Farmers Market Starting Up This Week
New Farmers Market banners on the light posts downtown.
The Manchester Farmers Market is set to open for the season this Thursday, May 8 from 4-8pm. It will be operating in the same location as previous years on Adrian street. Like last year, all produce for sale will be grown within 100 miles of Manchester, in Michigan and the market will run through the end of October, with reduced hours in the fall. The farmers market organizers are hoping to provide 20 to 24 high quality vendors per week on average.
New this summer, 50 or more $1 farmers market coupons will be distributed each week in a different location. This Thursday, to start things out, they will be given out between 6 and 7pm right at the farmers market.
photo courtesy of the Farmers Market Committee
Also new this summer to the farmers market will be a space sponsored by the library, which, each week, will feature a different free event focused on gardening, healthy eating or exercising. These events will be demonstrations, displays, mini-classes, and/or interactive hands-on activities and most will be put on by the Community Garden Committee. This Thursday, the committee will be demonstrating square foot gardening techniques. If you have been curious about square foot gardening, now is your time to ask questions. If you’ve never heard of square foot gardening, come check it out; it is a neat method of building, planning and planting raised garden beds.
Future library sponsored events in May include a rain garden discussion on May 15, a yoga and/or Zumba demo on May 22, and a guerrilla gardening display and seed bomb make-and-take on May 29. Event topics later in the summer include strawberries, composting, food dehydration, herbs, salad-in-a-jar, lacto-fermentation, canning and many more. In addition to the sponsored events, the library is in the process of building a recipe kiosk. This would allow farmers market attendees to survey the produce available for sale and look up on the internet recipes based on the specific produce and print them off.
photo courtesy of the Farmers Market Committee
Music will be back in full swing at the farmers market. Either via DJ as last year, or, on 5 separate occasions, live music. To kick off the live music performances, on May 15, Anne and Ron Capps will be performing at the farmers market. The popular business expo and fairy festival will both also return this year.
Every month the farmers market will feature a vendor. This month it is Marks Farms. According to the May 2014 5H Farmers Market Newsletter, Marks Farms was established in 1974. They grew field crops and veggies as well as raising 5 children. Deb’s youngest son, Ben, has continued to grow vegetables, and helped start a CSA program with youngest daughter Sarah. They also raise Beefalo.
Produce to look for at May’s markets include asparagus, greens, and spring onions May is also the time for flats and flower baskets and all seasons are good seasons for baked goods, soaps, maple syrup, honey and handmade goods.
photo courtesy of the Farmers Market Committee
If you are interested in selling at the farmers market, you can rent a 12’x12’ stall for $6/ market day or $100/ full season. You can acquire an application by emailing farmersmarket48158@gmail.com or call 734-428-7872. All vendors must own general liability insurance and must include a copy when turning in an application. Vendors are also required to follow correct licensing procedures and/or cottage law procedures. Kitty Crutchfield will be returning as the market manager this summer.
If you would like to keep up to date with what is coming each week, email farmersmarket48158@gmail.com with "add to email list for weekly - what's at the market” in the subject line or visit the farmers market’s new website at www.manchesterfarmmarket.com, which will be up and running soon and will be updated weekly.
The Mission of the Manchester Farmers' Market is to provide a setting where local farmers, producers, and artisans can come together to provide a variety of fresh produce and related products directly to the consumer. The market will encourage direct communication between consumers and growers, foster social and community connections and promote nutritious food choices.
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