Local News / Entertainment Go to a Section ------------- News Sports Weather Trivia Entertainment ------------- Home Message Boards Guestbook History Top 10 Pages Sitemap

DETROIT -- Every Wednesday, Wayne State University offers a Farmers Market outside the School of Business Administration on Cass Avenue from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tents will be set up with fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables, flowers, transplants and breads. It runs from June 3 until October 28. Students, faculty, staff and members of the community are encouraged to come out and shop. Booths accept cash, the Wayne State OneCard and the EBT bridge card.

"We proposed a monthly market and just to test it out we did two pilot markets last year," said Kami Pothukuchi, Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Director of SEED Wayne. "They were so successful and practically everyone we interviewed said we should have a weekly market. So that's how we came about a weekly market. They are all farmers and the Avalon Bakery is their own bakery. We don't have any dealers in the market. They are very reasonable. A greater variety than what you'll find in the grocery store. If you went to Whole Foods for example, you'd find that those prices would be a lot more expensive there."

Many of the items at the Farmers Market are priced comparable to your local grocery store. In addition, these fruits and vegetables are grown locally, whereas many of the same items in the grocery store are grown hundreds of miles away. Farmers are from the city of Detroit, the surrounding area and even one from Ontario, Canada.

"I've got a lot of good stuff, I've got some Chinese greens, cherries, blueberries, peppers and tomatoes," said Nora Madden of Detroit. "I've been coming weekly since they opened. I think they are very fair. Sometimes it's a little bit more expensive but I like to support local farmers because that helps everybody in the area I think. I'm probably going to eat some blueberries on the way to work. It's really helpful for me cause I work in the area. I work on Saturdays so I don't always get to the Eastern Market."

Some of the booths include Grown in Detroit Cooperative coordinated by the Garden Resource Program Collaborative, Vandalia Gardens, Avalon International Breads, Eastern Market, Earthworks Urban Farm, and the D-Town Farm run by the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network.

"I purchased some tomatoes and I'm going over to the bakery," said Gloria Daniel, a Wayne State Academic Services Officer. "I think it's a really good idea and it's in a good location cause we can just take the shuttle over. We don't have to go to Eastern Market, which is nice. It's a beautiful day for it. Hopefully, it will be that way each Wednesday so we can come back."

Visitors to the Farmers Market will find lettuce, spinach, collard and other greens, peas, bok choy, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, potatoes, strawberries, apples, basil, breads, muffins, spring flowers, and lots of transplants.

"I think it's a great way to bring the merchants to the campus area," said LynnMarie Mango, Research Coordinator of Emergency Services for Wayne State's medical school. "It's great for the students."

The Wayne State Farmers Market is being produced by SEED Wayne, a program to collaboratively build sustainable food systems on campus and in Detroit area neighborhoods. It takes place each Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 5201 Cass Avenue in Detroit until October 28.