Spring/Summer Farmers Market to be held at Acorn, not ChiBro Park, 3 days a week

submitted by Ruth Van Bogelen

Manchester residents will be able to continue to enjoy a farmers market three days per week this spring and summer. The market will continue to be at 327 W. Main St – the site of Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café later this year. The days and hours will continue to be the same – Thursdays and Fridays 3-7 pm and Saturday 9 am – 1 pm. There will not be a farmers market at ChiBro park this year. 

The Farmers Market Committee (committee reporting to the Village Council) made the decision recently to defer the operation of the farmers market to Acorn for multiple reasons:

1) Market is open more days per week, which means fresh, local food will be more available to residents

2) Both large produce vendors the market has had previously would not be attending (Marks Farm likes the consignment model at Acorn and Frog Hollar Farm (Charlie Jackson) has moved to Ohio)

3) The market previously relied on grant funds to operate ($5000 – $8000 a year) which was granted by 5 Healthy Towns Foundations because the market by selling produce was supporting their “Eat Better” focus area. Without the large produce vendors, the market would no longer qualify for grant funding.

4) The three-day a week market is more financially beneficial to local food producers. As of March 7, vendors selling on consignment or directly to customers have made more than $36,000.

Many people have asked what will be available for vendors who sell non-food items at the market. The answer is two-fold: 1) there will be space for some daily vendors all three days, and 2) we encourage those vendors to participate in Third Thursdays this year. Anyone interested in vendor space at the farmers market should email farmersmarket48158@gmail.com for an application.

And what about all the events the market hosted? The Acorn Board of Directors is already working on lining up some events. For example, a series of cooking classes which will be a free event. A list of events will be available sometime in April.

As for the conversion from a three-day a week farmers market to the Acorn store which will be open 70-90 hours a week, The Acorn BOD continues its fundraising efforts, getting closer to reaching the goal needed to start modifications to the building and purchase of additional equipment needed.

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by Sara Swanson

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