TCU Dining Cultivates Wellness at Spring Farmer’s Market

Texas Christian University (TCU) Dining partnered with TCU’s Student Government Association (SGA) and TCU’s Leadership & Student Involvement department to host an educational farmer’s market in the TCU commons on April 4th.

This event is part of TCU Dining’s Healthy Frog program which provides students with information, resources, and skills to lead healthy lifestyles.

Historically one of the most popular events from TCU Dining, students were reportedly eager to see the farmer’s market return this Spring, bigger than ever.

As buying local and farm-to-fork recipes continue to increase in popularity, the TCU Dining team focused on connecting students to local farms and organizations and educating students about utilizing local produce to create delicious recipes.

The focus on wellness also arose from TCU Senior Lauren Zelisko’s class project where she identified farmer’s markets as a practical way to increase fruit and vegetable intake among college students. Zelisko worked closely with the TCU Dining team and utilized her class research to enhance student wellness through the event.

The event featured a variety of partner organizations including Crunchy Girl Granola, Alive & Well Kombucha, Fratelli Colletti Olive Oil, Olivella’s Restaurant, Ri’s Treats, Texas Green Star Hydroponics, and Jess Hall’s Serendipity Seasonings.

As many of these organizations are small startups and family-run businesses, this event helped to promote their organizations within the Fort Worth community, connect them with other local businesses, and gather live feedback from their target markets.

The collaboration with TCU’s Leadership & Student Involvement department also provided a community service opportunity for students as part of TCU’s Week of Service.

In addition to products from partner organizations, participants took home a variety of local produce and sampled delicious farm-to-fork recipes from the TCU Dining culinary team. Recipes included Chef Mike’s Spicy Korean Pickles, Chef Ro’s Red Pepper Jelly, Chef Connor’s BBQ Rub, and Chef Jesse’s Black Bean & Roasted Corn Dip.

Beyond the fresh produce and local products, attendees received a digital recipe book containing farm-to-fork recipes using produce they picked at the farmer’s market.

Each recipe was accompanied by tips from the campus dietitian, aligning with the Healthy Frog program’s mission to provide students with information and resources to meet their health goals.

The event was a resounding success, with over 600 students in attendance.

“The event exceeded my expectations” said Zelisko. “It was clear that all the students absolutely loved it”.

TCU Dining is dedicated to investing in students’ well-being through education and events that promote holistic wellness. By supplying local produce and products, teaching students how to utilize those products to create tasty dishes, and providing practical nutrition education, the farmer’s market event embodied this dedication to holistic wellness and empowered students to take steps to improve their health.