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The United States has seen more and more people embrace the ideas and practices of vegetarianism. For motives ranging from animal rights to better health, an increasing number of people are trading hamburgers for tofu burgers and steaks for salads. At ETSU, another motivator came along in mid-October with the opening of the Earth Fare food store on State of Franklin just next to campus.
“I waited for literally months to shop at Earth Fare,” said junior nursing major Kelly Franks a few weeks after the opening. “I’ve been planning to try vegetarianism for a long time. I figure this is a good time to give it a go.”
Earth Fare is a supermarket style food store chain that boasts a selection of fresh, locally grown fruits and veggies that help consumers make more healthy choices in the foods they eat. The store motto seems to say it all – “If you don’t need it, why eat it?”
But outside the mottos and mission statements of the chain itself, has the opening of the new Earth Fare done anything to change the thoughts of ETSU students toward vegetarianism, and are people even willing to try a vegetarian diet for a while?
At least a few, like senior business major Brittany Carson, see the store’s opening as good reasoning for a vegetarian experiment. “I never did a lot of vegetarian shopping,” she said, “but now I’m giving the vegetarian diet a try for a couple of weeks. It’s going well.”
Will Joseph, an undeclared freshman, echoed these sentiments. “I’ve never really thought about being vegetarian before,” he said, “but with Earth Fare being so close and convenient, I think I might actually give it a try.”
He also indicated, however, that he really likes meat and breaking free from that wouldn’t be a lifestyle that he would be able to sustain. The curiosity is what drives him.
“Why not?” he said. “I might like it.”