Duke Farmers Market Season Opens April 25

Fresh produce and more will be available at the Duke Medicine Pavilion Greenway every Thursday through October

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An array of fresh produce available at the Duke Farmers Market

Nakisha Harris
Nakisha Harris enjoys going to the Duke Farmers Market every week. Photo courtesy of Nakisha Harris

As in years past, about 12 to 14 vendors are expected to host stalls each week, some selling fresh fruits and vegetables and prepared foods. Some of the confirmed vendors this year include Gabor Farms, Lyon Farms, Dojo Fresh and Ouda’s Food, while food trucks will include Bulkogi, Poblanos Tacos and Fiori Trattoria, among others.

“Our main goal is really to bring farm-fresh whole foods, produce and local goods and have it convenient for employees to be there,” said Brian Zelanko, Health Promotion Manager at LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program.

The weekly gathering also will feature live music, games and giveaways to enter at the LIVE FOR LIFE table. And for the first time, some vendors will accept credit and debit cards; previously, the Farmers Market had been cash only.

Harris likes that the Farmers Market is convenient to where she works as a phlebotomist for the kidney transplant unit, and that she can spend 20 to 30 minutes during her lunch break gathering what she needs to cook healthy meals each week.

“You know it’s fresh, it’s healthy. You know it’s always grown in a field nearby,” Harris said. “Everything always looks so good, and everything tastes so good.”

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