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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

New farmers’ market to begin near White House

Starting Thursday, fans of fresh, local produce will have another option when it comes to buying food.

A new farmers’ market is set to take over part of Vermont Avenue between H and I streets every Thursday until Oct. 29, said Bernadine Prince, co-director of FreshFarm Markets. The market will feature everything from produce and meats to cheeses, flowers, preserves, and baked goods.

Another FreshFarm market is held every Wednesday behind the Foggy Bottom Metro stop. Both markets operate from 3 to 7 p.m. each week.

“We’re trying to showcase healthy and local foods,” Prince said. “Students can learn more about local agriculture and see a wide variety of products.”

Students interviewed said they appreciate the benefits of having local farmers come practically to their doorstep to sell their wares.

“As a student, it’s hard to have access to fresh and healthy food so FreshFarm seems like an easier way for college students to stay healthy away from home and avoid the freshman 15,” freshman Arielle Schreiber said.

According to The Washington Post, the idea of putting a market in the area came about when FreshFarm officials contacted the White House after President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

The organizers believed that a market would coincide well with the administration’s endorsement of healthy eating.

FreshFarm operates a total of nine markets in the D.C. area, including weekly markets in Dupont Circle, Annapolis, Baltimore, and the District’s Northeast quadrant.

According to the nonprofit organization’s Web site, the markets are used “to create vibrant urban and community places, to provide economic opportunities for farmers and to showcase our region’s agricultural bounty.”

The area where the White House market is set to take place has a historic connection with open-air markets. During Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, produce vendors took up shop in adjacent Lafayette Square.

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