Michigan’s Farmers Markets Have a Storied Past and a Bright Future
In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Families, friends and neighbors have been visiting Michigan’s farmers markets for decades, filling their baskets with fresh, local food while putting a face to the producer who offers it to them. In fact, the history of the state’s farmers markets dates all the way back to 1803, with the first market in Detroit, the Eastern Market, established just one year after the city was incorporated.
“The oldest farmers markets in Michigan were located in larger cities with an industrial base, including the Lansing City Market, the Kalamazoo Farmers Market and the Fulton Street Farmers Market,” says Laura Green Gillis of the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA). “Markets have always been places where a sense of community was fostered, where all members of the community could shop because it was the primary place to purchase food. Then, as now, everyone is welcome.”
A Place to Gather
Markets have historically provided fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy products and more, but as Gillis mentions, they also offer a central place for the community to gather. Visitors can get to know their neighbors, local producers and farmers who provide more information about how their food was grown and where it comes from, which has become increasingly important in the past several years. Farmers markets often offer entertainment, such as concerts, cooking demonstrations and other educational sessions that engage consumers in a fun way.
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“Farmers markets are community assets,” Gillis says. “Like parks, libraries and cultural institutions, they are, at their best, democratic, and they define communities and contribute to the unique identity of a city.”
Markets are also an economic win for farmers, helping them stay profitable since profits from market sales can be directly reinvested in their businesses and keep dollars in the local community.
Rolling With the Changes
As society has changed, farmers markets in Michigan have also had to adapt, whether to market trends, the economy or – most recently – a pandemic.
“Very early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, the state recognized farmers markets as critical infrastructure to feed neighbors and community members,” says Amanda Shreve, executive director of MIFMA. “As the markets remained open, we made sure the safety of our vendors and neighbors was at the forefront. It was our role to help farmers markets understand the executive and public health orders from the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention so they knew how to modify their operations.”
Some of these changes included eliminating nonessential activities (such as cooking demos and live music), adjusting the markets’ layouts to space out vendors, implementing additional cleaning methods and providing hand-washing stations.
Gillis adds that COVID-19 presented daily challenges. Even solutions to those challenges, such as offering curbside pickup and online ordering, created a new need for cooler and freezer storage, plus increased staff on market days to help sort customer orders.
Going Digital
Even before the pandemic, farmers markets had adapted to modern times in terms of technology. Many are using online ordering platforms and social media to connect and communicate with consumers on non-market days.
“We use Facebook to reach out to customers, and our vendors have made their own adaptations with virtual marketing and curbside pickup,” says Michelle Primmer of the Muskegon Farmers Market, which has been open for more than 100 years.
“Social media posts are shareable, which can lead to cost-effective, expanded exposure to target audiences,” Gillis adds. “Virtual marketing is a necessary tool to reach consumers quickly, especially with newsworthy updates during COVID-19.”
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Ready and Resilient
If history says anything about Michigan’s markets, it’s that they are ready and resilient for any changes that might come, continuing to put the state’s food and agriculture at the forefront.
“Farmers markets will continue to be cherished, local institutions because they are purely local,” Gillis says. “There is relevance in authenticity and real engagement between local producers and local consumers, and the awareness that consumers gain about Michigan’s rich and diverse agriculture.”