Campus Farmers Market brings local Syracuse vendors to campus

Students gathered in Walnut Park on April 12 for the second Student Government Association Campus Farmers Market of the semester. Attendees explored local vendors selling items from clothing and produce to handmade goods and art.

Chatter filled the air as patrons filtered through racks of graphic tees, sampled honey, perused jewelry and enjoyed the spring weather with friends.

“I think it’s very meaningful to students when they see the community come together in their backyard,” Kenneth Lanterman, vice president of SGA’s Community Engagement & Government Affairs, said.

SGA said it’s looking to bring the city of Syracuse to campus by supporting small businesses through events such as the farmers market.

“There are a lot of ways that we can be supporting the community, and this is one of them,” Lanterman said. “It’s important that we support these small businesses because we don’t want them to go unrecognized. It bridges the gap between campus and Syracuse.”

For illustrator Bharati Mahajan, the sense of community is what she enjoys most about being part of events such as these. 

“When I get to meet people and when I get to know how my work resonates with them, my art feels integrated in the community rather than me just sitting in a corner and doing it,” Mahajan said. “Through my work, I like to connect with people, and that’s one of the biggest reasons I like being part of such events.” 

Elizabeth Hamilton runs a crochet business — Elizabeth in Knots — and participates in markets every week. She said she enjoys meeting new people and having an opportunity to share her art.

Syracuse freshman Mel Honig chose to come to the market for the vintage clothes and nice weather, she said. She felt a familiar connection to Syracuse through the people she interacted with.

“I definitely felt a really strong connection to the local Syracuse community,” Honig said. “I feel like I don’t get to go out very often into the city and the other places around us, so I think it was really fun to meet some of the people from around the area.”

Photo by Josie Kibel

Second-hand clothing being sold at the campus farmers market.

This marks the first year SGA hosted two farmers’ markets in the same academic year. It held an indoor market in March in Miron Victory Court. For Lanterman, the second event shows how well-received the farmers market initiative has been. 

“The first farmer’s market that I spearheaded, I really didn’t understand the desire for it to happen consistently. Then we put out a feedback form and began to ask vendors if they would like to come back. Everybody was for it,” he said. “The long-term goal for me was to develop a way that we could do this every semester. Turning that into an actual initiative — that’s been kind of a dream come true for me. It’s been awesome to see it come alive.” 

Mahajan noticed this change, too.

“Every year it feels like there are more and more community events getting organized, which is a great sign,” she said.

Honig said she hopes to return to the campus farmer’s market if it is put on on a semesterly basis.

“I would definitely go back,” Hoing said. “I had a lot of fun, and I found a lot of cool things. It was an amazing time.”