Hello everyone! I am Kaidy, a senior nutrition and dietetics major at the University of New Hampshire. This fall semester I will be interning with Seacoast Eat Local at the Portsmouth Farmer’s Market every Saturday and later at the earlier winter farmers’ markets. As I will be graduating a semester early this December (yay!), I knew this would be my last chance to volunteer at the farmer’s market as an undergraduate. And, after going to my first market last Saturday I am definitely glad I did.
I have always been interested in eating healthy, whole foods since I grew up running cross country and competing in gymnastics. I knew that fueling my body with nutritious foods would help me perform better in my sports. When I decided to go to school to study nutrition, my interest expanded into eating not only healthily, but more sustainably and locally as well. With UNH being one of the leading schools in sustainability, I learned a lot about how our food choices can affect the environment. I also learned just how much we, as consumers, affect what kinds of foods are supplied in grocery stores and restaurants. Since then, I have made an effort to buy more foods from local farms and businesses.
Farmer’s markets have always intrigued me with all the colorful fruits and vegetables on display, but growing up in a small town in Rhode Island, I never got to experience one for myself before coming to college. When I attended my first farmer’s market my freshman year in Portsmouth, I was not disappointed. I only wished I had a full kitchen of my own to try creating delicious recipes with all the foods I saw, rather just my sad, little mini fridge and microwave in my dorm room. From then on I knew I wanted to volunteer at a farmer’s market at some point in my academic career, so that I could start to understand what goes on behind the scenes to make the market run smoothly.
Seacoast Eat Local’s mission of providing access to local and sustainable foods to all people is one that I fully support and am excited to take part in. I am looking forward to all the wonderful conversations about nutrition, food and farming we will have and I hope to see you around the market!