Our market, which is entirely student run, started as a partnership with the Real Food Challenge  which sought to convince universities  to  source produce from local, sustainable farms.  Reconnect created the farmers market to bring real, local food producers right to our doorstep to benefit our campus and the local economy. The Reconnect Farmers Market takes place the third Wednesday of every month during  the fall and spring semesters outside of the Southeastern Louisiana University War Memorial Student Union and brings a sense of community and connection to our local food and craft  vendors.

Vendors from all over Southeast Louisiana come and sell their fresh, organic produce, crafts, and prepared foods from a variety of cultures. The market is more than an event, it is an EXPERIENCE. The market also serves as a major source of income for local vendors. For some vendors, the Reconnect Farmers Market brings in more money for them than any other market they go to. They LOVE our farmers market!

Recently, the market has faced ‘push back’ because of the contract the university  has made with Aramark who runs all food options on campus, including the chain restaurants. Sometimes, we are being asked to comply with strict requirements that we have never had to deal with before. Problem after problem has come up. . This has threatened to shut down the market because as students we don’t have the resources to deal with many of these requirements. The death of the Reconnect Farmers Market would not only cause the culture and the community surrounding it to die, but also the vendors attending would lose a vital source of income, vendors who are treating our health and environment with respect

This is YOUR market! So many students LOVE the market!

Sign this petition to help ensure Reconnect can run its farmers market, facilitate a space for the enrichment of the student body, and continue to provide this valuable source of income for its vendors.