Discover(ing) Sustainability

Early last Saturday morning, UNH junior Hillary Thomas could be found unloading crates of potatoes and onions in the Exeter High School parking lot, dressed for the 18 degree weather. She and a crew of community volunteers were helping farmers and fishermen carry truckloads of vegetables, meat, and shrimp into the high school cafeteria for an indoor Winter Farmers’ Market, organized by Seacoast Eat Local.

Since September, Hillary has been interning with Seacoast Eat Local as part of the UNH Sustainability Internship Program. She helps farmers and food vendors set up for the markets, answers customers’ questions at the market information booth, and works to publicize and promote the winter market events. The outreach effort is working! The last market drew 1,650+ customers.

Hillary has decided to continue her internship into the Spring semester, when she’ll be joined by a second UNH intern, senior Sarah Jacobson, who also coordinates the UNH Slow Food chapter. Over the next few months, Hillary and Sarah will be contacting local farms to collect up-to-date information for the 2010 Seacoast Harvest local food guide.

Find out more about the good work students are doing! Visit the student intern blog.