The UMass Permaculture organization has been organizing its weekly student farmers markets in spring and fall, but this year’s event was something special. The Goodell Lawn was transformed into a vibrant celebration of sustainability, featuring a wide range of vendors, activities, and entertainment. The event, known as the Earth Day Extravaganza, was a showcase of the campus’s commitment to sustainability and climate activism. It was planned by UMass Permaculture, Sustainable UMass, and the Student Government Association, with the goal of promoting sustainability and conservation throughout the UMass community. The extravaganza was not just a farmers market, but a celebration of the entire UMass community. Students could walk through a Thrift Village of dozens of student-run thrift stores, take a photo under Stockbridge Floral Design’s flower photobooth with a handmade bouquet, and purchase vegetable seedlings from the Student Farm. There were also a large selection of hand-made plushies, jewelry, crystals, and upcycled trinkets available for purchase. “This is why we call it an extravaganza,” said Ezra Small, campus sustainability manager. “It’s not just a farmers market, it’s everyone on campus coming together to celebrate sustainability and climate activism.”
The event was a huge success, with 180 vendors participating. It was also the biggest one yet, with a wide range of activities and entertainment options. The size of the event was not the only difference this year. As the Trump administration continues to slash funding for executive departments regulating ecosystems and roll back environmental protections, the event was more important than ever. “It’s all the more important that this event is established,” said Liana Rosenblum, UMass Permaculture student coordinator. “We’re already building a space that students can come to learn about creative climate solutions.”
A key part of these climate solutions is the concept of eco-renewers, which refers to vendors and businesses that offer alternatives to mass-produced material goods. Students can purchase locally raised meats from the Stockbridge Livestock Program instead of poultry and beef from large-scale farms. Thifted, upcycled, or repaired clothing creates a circular fashion economy that rejects the fast fashion industry. “Our whole point is to make sustainable fashion and art accessible to the student body,” said Lynn Jang, owner of a sustainable fashion brand. “So the fact that you can just walk by, that it’s really close, especially for people without transportation.”
The event also featured a variety of sustainability-centered student clubs, such as the Sunrise Movement, Forestry Club, and Reproductive Justice Club. Sustainable UMass tabled at the extravaganza to sign up volunteers for the New2U program, a move-out program that collects donated or rejected items from students during move-out and sells them to students at a tag sale the following fall semester. The festival was filled with whimsical touches, from the bike-powered blender churning out smoothies to the North Atlantic right whale inflatable named Walter who sat under MassPIRG’s large tent. MassPIRG is leading a campaign to persuade lawmakers to stand against “anti-ocean legislation” that could increase fishing and ship activity during right whale migration season. “We have to make winds where we can and we can have fun while doing it,” said Emily Olson, MassPIRG student organizer.
