Every Wednesday at noon, a small pop-up tent is set up at the Curran Plaza.
Across a folding table, students and staff from the Seeds@City Urban Farm lay out freshly picked produce harvested for the week.
They sell to the community as they pass on their way to class, faculty meetings, as well as non-students enjoying the plaza.
At the stand, summer seasonal produce like peppers, winter squash and pomegranates are sold. As winter approaches, different and new produce will become available, including various salad greens. Lettuce is expected to be a late-fall, early-winter harvest.
Bobby Uribe said they have blended their own lettuce into pre-made salads for sale in the past. Uribe studied Sustainability at City College and was hired as a professional farmer to assist with the Life Sciences and Sustainable Agriculture programs.
“We’ll have a greens mix, like a salad mix, coming up soon that is really popular,” Uribe said. “Crops are grown on a seasonal cycle and are pre-planned for production and harvest on an annual agenda.”
Roger Ralphs assists at the produce stand and is an agriculture and jazz student.
“We’re mostly out of peppers. We have lettuce coming in,” Ralphs said, who has been with SEEDS@City for about two years.
The produce stand serves a greater purpose than simply selling the produce. It also creates awareness of and value for the crops that are harvested.
Spreading community awareness has become very important to the Seeds@City program, and encouraging other departments to participate alongside is in the works.
According to Uribe, there are events being considered that would involve the Seeds@City produce and agriculture with the campus community.
Sophia Moreno has been hired at the Basic Needs Center to act as liaison and planner. She expressed interest in further engaging the Seeds@City program alongside the Basic Needs Center activities.
Moreno wants to find helpful ways to educate students about fresh produce.
“I would like students that are from underserved communities to be more aware about access to nutritional, sustainable food. Events will help to involve students,” Moreno said.
The Seeds@City farm stand will be open every Wednesday at Curran Plaza at noon. The produce stand accepts cash and now digital payments.
Story edited by Tresean Osgood and Briana Bush.
