Culinology Student Goes Local

As noted in a recent New Jersey community paper, a Culinology student from Rutgers University has been instrumental in establishing a new farmers’ market in the area, the Rutgers Gardens Farmers Market. Each week, the market will feature an assortment of locally produced produce, dairy, meat and horticultural products.

As noted in the article, the idea for the market began with Paul Valetutti, a Rutgers student studying Culinology; Carol Rutgers, director of the Cook College Cooperative Education Program; and Bruce Crawford, director of the gardens. Valetutti is earning college credit for his role in the project.

“It turned into a larger-than-life project,” says Valetutti. “You’re opening a business, except you’re not working with your own money, you’re working with other people's money.”

Valetutti is now manager of the farmers’ market. His responsibilities include attracting local vendors and helping vendors work with university dining services to try to buy leftovers to use on their menu. He also started a slow food chapter at the school to promote local products, and creates recipes that he makes available for market patrons.

Valetutti said a market setting is appealing because of “the price of gas, and people becoming more conscious about where food comes from. There’s also a certain sense of self-worth when you’re handing a farmer cash and he’s handing you fresh produce.”

For more information, visit the Rutgers Gardens website.