UNMC’s first Farmers Market opens today at 11:30 a.m. on the ice rink in the Ruth and Bill Scott Student Plaza. In the event of rain, the market will be cancelled.
Locally grown fresh produce will be available every Tuesday through Aug. 6. The market is open to the public until 1 p.m. and is sponsored by the UNMC College of Public Health Wellness Council. Cash is preferred, but credit cards will be accepted with a $1 surcharge.
UNMC bags in which to carry produce will be given to the first 100 people who show up at the market today. The Office of Sustainability will randomly ‘treat’ people on “energy curtailment days” by providing $2 gift certificates redeemable at UNMC’s Farmers Market to those who take actions to conserve energy.
Produce will be provided by Wenninghoff’s Farm, which has been operated by an Omaha family for more than 50 years. More than 40 varieties of vegetables are offered — by the piece or by the bushel.
Also featured at the market are Sodexo chefs, UNMC/Nebraska Medicine’s food service provider, who will demonstrate how to prepare a healthy meal and will distribute recipes using produce sold at the market. A registered dietitian will be on hand to answer questions as well.
Each of the following weeks, Tamara Ragar, UNMC human resources, will provide demonstrations and information on using fresh produce to create healthy dishes. Her demonstrations will be whole food plant-based with no oil, salt or refined sugars. Recipes for various vegetables also are available on the Wenninghoff Farm website.