The sun was shining with some heavy wind, but the breeze didn’t stop the Marquette University Sustainability and Student Government from hosting their Earth Day farmers market. Dozens of students filled the space to see what was happening and celebrate the holiday.
Students gathered between the Alumni Memorial Union Building and Schroeder Hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 22 for 20 different vendors, compared to just five when the event began three years ago.
“We’ve had a line over there since 9 a.m.,” Abbi Thompson, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said about the Wake n Brew Coffee Co. truck.
Thompson is the Sustainability Committee Coordinator for MUSG, who, with the help of her colleagues and the 10 people on her committee, planned the event.
MUSG was able to secure enough funding for the first 100 people to receive free coffee from the Wake N Brew Coffee Co. truck and a free plant, Thompson said. Another vendor also served $350 worth of free crepes.
“I just love providing free things for students,” she said.
As an environmental studies major, Thompson has a passion for sustainability and Earth Day.
The holiday is especially relevant to her because it was created in Wisconsin. In the 1970s, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson and young environmental activists worked with schools to raise awareness and create Earth Day.
Marquette is also committed to sustainability, as they believe Jesuit values compel them to care for the environment.
“I feel like it’s a tradition we need to show as Marquette, and as a Jesuit institution,” Thompson said, “We need to care for our common home and give back.”
Kian Howe, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, is the president of Students for an Environmentally Active Campus. The club had a booth at the market to give out reusable cups with a 10% discount at the Brew Cafés and seed bombs for students to plant around campus.
Howe said growing up with an environmentally conscious mother gave him a strong love of nature.
“It means connecting to the world around you, with the beauty of nature and really understanding our place in the world and working as a collective to keep it healthy,” Howe said.
In addition to his involvement in SEAC, Howe stays mindful of where he gets his resources from. He makes an effort to ensure his clothes and food are sustainably sourced.
Macy Schmitt, a first-year student in the College of Communication who stopped by to enjoy the market, shares similar beliefs.
She said she makes sure to help the Earth by picking up trash she sees on the ground and not littering. She was also happy to be out in the sun and spend time with friends.
“It’s a great opportunity to get outside, have fun and celebrate all the amazing nature,” Schmitt said.
While some students enjoyed the event and noted the importance of sustainability, local vendors played a key role in promoting environmentally conscious products.
Addie Hurley is a recent University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate and business owner of Addie Mae. She was invited to be a vendor at the market, where she sold her clean, vegan, gluten-free, all-natural lip oils.
She urged people to support local businesses and to stay away from contributing to large companies on Earth Day.
“Earth Day to me is about treating the Earth with respect, trying to minimize your carbon footprint and doing the best you can on a personal level, even if sometimes things are out of your control,” Hurley said.
Music and chatter filled the market, which stayed busy throughout the afternoon as students visited booths and spoke with the vendors. As the event was nearing an end some students headed home with coffee, purchases and plants in hand.
This story was written by Lillie Martin. She can be reached at [email protected].
