Students looking to bring local produce into their diets will not have to wait for the farmers’ market to return to Lowry Mall.
The Seasonal and Simple app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices, provides users with information they need to find and prepare locally grown fruits and vegetables.
With the help of MU Extension, students and faculty in journalism and computer science programs developed the app. MU Extension associate Cindy DeBlauw said the product has many different functions.
“It’s a great guide for helping people figure out what fruits and vegetables to buy,” DeBlauw said. “It helps you figure out what type of nutrients you’re getting, so it can help you eat a well-balanced diet. It also has some great recipes that give you different ideas about how you might try a fruit or vegetable.”
There are three charts listed under the “in season” tab which show users which fruits and vegetables are available during each of the three growing seasons — spring, summer and fall. The charts are divided by month, further detailing the time-frame during which various crops are at their peak.
Seasonal and Simple was originally a hard copy publication printed in 2009, but the data was developed into a mobile-friendly format for consumers to use on-the-go.
“That’s the great thing about this; you can take it to a farmers’ market and use it while you’re there at the actual point of purchase,” DeBlauw said.
The creators of Seasonal and Simple used MU Extension databases to develop a list of farmers’ markets throughout Missouri. The list is maintained through a collaborative effort between MU and the Missouri Department of Agriculture, DeBlauw said.
For those not as familiar with local farmers’ markets, the app has a “Find It” tab that contains information on more than 150 farmers’ markets in Missouri. For any particular market, users can find the market’s location, hours of operation and personnel contact information.
The app is geared toward anybody making purchasing decisions, DeBlauw said. This would include students living off-campus who cook their own food on a regular basis.
“If you’re a young person who’s never lived out on your own before and you’re doing your own food preparation for the first time, you might not have any idea on how whoever prepared the food at home actually selected that food and got it to you,” DeBlauw said.
Junior Sarah Fuller, who recently became a vegan after being a vegetarian since the 8th grade, said she liked the recipe section of the app because it provides ideas for refreshing summer snacks, like cantaloupe coolers.
“Dining halls try to cater to vegan, but it gets very repetitive,” Fuller said. “It’s nice to have the option of fresh vegetables and fruits that I can cook for myself.”
DeBlauw said since the app’s initial launch on June 13, 2012, the Android version has been downloaded more than 1,000 times. Data for the iOS version was not available, she said.
The challenging part is keeping information up-to-date when it comes to providing the hours of operation and locations of local markets, DeBlauw said.
“Sometimes markets are a bit transient; they set up in one location this year, but next year they may be moving (elsewhere),” she said.
DeBlauw said MU Extension personnel will follow-up with market organizers, most likely during the winter, to make sure the information remains accurate for the following year.
