Stop by for organic, fresh, local produce from Groundswell Farm, tasty cottage kitchen goods, and handcrafted personal care items and crafts.
Be sure to say hello to our new farmers market manager, Belinda Henderson. Ms. Belinda also serves as an Our Kitchen Table Food Garden Coach in the Program for Growth at MLK Jr. Leadership Academy. Special thanks to vendor Yvonne Woodard for stepping in as manager in the interim!
Southeast Area Farmers Market
6 – 8 p.m. Thursday July 30
Joe Taylor Park, 1038 Bemis St. SE 49506
The Southeast Area Farmers Market. takes place at Joe Taylor Park this Thursday at 6! Stop by for organic, fresh, local produce from Groundswell Farm, tasty cottage kitchen goods, and handcrafted personal care items and crafts.
Be sure to say hello to our new farmers market manager, Belinda Henderson. Ms. Belinda also serves as an Our Kitchen Table Food Garden Coach in the Program for Growth at MLK Jr. Leadership Academy. Special thanks to vendor Yvonne Woodard for stepping in as manager in the interim!
The next Southeast Area Farmers Market will take place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday July 25 at MLK Jr. Park. Along with our neighborhood vendors, Groundswell Community Farm will again join the market with a truckload of fresh, local, produce sustainably and fairly grown in Zeeland.
According to the Michigan Farmers Market Association, farming and food production are not stopping during this pandemic! Michigan farmers continue to grow and produce a wide variety of food and farm products. Follow their easy tips as you support your farmers markets this season.
Be prepared and be patient! When you’re getting ready to go to the market, make sure you bring your face mask, shopping list, and an insulated tote bag. Plan ahead for longer lines and maybe some waiting. Use the time to look up new seasonal recipes!
Enjoy your personalized shopping experience! Share the items on your list with your vendor and they’ll grab it for you to minimize risk of contamination. All the tables in front of you will be clean and clear so they can easily be sanitized.
When it’s time to pay, ask your vendor about low touch or touchless payment options! They say cash is king, but this summer, card is preferred.
Finally, stay informed! Some markets have created drive-thru or traffic flow instructions, so keep an eye out for signs, maps and chalk arrows. Others have started online marketplaces for even easier shopping.
Now that you’re ready to shop, find a farmers market near you! Markets are adapting quickly to an ever-changing landscape, so be sure to contact your market directly or follow them on social for the most up to date details on their hours and operations.
These tips are presented by the Michigan Farmers Market Association and Taste the Local Difference.
Southeast Area Farmers Market
6 – 8 p.m. Thursday July 16
Joe Taylor Park, 1038 Bemis St. SE 49506
The Southeast Area Farmers Market. takes place at Joe Taylor Park today at 6! Stop by for organic, fresh, local produce from Groundswell Farm, tasty cottage kitchen goods, and handcrafted personal care items and crafts.
The market had a great debut last Saturday at MLK Jr. Park. Join the excitement! And eat healthy! We warmly welcome SNAP, EBT, P-EBT, Double Up Food bucks, WIC Project Fresh and Sr. Project Fresh.
Southeast Area Farmers Market
opens 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday July 11
MLK Jr. Park, 900 Fuller SE 49506
Our Kitchen Table is thrilled to announce that Groundswell Farm will be a vendor on alternate dates at the Southeast Area Farmers Market. In addition to selling produce in Holland and at the Fulton Street Farmers Market and now our market, Groundswell offers a Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, model of agriculture that connects them directly with local consumers. Customers purchase a “share” of the farm at the beginning of the season and receive fresh, produce weekly during the growing season. Groundswell offers share via SNAP.
Its website says, “Joining a CSA lets you reconnect with the food you eat. You will notice a difference in the taste, flavor and nutritional value of your ingredients. You think about meals in reverse by cooking with what you have and what’s in season. You might even help to plant or harvest some of your food as a member during various farm events!”
Groundswell is run by African American farmer, 
Bruce Michael-Wilson. A graduate of Central Michigan University, Wilson was raised from a toddler on the 160-acre family farm where he grew up in Hopkins Michigan. At age six, he wrote his own book, “Our Big Farm.” As he grew older, he also worked for neighboring farmers in the hay fields, gardens, and milk barns honing his skills and developing his agricultural acumen.
Please visit the market Saturday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and purchase your fresh produce from Groundswell! OKT has long hoped to add a CSA farmer to our vendor list and ask for your support in making this a successful strategy for the market and the farm.
New look and new second location!
The Southeast Farmers’ Market opens 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday July 11 at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 900 Fuller SE, Grand Rapids 49506. The Market seeks to provide a wide variety of local produce in neighborhood. Vendors are primarily women of color, home growers, and residents of southeast Grand Rapids. In addition to providing access to healthy food, the market hosts meal preparation activities, workshops, and resources from community organizations. It welcomes Bridge Card, SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC and many other assistance and coupon programs. Joe Taylor Park, 1138 Bemis St. SE, will host the market 6 to 8 p.m. every other Thursday beginning July 16. 
When you stop by he market, say hello to Aquinas College graduate, Kyprii Whitney, this season’s market intern. Born and raised in Detroit, Kyprii hopes her internship at the market will bring her one step closer to a career in music marketing.
Participants of Our Kitchen Table’s Program for Growth are already harvesting some fresh, organic produce from their gardens and looking forward to an abundant summer season. Ms. Doris shares, “I have collards, turnips, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and sweet herb [stevia]. I’m just loving it!”
Photo courtesy Miss Doris and Stephen Smith.
June additional benefits will be loaded on Bridge Cards between June 20th – June 30th
Our Kitchen Table Program for Growth participants were busy during the month of May!
In addition to planting cold crops like kale and herbs, they also got their containers and raised beds ready for the warm season crops, which will be delivered soon. Farmer Williams delivered premium, healthy soil and helped construct raised beds, including OKT’s first waist-high raised-bed, designed to make growing food more accessible. Participants were careful to follow social distancing guidelines. Program for Growth weekly meetings are continuing via Zoom conferencing.
Did you know that both SNAP and P-EBT benefits can be used to purchase seeds and food-producing plants? And, if you need help with starting a food garden, check out OKT’s growing tips in Growing Community, Justice, & Food or drop us an email!
