Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café update

submitted by Ruth VanBogelen, Acorn Farmers Market Board

In February, the idea of starting a year around farmers market store in Manchester emerged. Now, nine months later, there is a store in Manchester selling locally grown/produce food items. The store at 327 W. Main St is open Thursdays and Fridays 3 – 7 pm and Saturday 9 am – 1 pm. The winter farmers market is an interim operating model before work begins to turn the store into Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café. 

The first week of the Winter Farmers Market went well, with about 300 people visiting the market on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. This helped local farmers earn nearly $1,800 during eight hours of the market.  We thank everyone who came and bought food to make healthy food at home for their families all while supporting local farms! Keep coming – these vendors and more will be selling this week and in future weeks! 

There is more good news to share! Last week, the Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café Board of Directors learned that St Joseph Mercy Chelsea will grant Acorn $25,000 to help pay for the construction and equipment for the planned commercial kitchen. The commercial kitchen is a very important part of Acorn's non-profit goals. This makes it possible to offer cooking classes, canning classes, and more to assist people in preparing healthy, low-cost meals to their families using locally-grown food. In addition to making food items to sell to customers, a dream goal of the Board of Directors is to offer Meals on Wheels to area residents using fresh, locally-grown food. The Community Resource Center will continue to be a key partner; guiding Acorn to offer what area residents need and connecting us with experts to assist in classes. 

In May, Acorn announced fundraising goals of $200,000 to renovate and equip Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café. In addition to the $25,000 from St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea, Acorn has received $25,000 from 5 Healthy Towns Foundation (through the Manchester Wellness Coalition) which was used to purchase the refrigerator and freezer units and the Point of Sale system now in use for the Winter Market and the produce stations which will be installed during the renovations. 5 Healthy Towns Foundation also provided $500 to pay most of the application fee to become a non-profit, and another $500 for training provided by Argus Farm Stop to help jump start how to run a farmers market store. An anonymous donor gave $10,000 and 18 others have donated a total of $6,025. The Manchester Farmers Market contributed their portion of the proceeds from this year’s Farm to Table to Acorn ($2670) and are providing funding to pay for the market managers plus other expenses of the Winter Farmers Market.

There is even more good news! The Village of Manchester has completed the application for Redevelopment Ready Communities, a program offered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC http://www.miplace.org/rrc/). This makes Acorn eligible to apply for $50,000 from MEDC if we can raise $50,000 in matching funds though a crowd-funding campaign. This $100,000 has to be the last $100,000 needed to finish the project. 

Status report:  Acorn needs to raise another approximately $30,000 more to apply to MEDC. We are applying for more grants and requesting corporate contributions. We also have fundraising activities going on at the Winter Farmers Market including market classes and a Market Nook (donated crafts and art). Once the first $100,000 goal is reached, we’ll ask area residents (and their friends and families around the world), businesses and others to help us raise the $50,000 through Patronicity (a crowd funding site like Go Fund Me) so that Acorn can receive the $50,000 grant from MEDC. Donations are accepted at the website acornfarmersmarketcafe.org, or mail to Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café, PO BOX 432, Manchester, MI 48158. Acorn is a 501c3 organization.

by Sara Swanson

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