University Farmers' Market

The University Farmers' Market is is entering its fourth year and it’s sure to be a great success! The market is open every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., from May through November 2012 at the University Plaza Park across from the Medical Center's main entrance. We have new and exciting vendors this year bringing in antibiotic free, hormone free meat; pesticide free produce; plants, pickles, and of course the signature crepes, burgers, spreads, soups, and kettle corn you know and love! Introducing our new vendors this year: Bonaparte Breads, non-profit organization- Hiding Place, Hillside Meadow Farm, Pat Fitzgibbons King of Pickles, Pond View Farms and Rex Farms Orchard. We will also be accepting Women Infants and Children (WIC) vouchers and senior coupons at the University Farmers Market. It is our mission to serve our hospital and support a healthy community. In 2009 The University of Maryland Medical Center partnered with University of Maryland at Baltimore and the local community to bring you a weekly market of local goods. By hosting a Farmers' Market, UMMC and UMB are helping to improve the availability of fresh, locally grown food to its employees, patients, visitors and area residents and businesses. Purchasing food from local farmers not only supports the local agricultural community and the local economy, but it also decreases "food miles." Food travels on average 1,500 miles from farm to plate. However, when purchased locally, food travels an average of 60 miles. This significant decrease in the distance traveled cuts down on fuel consumption, greenhouse gases, air pollution and the likelihood of related diseases, including asthma, lung disease, lung cancer and heart disease. It also cuts down on the use of plastics used in packaging and allows farmers to pick their food when it's ripe, maximizing the nutrient content in the food and providing you with fresher food that tastes better. The University Farmers' Market hosts many farmers that use environmentally sustainable practices, including fewer pesticides, no antibiotics or growth hormones, and they raise their animals outside on pasture. Source: http://www.umm.edu/green/farmers_market.htm#ixzz2L8jeJIEj Follow us: @UMMC on Twitter | MedCenter on Facebook