The University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix campus is working to increase awareness of its monthly Wellness Market in response to a decline in participating vendors and attendance.
The Wellness Market is a monthly public market designed to bring together healthy foods, basic free medical services and information on healthy living in a single location.
“A lot of people go to farmers markets because they want to eat healthy,” the college’s Director of Public Health Dr. Farshad Fani Marvasti, who goes by Dr. Shad, said. “The purpose was to really go beyond a traditional farmers market and really try to have a place where you can talk about the connection between healthy eating and medicine.”
While the market typically includes around a dozen different local vendors joined by representatives of the College of Medicine as well as clinical services provided by Wesley Community & Health Centers, this month had a turnout of less than half of that.
“We normally have a lot more vendors here. We’ll have fresh produce, and we’ll have a health clinic that will provide some free services, but none of them were able to be here today,” Dr. Shad said. “Part of it was just December being a difficult month with other commitments, but it was also about not getting the word out well enough.”
This lack of public awareness was echoed by some of those selling goods at the event as well.
“I think it’s hard to remind people that we’re here,” said Jaime Deahl, a local vendor. “There’s not an easy way to remind these people working in the buildings down here that ‘hey, we’re down here, come down!’”
Without customers from the surrounding university or nearby office buildings, many vendors have little incentive to sell at the event.
“There are really a lot fewer options here now,” said Savannah Scott, a student at the University of Arizona. “I normally try to avoid eating lunch when I know the market is going to be here so I can try something that I don’t usually eat, but there aren’t a lot of choices today.”
This lack of variety only worsens attendance even further.
“It’s a bit of a vicious cycle. You have a month where not a lot of customers show up, so then vendors pull out, but then there isn’t as much variety so you have less people stopping by,” Deahl said.
In response, the college is looking to increase awareness as well as attract additional vendors.
“I think we’re trying to find what makes sense and what doesn’t. We were late in getting the word out this month, and so we’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” Dr. Shad said. “The College of Medicine is also looking at working with a few other local Phoenix companies to create a larger farmers market, but that hasn’t materialized yet.”
The market has taken place on the second Tuesday of every month in front of the Health Sciences Education Building at 435 N. Fifth St. since it first opened in October 2018. Starting this month, it takes place on the first Tuesday of every month.
Contact the reporter at mrpatto2@asu.edu.
