Wayne State University will kick off summer with its weekly Wednesday Farmers Market, offering fresh locally grown vegetables, fruit, herbs, flowers, honey, baked goods, and several hot and cold lunch options.
The market opens June 5 and will run 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Wednesday through October 30 at 5201 Cass, across from the Detroit Public Library.
This year's market will feature familiar growers from Detroit and the metro area including Brother Nature Produce; Grown in Detroit; D-Town Farm; and the Van Houtte, Vang, and Holtz farms. In response to customer requests for more fruit, the market is also adding Busy Bee Orchards.
Prepared food vendors such as Midtown's Avalon International Breads and Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes will also maintain stalls at the market. Russell Street Deli will offer its delectable wraps and soups, while new vendor Brooklyn Street Local will offer paninis and bean and grain salads. Brooklyn Street will share a stall with Detroit Bulk Company, a Michigan-sourced dry-goods vendor that joined the market last year. Sweet Potato Sensations’ cupcakes and ice-cream will help round out lunch.
The Wayne State University Farmers Market accepts the Michigan Bridge Card and WIC Project FRESH and Senior Project FRESH coupons. The Bridge Card is part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps impoverished households buy food. Project FRESH and Senior Project FRESH are state government programs that give pregnant women, children and senior citizens access to Michigan-produced fruits and vegetables sold at farmers markets.
“By participating in these nutrition programs, the Wayne State University Farmers Market supports Michigan producers while also increasing access to healthy food in Detroit,” said Kami Pothukuchi, associate professor of Urban Planning and SEED Wayne director.
To provide additional benefits to low-income households, starting July 1 the market will match Bridge Card spending dollar for dollar, up to $20 per card per day, with Double Up Food Bucks. Double Up Food Bucks may be spent only on Michigan-grown produce and are made possible at the WSU Farmers Market through a partnership with the Fair Food Network. For more information, visit fairfoodnetwork.org.
The Wayne State University Farmers Market is a project of SEED Wayne. As with other program activities, the WSU Farmers Market is made possible with the help of several campus partners, with special thanks to the School of Business Administration, Office of Campus Sustainability, the Dean of Libraries, the Vice President for Economic Development and the Department of Public Safety.
About SEED Wayne
SEED Wayne's mission is to collaboratively build sustainable food systems on the campus of Wayne State University and in Detroit neighborhoods through activities in research, teaching, campus operations and community engagement.
SEED Wayne projects include three campus gardens; the Wayne State University Farmers Market; a 4,000-square-foot passive solar greenhouse at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen for year-round production of vegetables for the soup kitchen, Detroit FRESH: The Healthy Corner Store Project and the Healthy Eats community nutrition project. For more information on the program, visit clas.wayne.edu/seedwayne.