Farmers keep markets open at the Drill Shop during the cool season

Even though the tents have closed up in Calumet, Hancock, and Houghton’s parks for summer markets. The From the Ground Farmer’s Market Collective has moved indoors. Last year the collective introduced the indoor farmer’s market closing out the farmer’s market seasons in the Copper Country. The markets feature several of the collective’s vendors that are regular stops during the summer.

So this cool season goes from today October 19th until November 23rd every Saturday from 10 a.m. To 1 p.m. Truly this market is It is trying to take advantage of these last few Productive Keweenaw growing days a lot of our vendors do have access to a hoop house or a hothouse of some sort so they still have a product and they need a venue to sell, says Amanda Makala. So we move indoors just to escape the Keweenaw, you know, rainy season, I guess the fall late fall. We might get snow tomorrow. Who knows? So we want to make sure everyone is inside protected and out of the wind.

On Saturday, the market opened for the first time this year. Market manager Amanda Makala says that the community began lining up outside of The Drill Shop in Calumet before 10 a.m.

We saw such a great response during our regular season that I think that’s just, it’s carrying over into the cool season. People are excited to have still access to fresh food and all of their favorite bread and bakeries and artisans. So we have a full house, all of our vendors are here. It is a smaller space, so it’s like a condensed version of your favorite market, packed to the gills with good food and vendors, says Makala.

During the summer, From the Ground accepts many local and state-sponsored food assistance programs. Makala adds that some of the local programs’ coupons will expire soon. Encouraging the Copper Country to use their Senior Project Fresh and UPCAP Food is Medicine coupons at the upcoming market.

For example, you can still run your BridgeCard or your EBT card here at the market and get your Double Up Food Bucks program and that will happen all season long. Now, we are still accepting the UpCap Food is Medicine program, and the Senior Project Fresh, but those two programs specifically end on October 31st, which means that you have today and next week to use your coupons here at this market and in November we cannot take those two programs, says Makala. But, fresh food access happens all year round. You can still use that, credit debit, and like I mentioned, the Bridge Card. And those programs will continue until we close on November 23rd.

The Drill Shop in Calumet is tucked away behind the Calumet Colosseum and Calumet High School. The cool season farmer’s market will take place each Saturday until November 23rd. The market runs from 10 am to 1 pm. Those interested in learning more about food assistance programs accepted at the from-the-ground farmer’s market can find more details here.