WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI — An Ann Arbor-area farmers market will celebrate its tenth birthday this summer.
The Pittsfield Township Farmers Market was established in accordance with the 2010 Master Plan to make fresh produce more accessible to families.
On June 1, the farmers market will celebrate its tenth anniversary as it opens for the season.
The market will treat attendees to various opening day activities, including live music from local jazz trio Djangophonique, take-home flower crafts, free prizes and the Briskets n’ Biscuits food truck.
Market-goers can also view a photo display showing the market’s history from its start in 2013 to today.
The market runs rain or shine 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays at Platt and Michigan Avenue, June through September, with free parking available. Its fresh goods are also available online year round.
“The Farmers Market is the perfect encapsulation of a myriad of goals outlined in Pittsfield’s Master Plan, the most important being promoting equity and sustainability,” Supervisor Mandy Grewal wrote in a statement. “That is why we took a chance a decade ago to pilot a Market in the heart of suburbia riddled with traffic congestion, which created a lot of doubt about its longterm viability.
“However, its success serves to further prove the fact that inclusive and vibrant public gathering spaces are the lifeblood of healthy communities.”
People can look forward to a lineup of special activities throughout the summer season, including scavenger hunts every third Thursday of the month, interactive music with Kevin Devine and live music by local artists such as Bob Skon, Jonathan Crayne, Stacey Murray, Grayson Alderink, Corn Daddy, Detroit Route 66 and The Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic. Attendees can also look forward to monthly cooking demos featuring guest chefs and local food artisans.
The market will also host festivities for National Pollinator Week on June 22, featuring special guests and fun pollinator-friendly activities, a Kids Craft Vendor Day on July 13 and Public Safety Day on July 27 featuring a firetruck display.
To support its mission of making fresh food available to all in the community, the market will continue to be a distribution site for Prescription for Health, the Washtenaw County program that encourages healthier eating by maintaining connections with local farmers. As part of the program, health care providers write “prescriptions” for their patients to eat more fruits and vegetables to later be redeemed at the market.
The market also supports Double Up Food Bucks, in which customers can double Bridge Card purchases up to $10 per market day for fresh produce, according to Grewal.
Additional payment methods include cash, credit card (by most vendors) and SNAP/EBT for qualifying purchases.
This season’s vendors include:
- Ostrowski Farm (Milan)
- Nemeth Farm & Greenhouse (Milan)
- Kapnick Orchards (Britton)
- Heart of the Hive (Ypsilanti)
- Webber Garlic (Pittsfield Township)
- Burkies Superfoods (Manchester)
- Bastian Farms (Milan)
- Lissy’s Bits n’ Bites (Ann Arbor)
- Flo’s Bakery (Tecumseh)
- Hauk’s Hen House & Farm (Milan)
- S&S Family Produce (Milan)
Those wanting to learn more about the event can visit www.pittsfield-mi.gov/farmersmarket, sign up for the mailing list, follow the event on Facebook @PittsfieldTwpFarmersMarket or sign up for Notify Me! to receive email or SMS alerts.
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