It’s that time of the year again. The UMass Student Market launched for Earth Month in April and there are so many great finds from our student vendors. Local farm stands and markets for fresh produce, beaded jewelry, crochet crafts, and more!
How can anyone turn down such great finds, especially when supporting local Amherst businesses? These vendors have dedicated their Fridays to sharing their shops with you. Let’s take a look at a few of my favorite tables. You can find these mini shops on Goodell Lawn from noon to 4 p.m. during the spring (and fall) season. A big thanks to the Permaculture Initiative and the UMass Student Farm for making this happen; and the vendors for making the campus feel so lively this spring.
Angel Co SHOP
Angelina Oliveira’s table has to be one of the first stops on your journey around the lawn. She sells reworked vintage and handmade jewelry and accessories for such an affordable price. Every week, she displays the coolest pendants and rings, all for five dollars and under! Her table is always surrounded by a swarm of people hunting for the perfect sustainable accessory. Necklaces are five dollars, earrings are four dollars, and bracelets and rings are three dollars. Talk about a steal! To check out some of her jewelry, follow her Instagram here @angelcoshop.
UMass student FARM
The UMass Student Farm is probably one of the coolest Student Organizations I have learned about. Their mission is to grow organic, colorful produce to feed the UMass community. They plan, they plant, they grow, and they supply. Never would I have thought that I would get excited about…vegetables until I learned about their Community Supported Agriculture Shares. This program is launched between their own farm, the local farmers, and the community to provide share boxes of produce that you pick up each week for 10 weeks once they are ready in the spring and fall — so cool. You get to invest (for a very low price) in the local farms to receive back beautifully grown produce, flowers, and herbs. I cannot wait to take advantage of this, especially when I live off-campus and get to prepare my own meals. Be sure to check out their five-dollar transplants and paint-your-own flower pots at their table! Follow @umass_student_farm for more!
UMASS Students for Sustainable Fashion and Art
This Registered Student Organization at UMass is a community of people that have a passion for sustainable fashion and art. You have probably seen their tabling inside the Student Union, or their posts about the thrift pop-ups in the Cape Cod Lounge. Their pop-up table at the Goodell Lawn is filled with amazing vintage clothes. Anything from purses to denim, these students have collected and curated a wide range of great finds, and lots of them! They have even laid out some pieces on a blanket to display the uniqueness of each and show you what you can buy for such a great price! To find out more about future events or their tabling at the market check out @umass_ssfa on Instagram.
These are only three of the many tables that are set up for the market, so be sure to stop by and explore. I genuinely appreciate these student-run events because it makes the sky a little brighter, the students a little happier, and I get to learn about so many incredible organizations and missions on campus.
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