The second annual FAMUly Harvest Festival made its mark on the community once again.
The Harvest Festival is an annual community event centered around agro-ecology, including all-natural vendors, educational stations, nutritional food options and more.
Community-centered events such as this one provide opportunities to create long-lasting memories for their attendees through educational activities and networking opportunities.
Monique Brown, a fourth-year psychology major at FAMU, said her favorite moment while at Sunday’s Harvest Festival was smiling with everyone.
“Coming to a place where there is no tension, everyone is kind and nice to each other … I smiled the whole time I was here,” Brown said. “My biggest thing is community, people coming together, smiling and laughing with one another and being able to go home and saying that you had a good day.”
While creating long-lasting memories, the Harvest Festival impacts the community positively, showing the importance of agro-ecology to all ages.
Brown said exposure to the community garden and understanding why it is essential to know where your produce comes from is the importance of this event.
“We have areas where we can come and get greens to help with the Black community,” Brown said. “Bringing awareness to our health and a better community.”
Tristin Clark, a fourth-year social work student, said events such as the Harvest Festival are essential because of the interactions and extra knowledge you gain.
“It’s important to have events like this in the community because one, not only does it bring people out and allow them to engage and network with one another,” Clark said. “But it also teaches people things; it allows them to generate sustainable living.”
Harvest Festival volunteer Junel Jones said the event promotes the importance of having community-centered events.
“It is important because we are promoting growth and awareness of food and agriculture in the community,” Jones said.
Future Harvest Festivals will continue to positively impact the Tallahassee community, especially if people who attended this year tell others about their experience at the festival.
Brown, a Tallahassee native, said she would spread the word to her family.
“I can make it known to my family members that things like this are free,” Brown said. “The table I was at was giving away free kale, turnips and mustards. So, being able to plant those on your own to be able to provide your own vegetables and things like that.”
Clark said that if she could come again next year, she would.
“I feel like it was very insightful,” Clark said. “It had a lot of benefits. I learned the importance of compost, how to create my own compost, what it is to create your own vegetables and fruits and things of that nature.”
The Harvest Festival is a FAMUly occasion that is beneficial and interactive for all ages.