Local farmers, fitness information and free samples filled the Lenhart Grand Ballroom in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union for the Eighth Annual Health Fair and Farmers’ Market on Tuesday. This event was free to students, faculty and members of the Bowling Green community.
Those in attendance got to learn more about building a healthy lifestyle from informational booths, dining hall chefs and local vendors as well as participate in various raffles. From student wellness organizations, insurance companies and campus resources to Bowling Green businesses, flu shot providers and local farmers, the fair and market offered many opportunities for learning more about ways to improve personal health and wellness.
Faith DeNardo, director of the Wellness Connection, spoke about what wellness organizations on campus wanted attendees to gain from this annual event.
“We hope that students found valuable health and wellness information in addition to access to healthy foods found at the Farmers’ Market,” DeNardo said.
The Farmers’ Market portion of the event had fruits, vegetables, jams, honey, baked goods and more. Chefs from BGSU Dining prepared samples of food like pasta salad, hummus and chips, meat and cheese platters and apple cider, all made with foods from local farmers and businesses.
Not only did students, faculty and community members get a chance to learn about the health benefits of locally grown food, but the vendors at the Farmers’ Market were also able to share their passion for their products.
“We hope that the vendors at both the Health Fair and the Farmers’ Market were able to share their resources, information and products with many faculty, staff and student participants,” DeNardo said.
Mike Soboleski, founder of SoBee Honey in Bowling Green, picked up beekeeping as a hobby nine years ago and has been sharing his affinity for bees and the honey they produce at this event for three years. At his table, students tasted the raw honey Soboleski made with the help of his honeybees and heard more about the additives that might be found in store-bought honey that are not in organic honey.
Teresa Cox from Bella Cuisine, based in Fremont, Ohio, stood among all kinds of breads and baked goods as she advocated for the weekly farmers’ market in downtown Bowling Green. She said that if students enjoyed Tuesday’s event, they could continue the experience by buying local farm-fresh food every Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. until the end of October.
