Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café: So Many Community Connections

This letter is written to the community on behalf of the Acorn Farmers Market & Café, by board member Ruth VanBogelen. It is part of a series of articles submitted by the Acorn Board of Directors, to promote the Patronicity drive supporting the new market in Manchester. As of Monday morning, the drive has $33,115 pledged toward its $50,000 goal (a little over 66%).

By Ruth VanBogelen, Acorn Board of Directors member

Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café became a non-profit (501C3) organization only 13 months ago but the reach to community connections is already significant. This article will provide a good glimpse into these connections using the following categories:

We help some groups like:

1. Small local businesses – Acorn is helping them to make money!
2. Food insecurity population – Acorn is making produce and other food items accessible

Some groups (and individuals) help us:

1. 5 Healthy Towns Foundation – Acorn has been the recipient of $70,000 in grants (through the
   Manchester Wellness Coalition) and $1000 in sponsorships
2. St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea – Acorn has been the recipient of $25,000 in grants
3. Former Manchester Farmers Market (fiscal agent Village of Manchester) – Acorn contracted to
   run the winter/spring/summer market
4. Other local non-profit groups – Acorn has received donations from Men’s Club and was
   selected for funding by the Manchester Chicken Broil Committee (to be received when the event resumes)
5. Many, many area residents – Acorn has received donations and of course, buyers for the food offered at Acorn (our wonderful customers!!)
6. Volunteers – Acorn has been very fortunate to have many volunteers who have donated over
   2,000 hours of their time (so far)!

It looks like we have received more than given so let’s expand on the list of groups we help. We have helped more than 40 small businesses by offering consignment sales or vendor space. For example, Noggle Farm, Fusilier Family Farm, Marks Farms & Greenhouse, Needle-Lane Farms, Wojcik Farms, Macon Creek Honey Company, Taylor Farms, Rocky Oak Farms, The Lakehouse Bakery and more. To date, Acorn has given back from consignment sales $50,000 to 25 small businesses and provided space for 18 vendors to sell $16,000 worth of items. That is a total of $66,000 in just 5 months! And once we have expanded the store capabilities and hours, we will add many new businesses as our collaborators and greatly increase consignment sales.

Food insecurity population is assisted in three ways:

1. Community Resource Center has a program that provides $10 in funds to spend at Acorn each week to buy produce, honey, eggs. There are around 75 people enrolled in this program. Not all
   participate, but we wish they would as the produce from local farms is so good and so nutritious!! November 2019 – July 2020 total for this program was $2576.
2. Community Resource Center receives unsold produce and bakery items each week for those who shop at the food pantry. These donations from local farmers average $250 worth of goods per week. The total from November 2019 through July 2020 is just short of $7,000.
3. EBT/SNAP – Acorn started accepting EBT in July 2020. For 2020, we did not offer Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) but will in 2021. DUFB as the program name describes provides $40 in spending for $20 in EBT benefits (available each week to customers at each market).

Again, once Acorn’s capacity and hours of operation have increased, we hope to reach out to more groups to provide free food. (e.g., Family Services, Senior Lunch Program). As a non-profit, there is no owner to make a profit from Acorn; instead profits will be reinvested into the community by the many programs, events and just offering community meeting space. Last week, we published in the Manchester Mirror some of the programs, but here is an overview. While we have held some programs and events, in 2021 the number and frequency will increase.

• Healthy eating – once Acorn community space is ready, healthy eating, food preparation, eating
  on a budget, etc. classes will start (either virtual during the pandemic and in person). Sometimes our farmers will be the instructors. See Noggles’ video at Acorn Farmers Market &
  Café Facebook page this week and their offer to show how to prepare delicious beef meals.
• Fun classes and connect with other activities. Last year in November and early December, Acorn hosted classes for wreath making, felted dryer balls, felt ornaments, wine bottle lamps, sewing koozies, etc. Plans are to offer fun activities frequently! In addition, Acorn will encourage groups to use our community space for connecting with others.
• Farm interactions. Acorn would love to help foster community members to get to know local
  farmers and to learn more about their businesses. For example, guest speakers at school for
  students. But we’d also like to have programs for farmers also – primarily focused on how to be
  more profitable by bringing in experts or even just hosting discussion groups.

Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café is currently crowdfunding to raise $50,000 to expand capabilities and greatly increase the number of hours per week we are open. If we raise the $50,000 by September 10, the Michigan Economic Development Corp will match every dollar. Once this is “done,” we can set up for being open 70 or more hours a week. Please help us reach this goal by donating online at www.patronicity.com/acorn or by mailing a check made out to Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café to PO Box 432, Manchester, MI 48158.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.