Every Tuesday
May-October, 2-6 pm
Michigan Ave and Hamilton Street, in the parking lot of the Key Bank building

The Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers' Market has four weeks to go! Have you seen our vendor profiles? Join us every Tuesday from 2-6 pm through October in the Ypsilanti Key Bank parking lot, at the corner of Michigan Ave and Hamilton. Want some good news? The farmers' market is continuing through November and December inside at the Corner Brewery every other week. Help us spread the word by posting a flyer. The 2009 season ended with amazing growth over 2008. EBT (food stamp) sale have been through the roof-- more than double last years'. Total market sales jumped to $108,000 for the season, over $65,000 from 2008 and $28,000 from 2007. Food Stamp, Project Fresh, Prescription for Health, and other programs promoting low-income participation in the market constituted 20% of total market sales-- nearly $21,000. With our mission focused on providing healthy food access to the community, Growing Hope with managing partners are providing incentives to EBT/Food Stamp users. The market this year is proving to be a great and free community gathering space. The market is pleased to welcome several new vendors, including hot food vendors, biodynamic and organic growers, baked good vendors (many sugar-free options!), and local musicians every week.

To get to know us a little better, you can read about the 2008 market in our 2008 Season Report.

What's in season?
Beginning July 1st, 2008 we only allow Michigan produce at the market, so you can be sure that everything you find there is freshly picked and local. Want to know what you might find at the market this week? Here is a handy guide to Michigan's fruit and vegetable seasons. Need to know what to do with that kohlrabi or rhubarb? Check out our seasonal recipe collection.

Business is booming
The 2008 season broke record after record for attendance, sales, and EBT use. To assess how the market is growing, we track weekly sales and count customers, and we're ecstatic to tell you that sales more than doubled from 2007. This graph shows total sales for each month from May to October.

Who are our vendors?
We love that both our vendors and customers come from diverse age, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. Our vendors are farmers, backyard gardeners, greenhouse growers, and community gardeners. We welcome all vegetable growers no matter how big or small your farm or garden. Vendors can sell produce grown by fellow farmers, but after July 1, we require all produce to be Michigan-grown, and before July 1, only “Michigan-type” produce (what could be grown in Michigan, even if it’s out of season).

We also appreciate vendors of baked goods or prepared foods if they are produced in a certified kitchen. Crafters are also invited. We prefer that the crafts you sell be made locally by you or your family members. Please note that baked good and craft vendors are currently on a waitlist. Applications are still being accepted, and filed until spaces are available.

We are happy to allow community groups and nonprofit organizations to set up free booths any week to do outreach or conduct health screenings. This must be scheduled in advance with at least two weeks notice, and depends on available space at the market.

Our booth fees are only $8/day, with a discount if you sign on for the whole season. Download our “2008 Vendor Application” and send it in or give our office a call if you’d like to come sell with us! (Application may not open in your browser- if it doesn’t come up, check your desktop or downloads folder.)

Food Assistance Program Participation
The Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers’ Market participates in WIC Project FRESH, Senior Project FRESH, and Washtenaw County Public Health Department’s Prescription for Health Program. These programs provide coupons for low-income families and seniors that they can spend only on fresh Michigan-grown produce at farmers’ markets.

We were the 3rd farmers’ market in the state to offer customers the option to use their EBT/Bridge Card (Food Stamps), through a wireless machine handled by the Ypsilanti Food Co-op. In May and June EBT users are receiving token bags (printed locally at VGKids) and seed packets with growing instructions. Partially due to these incentives, EBT sales have increased fivefold as compared to last May.

Participation in these programs not only helps to increase food security in downtown Ypsilanti, but also increases revenue for our vendors. The market is a win-win for local agriculture, small entrepreneurs, the downtown business district, and residents of the Ypsilanti area!

Our Token System
After a successful introduction last year, we are happy to continue to offer wooden token at the market, integrating all of our food assistance programs into a simple and fun currency system. When customers wish to use their EBT cards or credit/debit cards, they simply go to the Ypsilanti Food Co-op’s booth, tell the attendant how much to charge their cards, and receive color-coded wooden tokens. They can then spend the tokens with any vendor, just like cash. Prescription for Health participants receive tokens as well, and we also have all-purpose “Market Dollar” tokens. Market Dollars are for sale, like gift certificates—contact Growing Hope if you would like to purchase Market Dollars to give as gifts or prizes to your employees, your friends, or your children! Look out for door hangers in your neighborhood, redeemable for free market dollars at the Downtown Ypsi Farmers' Market!

History and Mission
The Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers’ Market opened in June 2006 based on a Community Needs Assessment conducted by the Ypsilanti Health Coalition, which determined that residents of downtown Ypsilanti had little or no access to fresh foods. Growing Hope and a number of managing partners selected the current site, in the parking lot of the Key Bank Building, for its central location and proximity to public housing and transportation.

Management
The Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers’ Market operates as a collaboration among community organizations, health clinics, civic institutions, and local residents. An Executive Committee, the decision-making body for the farmers’ market, is comprised of members from Growing Hope (who manages the market and employs the market manager), Washtenaw County Public Health, MSU Extension, and the Ypsilanti Food Co-op. A Community Advisory Board also informs decisions made about the market; its members represent Hope Clinic, City of Ypsilanti, Neighborhood Health Clinic, WIC, downtown business merchants, as well as market vendors and community residents.

• 2009 Vendor Recruitment Letter
• Application for 2009 Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers' Market vendors. Vendor EBT/Credit Card Contract
• Market FAQ Sheet
• 2008 Season Report

Take a look at the market! Here are a just a few of our favorite shots from 2006-2007. There may also be a few pics thrown in from our booth at the Westside Farmers' Market in front of Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, where we participated weekly as a vendor in 2007.