NC Children's Hospital hosts weekly farmers’ market

CORRECTION: A former version of this article inaccurately named the North Carolina Children's Hospital in both the headline and photo caption. The article has been updated to reflect these changes.

On Wednesday mornings, the atrium in the North Carolina Children’s Hospital is transformed into a pop-up farmers market.

The hall is lined with colorful fruits, vegetables, flowers and other farm-grown goods.

“It’s impossible not to notice you’re in a hospital, but the market doesn’t feel out of place,” said Reginald Savage of Azurelise Chocolate Truffles in Raleigh.

The UNC Wellness Market runs from May through September and is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Wednesday.

Though the program began as an employee initiative, Elizabeth Churchill, the administrative coordinator of outpatient care services and director of the Wellness Farm, wants all UNC students and faculty to feel welcome at the market.

“Students want to stay healthy too, and this is just a short walk or bus ride away from their dorms,” Churchill said. “Students can pick up a basket of peaches and snack off that all week.”

The vendors also get a good deal because there is less vendor competition and a large crowd to sell to.

“I love coming here because there’s air conditioning and valet parking,” Bob Davidson of Carrboro Tropicals said. “It’s easy to sell here because you don’t have to worry about the weather.”

Davidson, who sells blooming orchids, said he loves seeing kids’ faces light up when they see the bright flowers at his stand.

Sally Jo Slusher of PlowGirl Farm joined the Wellness Market last year and has come back ever since. Slusher said access to fresh food can make people not only healthier, but also happier.

“I feel lucky that I’m able to be a part of this,” Slusher said. “This is how I make my living, but it is also what I love doing. I feel blessed to be able to share that with people.”

The market is relaxed despite the busy hospital atmosphere. Staff members come to the market to pick up groceries and take a break from their busy schedules.

Churchill said patients schedule appointments on Wednesdays so they can visit the market, and children in the hospital beg the nurses to take them on a walk through the vendor isle.

Other hospitals have opened farmers’ markets in recent years, including the University of California San Francisco Medical Center and Vanderbilt Medical Center. The UNC Wellness Market is one of the few indoor farmers markets on the east coast.

This fall, the market will host a harvest fair the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

“The market is a hidden gem,” said Churchill. “The staff here love it and we want to share it with the larger UNC community.”

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