Julie Vavoules sorted through stacks of fresh zucchini, summer squash and pumpkins yesterday at the first Brandies University farmers' market.
"I love it. It's very convenient," the Brandeis student said. "It's nice knowing fresh fruit is available to us."
What started as a classroom idea to bring local produce to Brandeis students resulted in a successful marketplace.
Mariah Rich, 20, Samantha Lenard, 20, and Nicole Starman, 21, spearheaded the effort after taking the class Greening the Campus and Community last semester.
"I think Brandeis is trying to be more sustainable and is trying to reduce waste and promote healthy living," Lenard said.
With ideas flowing the three environmental studies minors got to work.
"We had to take this idea through the whole Brandeis hierarchy through multiple administrators and to the head of dining services," Starman said. "Then we had to move on to finding farmers."
The three students attended several farmers' markets in various communities from Belmont to Littleton. At these markets, that occurred mostly on Saturday, the students passed out flyers and recruited vendors.
Yesterday their hard work paid off as vendors set up tents in the Gosman Center parking lot off South Street across from the campus. By 2 p.m. close to 250 students were at the the market.
Matt Hanson of Hanson's Farm in Framingham said he sold almost eight baskets of peaches and close to 100 apples.
"We were blown away by the number of people," he said. "We weren't expecting this much business and we should have brought a hell of a lot more." Waltham resident Donna Hughes, founder of local bath and body line, Donna Dee's Designs, said her homemade lavender soaps were the best sellers at yesterday's market.
"I do the Waltham farmers' market and the girls came down and asked me to do this market," she said. "It's to help the kids out and help support the community."
Littleton resident Deborah Taylor, founder of Deborah's Spreadable Fruits and Relish, said Brandeis students who sampled her products had "sophisticated taste buds."
"It's been a very good experience," she said. "They were very accepting of what I brought. It was nice."
Brandeis University will hold two more farmers' markets this year on Oct. 5 and Nov. 2 from 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Gosman Center's parking lot.
Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com
