Pace University Brings Hands-On Nutrition Education to Pleasantville Farmers Market

Graduate students from Pace University’s Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics program, part of the College of Health Professions, will partner with the Pleasantville Farmers Market starting this Saturday, Sept. 20, for a featured event in the annual Taste of the Market series.

As part of this Saturday’s event, students and faculty will host an apple tasting experience where shoppers can sample up to six different varieties of locally harvested apples while learning about their nutritional benefits and ideal culinary uses. Nutrition Professor Andrea Polvere, MS, RDN, CDN, and graduate student Emily Bruzzese will guide the tasting and educational engagement.

“All of our Taste of the Market events present dynamic opportunities for students to hone their patient-facing skills while simultaneously learning the importance of creating meaningful relationships within the community,” said Polvere.

The students engage directly with shoppers who bring a range of concerns, from common food buyer questions—such as what “organic” really means—to everyday culinary nutrition topics like how heat affects a nutrient's ability to be absorbed.

Each Taste of the Market event highlights a seasonal produce item, selected through early-year planning with Market Director Harris Kaye. Activities are designed to educate and engage shoppers through hands-on interaction, simple recipes, and facts about healthful components like fiber, antioxidants, and the advantages of eating in-season.

Polvere works alongside Kaye early each year to pinpoint which produce is best highlight at each event by utilizing general seasonality windows. Every Taste of the Market event provides either very simple recipes or tasting varieties of the highlighted produce, while focusing on sharing nutritional facts with shoppers, typically fiber, antioxidants, and the benefits of eating in-season.

“It’s an opportunity to engage meaningfully with the public, learn from their perspectives, and see firsthand how nutrition education can foster healthier habits within a community,” said Bruzzese, the graduate student. “This event is more than just sharing food—it’s a valuable learning opportunity. We’re able to practice translating what we learn in the classroom into real-world conversations, building the communication and counseling skills that will be critical in our future careers as nutrition professionals.”

Students from the program will return to the Market on Saturday, October 4, to support the Annual Apple Pie Contest and continue sharing seasonal nutrition tips and tastings with shoppers.