.