The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Saline Farmers' Market to reopen Saturday
PUBLISHED: May 1, 2008
One of the surest signs of warm weather reappears Saturday in downtown Saline as the farmers' market returns.
Advertisement
Every Saturday morning through the end of October, the farmers' market, located a half-block south of the intersection of Ann Arbor Street and Michigan Avenue, features food and crafts from Southeast Michigan. The products for sale are produced locally, said Nancy Crisp, manager of the city-sponsored operation.
In 2000, Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell attended a Michigan Municipal League workshop aimed at enabling communities to encourage farmers' markets. She and then-city-manager Larry Stoever approached Crisp to see if she could develop such an asset for Saline, and if she would be interested in becoming market manager.
Crisp had worked for the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce, and had experience in planning various events, so she agreed to undertake the project.
Since a test-run in the fall of 2000, Crisp has seen the market grow and evolve. She recruited vendors from other bazaars in and around Washtenaw County, and now relies simply on word of mouth to attract new and interesting applicants, she said.
Some of the current producers live within a few miles of downtown, while others have farms 30 or 40 miles away. In addition, several sell their commodities at more than one market, meaning that they must drop off green groceries and family members at places in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor before coming to Saline, all before the 8 a.m. starting time in Saline.
The farmers' market is open until noon, and only on Saturdays, but that has not diminished the enthusiasm of the vendors or the shoppers.
Not all of the offerings are edible. One woodworker has already signed up for the entire season to sell his wooden bowls and art objects, and the market will feature other artists, crafters and jewelers. Some will bring woven objects, from fabrics to baskets, and others offer dried flowers, aprons, paintings, blankets, pet accessories and natural beauty aids.
The primary draw, however, remains green -- fruits and vegetables, plants and flowers. Early crops such as young lettuce, radishes, sheltered tomatoes, flats of seedlings, flowers and perennials, potted plants and shrubs, and late spring specialties such as asparagus and rhubarb, should be readily available right from the first Saturdays.
When the weather begins to heat up, patrons can look forward to a sweet succession of fruits like strawberries, sweet cherries, sweet corn, beans, peaches, plums and pears. Less seasonal but equally delectable offerings will include herbs and herb products, farm eggs, breads, pastries, cheeses, honey and beeswax.
By the time fall rolls around, customers can expect a harvest bounty, including pumpkins, squashes and gourds, apples, cider, decorative corn and big late kales.
As an added bonus, Michigan State University Extension will make available two Master Gardeners during the months of May and June to answer gardeners' questions.
Mike Score, agricultural innovation counselor for the MSU Cooperative Extension Service, said Saline has a distinct asset. The farmers' market, he said, "strengthens local enterprises, makes people more confident in food (quality and) safety when they can buy from people they know ... and develops an appreciation for what this area can produce."
He adds that it is a "nice destination" because it's outdoors, allows people to chat and to socialize directly instead of through electronics and is near other businesses in town that offer added attractions for the morning's trip.
Score notes that Saline's farmers' market is supported by smaller, family-owned operations such as berry farms, orchards and truck gardens. He values these farms, he said, because local products are more easily transported to local markets, and the economic success of these same farms is the best recipe for farmlands preservation.
"I think it's very high quality produce, among the very best," Crisp said.
She added that the Saline Farmers' Market is self-sustaining economically, which has allowed her to foster a cooperative, friendly atmosphere among the vendors and patrons.
Hopes are high for this year's market. Patti Henes of H&H Harvest in Bridgewater says that the last two years have shown upswings in the volume of business, and says she "is looking for a definite increase this year."
Fred Karpo of Tipton will be bringing baked goods, "Like we have for the past few years, until the fruit starts coming in" to his orchards.
For more information about the Saline Farmers' Market, contact Nancy Crisp at 429-3518 or at salinefarmersmarket@comcast.net.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
Staff Blog, "Inside The Newsroom"
TOP JOBS
