Most days of the week, The Gate, a multipurpose space located on the ground floor of Alumnae Hall, lies nearly empty. But every Thursday, the room is filled with fresh produce from farms across Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
For the past 20 years, the Brown Market Shares Program has provided locally sourced food for Brown students, staff and community members. The BMSP is a recognized food hub by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The club is also planning to apply for more grants and wants to receive more funding from the University, according to Nikhil Ahn ’27, the program’s subsidized coordinator. Most of the program’s funds come from the Graduate School and internal sources.
“We want to make produce — and supporting the local agricultural economy — affordable for everyone,” he said.
The BMSP aims to increase program accessibility by providing subsidized plans, Ahn said. The program has a full cost option, and the subsidized program offers mid-or low-tier cost membership options.
Shareholders for the subsidized program — who are largely graduate students — qualify for the program based on their income bracket. Most undergraduate students are not eligible for subsidized rates.
The BMSP currently has around 370 stakeholders, and currently manages over $100,000 according to Rosie Yanowitch ’27, the program’s finance coordinator.
“It has taught me so much about what it means to be a leader and an organizer,” said Yanowitch, who is responsible for paying the farmers and managing the organization’s budget.
BMSP has a wide range of about a dozen partner farms across New England. Allen Farms grows greens and herbs, while Langwater Farm cultivates fruits and berries. The team sources meat from Pat's Pastured and dairy from Narragansett Creamery, Rhody Fresh and Sweet and Salty Farm.
Since many of the farms are family owned, the “farmers themselves” bring goods to BMSP “in the morning every Thursday,” Ahn said. Shareholders then pick up their shares anytime between noon and 6 p.m, according to Scott.
According to Katya Scott ’26, the program’s operations coordinator, the market was formerly held in Hillel, but moved locations last semester due to space and supply issues.
“Since we’ve changed locations, we run a tighter ship now,” Scott said. “Each year as problems arise, we slowly work to fix them.”
The BMSP has about 70 volunteers and six people on the e-board, Scott added. Throughout the week, program coordinators work with vendors and inform shareholders of available produce in anticipation of the weekly Thursday market.
Adjunct Lecturer in Africana Studies Stacey Robinson ’96 has been a shareholder since 2022. Robinson said that she gets the full share, which includes “vegetables and sometimes fruits.” She also occasionally gets the mushroom share.
“A lot of the shareholders have been in the program for a long time,” Robinson noted. Some shareholders have participated in BMSP for over 10 seasons, Yanowitch said.
“You get amazing, local produce, and it connects you back to the land,” Robinson added. “It's just a delightful thing to be part of and literally be nourished by.”
