The Wednesday Minimarket
The “Produced by Us” Program aims to promote domestic supply by selling fresh, safe produce from our own farms and facilities on campus each week. Thus, all produce from the minimarket has traceability and a low carbon footprint.
It also provides a real work experience for students, allowing them to see how their academic practices can be implemented into market and business projects.
Join us to learn more about our community minimarket in this photo essay by Ariana Quirós (’16, Costa Rica).
EARTH staff and faculty buying goods on a typical Wednesday.
Since 1990, students have been producing vegetables during their Work Experience course in order to meet the demand of the University cafeteria.
The vegetable are grown in the institutional gardens and since 1993, the produce has also been sold in an open area near the cafeteria.
The “Produced by Us” Program began in 2007 with the initiative to produce crops in non-traditional ways outside of the field. This idea was realized in 2009 with the construction of the Peri-urban Garden, which simulates urban environments and teaches students first how to grow produce under plastic roofs, and later how to grow hydroponically.
In 2010, a growing emphasis on self-sufficiency gave way to the concept of our very own campus minimarket.
This is the open area close to the cafeteria where the minimarket takes place every Wednesday at 11:00 AM.
These students are preparing the products to sell.
The produce is weighed and packaged on site. A great feature of the minimarket is the affordable prices.
Fresh, green products
Vegetable and fruit produced in the University.
Fresh citrus produced in the University Academic Farm.
Lettuce produced in the Univesity Peri-urban garden.
Approximately 50 customers visit the minimarket each week including students, staff, visitors, and others.
Dairy products are also processed inside the university, including cheese, yogurt, dulce de leche, and more.
This is some of the cheese produced by us.
This is mozzarella cheese from EARTH. We also produce Ricotta cheese.
The students take advantage of the minimarket by conducting their business projects, showing their produce, making a space to sell, giving samples, and conducting market surveys.
If you visit EARTH University on a Wednesday, stop by the minimarket to buy fruit and vegetables processed within the university. Not only will you recieve fresh and traceable produce, but you will be contributing to the self sufficiency of the university and its students.
