Added on July 22, 2019  Sara Swanson

Support Acorn Market’s Design Phase Today

By Megan DeLeeuw, Board Chairperson, Acorn Farmers’ Market and Cafe

Since the closure of the Manchester Market, a team of volunteers has been laying the groundwork for a non-profit market and café that will sell local farm products and host a range of food-related educational activities for the whole community, six days a week.  To transform the existing building, the Acorn Board is working to raise a total of $200,000 from a combination of grants, corporate sponsorships and community contributions. Once Acorn opens its doors, the café and market operations will be self-sustaining.

Here’s how the ambitious project has progressed so far:

• A fundraising plan is in place
• We have raised $25,500 from the 5 Heathy Towns Foundation specifically for a commercial kitchen and $5,000 from board members, the Manchester Men’s Club and individual donors
• A preliminary design for the interior renovations by Curt Titus Design is guiding our conversations with contractors. 

This month, we are working on an important goal to raise $25,000 by the end of August to meet our most immediate needs which include: 

• $2,700 for rent (August-October)
• $5,500 for professional services (legal, architectural drawings, designs)
• $600 for professional training (Argus Farm Stop hosts a training on operations development which will save us a lot of time and effort in creating our own systems)
• $1,500 insurance (estimate allowing us to host pop-up market this fall/winter in Acorn)
• $250 utilities (water, electricity through October)
• $150 administrative costs (checks, stamps, website)

Here’s how you can help:

Make a donation now

Just as every member of our community will benefit from Acorn’s services, every member’s contribution will help make it happen.  Donations of any size will be meaningful. We need individuals who are able to donate now so that we can meet our immediate expenses.

Bring your business on board

We are inviting business leaders to promote their support for our rural economy and our community’s health.  Visit www.acornfarmersmarketcafe.org for more information about rewards for our corporate sponsors at levels ranging from $250 – $15,000+.  For instance, add your logo to our website ($1000+), add your name to a storefront banner ($5,000+), or add a sandwich in your name to the cafe’s inaugural menu ($10,000+).  

Join our team of grant writers

As we move from the Design Phase to the Build Phase, our fundraising plan includes grant seeking from a select list of local and regional foundations.  If you have experience in grant writing, or if you have a knack for writing and would like to learn from fundraising professionals as a volunteer, we can use your talents 

Help plan a crowd-funding campaign

The last, vital, piece of our fundraising plan will be a late-Fall or Winter crowdfunding campaign through Michigan Economic Development Council’s “Public Spaces Community Places“ program. If we raise $50,000 in donations from our community during the online campaign, MEDC will donate the final $50,000 to accomplish our project. To be successful, we’ll need volunteers to help design, plan and execute the campaign.  If you would be proud to represent Acorn among your friend groups, and to represent your friend groups as we’re planning what rewards would be exciting to offer donors, we need you. 

Please consider how you can contribute today to this project to help Manchester thrive, even as some of our important businesses are closing.  Donations may be made online at acornfarmersmarketcafe.org  or mailed to Acorn Farmers’ Market and Café PO Box 432, W. Main St. To volunteer, email Acorn Vice Chair Linda Knox at Linda.K.Knox@gmail.com.