Rita Marsh: Hi Marilyn. Thanks for inviting me by to talk about Spring into Wellness 2025.
Marilyn Gleason: So Spring into wellness is the theme for this first Friday, and it's really coming from this event that you've been running for all of, for a decade now.
RM: Yes, for 10 years. It's been the first Friday in April to put the showcase on getting active, getting fit, learning about the health practitioners and businesses in our community and beyond. And in the last three, four years, we've invited in the young farmers, the folks that are growing good food for us. We believe that health begins. From the ground up. So we want the young farmers to come out and let us know what they're gonna be doing for their CSAs this summer.
MG: And can you talk a little bit about CSAs that's community supported agriculture, for anybody who doesn't know all about it already?
RM: Well, we know that there are several young farmers and older farmers in the valley who are turning their soil over and bringing produce. They show up at the farmer's market here in Carbondale. And uh, some of them, um, you have to go to their farms to pick up produce. But it's really important that we in our community know where our food is sourced from.
MG: So it's kind of an informational market. There's gonna be a bunch of booths, but people aren't really selling things. They're just, um, talking to people and getting some information out there.
RM: That's right. And there's tables, people circulate around the gym at the rec center and we're also including businesses in the wellness industry in town to show up and have open houses.
MG: And you're still looking for more people to man these tables,
RM: that's one of the reasons I came by today. We're still accepting applications for businesses and young farmers to join us at. The rec center from five to eight on the fourth.
MG: What else is gonna be going on there? I heard something about Bingo.
RM: Well, that's a unique game. We game, we started playing years ago where people pick up a card, they go around and talk to folks at the table, get the card initial, drop it in a box in. Those cards get drawn for wonderful prizes that the vendors, the businesses who are involved in spring into wellness, donate
MG: Any businesses you'd especially like to highlight or that you might be looking for to show up on Friday?
RM: People in who are counseling and nutrition. That would be great to have those folks come. Anybody who's willing to give samples of massage or other body work that would be appreciated and, uh, just, uh. Anyone who's really interested in getting to know other folks in the wellness business, this is a great opportunity for the people to circulate and get to know who's in the community.
MG: Do you wanna expound a little bit on your theme, which is wellness? What is it? Wellness from the ground up?
RM: Yes.
MG: Yeah. Um, talk about that a little.
RM: We're looking to encourage people to eat locally and eat organically and really increase the amount of vegetables that they eat because we know that this is a basis for healthy living. For years we've been working with Dr. Greg Feinsinger who supports plant-based eating, and we have a potluck once a month at the Third Street Center, the Center for Human Flourishing Sponsors. So we really wanna spread this word into the community and get folks aware of where they can resource good food here in our valley.
