We commend Healthy Carolina for investing in the market. It not only promotes healthy lifestyles in the USC community, but also boosts the local economy and supports local agriculture.
This benefits not only Columbia-area farmers, but USC as well — let's face it, on a campus featuring Chicken Finger Wednesdays, Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A and sweet tea, we could all use more fresh, locally-grown, organic foods in our diets.
Another plus: it's convenient for students. Held once a week right in the middle of campus, the farmers market gives students an opportunity to buy items they might not otherwise have access to — right on their way to class, no less.
One improvement that would make the market even more successful would be to offer alternative payment methods. Vendors currently don't accept Carolina Cash. If USC were to make the technology available to the market, it would increase profits significantly, as students could be enticed to purchase the goods with their CarolinaCards.
Now that it's back, students should take advantage of the farmers market and the goods it has to offer. Quality programs like these only continue to be supported when students use them and benefit from them.