Manchester Won’t be a Food Desert – Winter Farmers Market Starts Nov. 1st

327 W. Main St., the future home of Acorn Farmers Market & Cafe will serve as the location of a 3-times weekly indoor winter farmers market beginning November 1st!

submitted by Ruth VanBogelen, Manchester Farmers Market

The Manchester Farmers Market has another month of Thursday markets at ChiBro Park and then will move indoors for a Winters Farmers Market starting November 1^st.  But instead of just one afternoon a week, the Winter Farmers Market will be open Thursdays 3-7 pm, Fridays 3-7 pm and Saturday 9 am – 1 pm.  Three, yes 3, opportunities a week to buy fresh local food in Manchester.  The Winter Farmers Market will serve as a transition between the Manchester Farmers Market which has been hosting a farmers market at Chi-Bro Park as a seasonal market from May through Oct for several years and the spring 2020 opening of Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café which is a new nonprofit store which will sell local fresh food and some café items. 

The location of the Winter Farmers Market is 327 W. Main St.  Watch for some changes to the building soon – just minor changes.  Acorn is still fund raising for more major changes planned before the grand opening of Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café. 

The goals of the Winter Farmers Market are:

• Provide local farmers, artisans, etc. with an opportunity to sell their products at an indoor location.  You’ll find many of the summer vendors at the indoor market!
• Provide area residents with a location 3 days a week to buy food for meals + other items.
• Use the Winter Farmers Market as a fund-raiser for Acorn Farmers’ Market & Cafe

What will be the same and what will be different at the Winter Farmers Market?

1. Vendor will have the option to sell directly to customers or can choose to deliver food items and have the market manager sell the items (on consignment).  For consignment items, customers can pay by cash, check, credit and debit car, SNAP, DUFB and CRC wooden nickels.
2. There will be refrigerator and freezer space and produce shelving so the look will be a little closer to a typical indoor food store.  But some vendors will still bring their own tables.  The market room will look like a hybrid between a farmers market and a food store!
3. Craft and other fun classes and demonstrations will be held most of the market days – all priced very reasonably.  Class fees will go directly to Acorn as fund-raising events.  A calendar of classes will be available mid October.   
4. The Acorn Donation Store will be open during all markets.  The donation store will have items created by local artisans (and donated by these artisans) for sale and all proceeds will go to Acorn as a fund-raising to help cover start-up costs.  This store will be a great opportunity for holiday and special event shopping – for a good local cause!

Volunteer opportunities.  Email farmersmarket48158@gmail.com if you’d like to volunteer.

• Painting indoors and outdoors will begin this week.  Some repairs to the drywall, etc. are also needed.
• Decorating outside and indoors for the fall season now and holiday and winter season later.  Ideas and or donated items would be very helpful.
• Planning the craft and other fun classes.  If you’d to run a class or have ideas for classes you are interested in, let us know! 
• Recruiting and/or donating items for the Donation Store and helping setting up displays for this area
• Helping out the market manager on market days once the market opens.
• If you have other ideas about how to make the Winter Farmers Market a great place to buy local food and a fun community event, let us know!

Interested in being a Vendor? 

October 1 the vendor application will be available at the Farmers Market  (Thursdays at ChiBro Park) and on the Farmers Market website www.manchesterfarmmarket.com.  Space is limited and current vendors of the farmers market are being given the opportunity to reserve space before October 1.  The application includes a reservation form.  Vending space is $15 daily, $30 weekly (Thursday, Friday, Saturday of the same week), $120 monthly (calendar month).  For vendors interested in selling on consignment, there are restrictions set by MDARD.  Basically, food that is not ready to eat is allowed.  Examples of items that can be sold on consignment are produce, frozen meat from a licensed producer and processed in a USDA facility, honey, baked goods prepared in a commercial kitchen.  Examples of items that cannot be sold on consignment include baked goods make in a home kitchen.  Email farmersmarket48158@gmail.com if you have questions about being a vendor. 

Just to let everyone know, the decision about whether the Farmers Market at ChiBro Park will be continued after Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café opens has not been made yet.  The current Farmers Market is planned and executed by a Committee of the Village of Manchester, and this Committee is responsible for finding all funds (grants, donations, vendor fees) to operate the market each year.  The Farmers Market Committee and Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café Board of Directors are working together to host the Winter Farmers Market. 

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.