Acorn approaching the finish line of Patronicity campaign

The Westbound Situation Trio performed lively string music to entertain shoppers at the Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café corn roast on Saturday. And the temperature on the corn-o-meter continues to rise in the background!

UPDATE: with three days left, Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café has exceeded its $50,000 goal and will receive $50,000 in matching funds from the Michigan Economic Development Commission (MEDC). The fund-raising drive will continue through Thursday, Sept. 10, so there is still time to donate and help this non-profit effort succeed. All donations are tax-deductible. Congratulations to the all-volunteer Acorn Board and congratulations to the 321 donors of Manchester and beyond for their help in reaching this goal. 

Just a few more days and the Patronicity fundraising drive to benefit the Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café will draw to a close. According to Acorn Board member Megan DeLeeuw, “it has sometimes seemed like 10 years,” although it’s really only been two months since the fund-raiser started. But in the end, it will all be worth it.

The drive is getting close to its $50,000 goal, with a total of $48,150 pledged as of Monday morning and three days still remaining to reach the pinnacle.

If the full $50,000 is not pledged by Thursday at 11 pm, Acorn will receive all of the monies donated by the community, but will fall short of achieving a matching $50,000 grant from the MEDC, which would allow them to make significant changes to the building, that will accommodate more products, more shoppers, and more services for the community.

With the full $100,000 funding, however, Acorn Farmers’ Market and Café will be able to fully respond to the fresh food gap created in Manchester by the closing of the Manchester Market in the winter of 2019. This can be done in the following ways:

• operating a fresh food store and café (70-90 hours per week);
• partnering with local farmers and entrepreneurs to sell food products on consignment;
• partnering with community organizations to deliver educational, food-related programming;
• engaging partners to assess wellness impacts; and
• advancing local food production and entrepreneurship in the region

Acorn is on the cusp of making huge things happen in Manchester! The community can be proud of this grass-roots effort that is committed to growing our local farmers’ market from a one-day-a-week open air market in the park, into a full-time store that will provide a wide variety of products that Manchester has been missing for the past year and a half.

In the near future, assuming the full grant is received, local residents will no longer need to drive out of town to be able to get fresh vegetables, locally produced meats, bakery-fresh goods, and more. The planned greenhouse café will allow Acorn to showcase its varied products to Manchester diners in a practical and fun way. A bi-monthly open air market is also being considered to allow non-licensed vendors and crafters to share the Acorn parking lot space.

These ideas and so much more, can happen once the plan becomes a reality. Don’t forget to be a part of this exciting future, by making a donation at www.patronicity.com/acorn, before 11 pm this Thursday!

Acorn is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a volunteer board of directors. Its Mission Statement is: To model a rural, community-driven market and gathering place that provides access to fresh food and supports the economic viability of area farmers by promoting education, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.

Shoppers are now allowed indoors on Saturdays, two at a time, at Acorn.

The Manchester Men’s Club members were smiling under their masks as they cooked the corn.

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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.