By Kennedy Tavares
“Fall Festi-Ful” brought local businesses to campus in front of the Angell College Center at SUNY Plattsburgh Thursday Oct. 6.
“Fall Festi-Ful” is the largest collegiate farmers market in the country. Over 300 universities across the nation participate simultaneously in attempts to inform students about the importance of agriculture and local farming.
Local vendors from around the state sold goods, dished out samples and provided information to students about their businesses.
North Country Co-Op in Downtown Plattsburgh gave out samples of a tofu treat and a representative discussed the perks of joining the Co-Op.
Nelson’s Flower Shop sold single roses and bouquets, Blend from Clifton Park sold acai bowls and smoothies, as well as hot chocolate bombs.
Chartwells sold baked goods and gave out slices of pumpkin bread.
The Garden Club gave out vegetables like garlic and kale and gave out samples of kale chips made by Chartwells staff.
Jordan Shupe, the president of the Garden Club, believes the Garden Club’s involvement in the event is necessary for students.
“The Garden Club is here today so students can be aware of us and take notice of the work we do on campus,” Shupe said. “Everything that we’re giving away today was made fresh in our garden and a lot of students don’t know that.”
Kelsey Hulbert, the Chartwells market manager, was just one person who brought the event together, along with other Chartwells.
“It’s important for students to know where their food is coming from,” Hulbert said. “On our campus a lot of our food is local. A lot of students don’t know that.”
Another group that attended Fall Festi-Ful was Chartwells Student Dining Ambassadors.
The student ambassadors are a new group established this semester that liaisons connections between the students and the dining halls. Grace Ewing and Mckenna Braize are two students part of the student ambassadors program who attended the Fall Festi-Ful.
“We’re here to do social media and connect with students and see if they like it and what foods they should try out,” Ewing said.
The student ambassadors aim to collect feedback from students in order to improve campus dining.
“Sometimes dining isn’t it, but it’s not for lack of trying that’s part of this program, they’re trying to make sure students are getting what they want and that they feel heard,” Braize said.
The student ambassadors aside from being student liaisons to the dining halls also connect with incoming students to ask any question they might have about college life and what it takes to be successful academically.
“The faculty is amazing and they really just want to reach as many people as possible and make the food that we want. They love the students and just want to reach everyone. So this is one of their newer programs to help reach out to students,” Ewing said.
