A decades-old Jackson farmers market is getting a new home next weekend.
Grow Jackson is a non-profit that started by planting community gardens in 2021. Its mission is to improve access to fresh food throughout Jackson County.
Jacob Inosencio is the founder and executive director of Grow Jackson. He said the team’s plans to open a store specializing in local produce on the property before next Fall are what inspired them to talk to the city, which ran the Grand River Farmers Market for decades.
“We told the city, ‘We’re building this food hub. It’s gonna have a local grocery store called a farm stop. Would you consider putting the farmers market on our patio?’” Inosencio said.
He said this would provide farmers with a more convenient way to drop off items at the store.
“Now they can come participate in the market and drop their stuff off to us at the same time,” Inosencio said.
The city eventually encouraged the non-profit to take over market operations, which Inosencio said it did willingly.
“We said, ‘Okay, great,'" Inosencio said. "That’s an incredible opportunity.”
The farmers market will remain at its original location, the downtown pavilion, on Fridays. On Saturdays, the market will be at the new River and Rail Food Hub at the site of Michigan’s first state prison.
Locally grown produce, prepared food and jewelry can all be purchased at the market.
Inosencio said the team plans to open a farm stop at the new location.
“The farm stop is a locally-sourced, year-round grocery store,” Inosencio said. “It will have a cafe, locally roasted coffee, local beer and wine and the store, of course, will sell locally sourced fresh food.”
He said plans for the farm stop are moving quickly.
“The goal next will be for construction to start in May and be open at the end of July or early August,” Inosencio said.