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The markets in Houghton Hancock and Calumet will open starting this week. The From the Ground Farmer’s Market Collective joins local food producers, artisans, and vendors around the copper country to make the markets more accessible to the community. Since the organization’s inception, it has worked with vendors to make the point of service better for both producers and customers. At the same time, FTG works with vendors to bring important food access programs to the Copper Country.
“We also have a few programs that are like prescription for health programs, which if there’s a patient that’s at a hospital, the physician can write them a prescription for fruits and vegetables. Aspirus participates in this as well as UpCap. And folks can go to the farmers market, turn in their vouchers, and be able to purchase fruits and vegetables that way. This year we also have a new program called UpCap again the Fresh Food Access and this allows folks to purchase meat, cheese, wild rice, honey, and maple syrup from the farmers market as well. We also have Senior Project Fresh which is another food access program and then Husky Fan which is for students at Michigan Tech. All these programs are working together to try to reach people of all different ages so that we’re removing as many barriers as possible to accessing those veggies. And at the same time supporting a local economy.” – Cassandra Reed-Vandam, Co-Manager, From the Ground Farmer’s Market Collective
Today Houghton will open the market at the Waterfront pier near the Portage Lake District library. The market will take place weekly until October. Hancock’s Tori Farmer’smarket on the Quincy Green runs on Thursdays. Then on Saturdays, Calumet will host the Farmer’s Market IN Agassiz Park.
“We live in an area that is very far north and very subject to the seasonality of produce, and availability of produce at our amazing grocery stores and co-ops. But these programs and the farmer’s markets working together can kind of close some of these gaps in the availability of produce and doing it in a local fashion where this food is grown straight here in good old fashioned Keweenaw soil. And it’s brought to these markets extra fresh, just harvested. It’s bringing folks from every element and generation of our community. And it’s our elders to the kids at school, making sure that everyone has fresh food every week, multiple times a week because they can use these programs at all of the different markets, Houghton, Hancock, and Calumet. Even sometimes multiple times a week.” – Amanda Makela, Co-Manager, From the Ground Farmer’s Market Collective
Copper Shores Community Health Foundation has made some senior Project Fresh coupons available to the community ahead of the Farmer’s Market season starting this week. The coupons available with Copper Shores can be used at several farmer’s markets throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula beyond Houghton, Hancock, and Calumet locations. Those interested in learning more about the food access programs available to the community at farmer’s markets this summer can find more details below.
Senior Project Fresh Coupons with Copper Shores Community Health Foundation
Food Access Programs available at the Houghton, Hancock and Calumet farmers’ markets.
