The evening market will run from 5 to 7 p.m. each Wednesday at the Marquette Commons. After being approached by multiple farmers market vendors asking for an additional day to sell their goods, the Marquette Downtown Development Authority Board decided to sponsor a weekday farmers market, said farmers market Manager Myra Zyburt.

“The direct-to-consumer model is what farmers markets are built on and really is the only place that you can sell directly to the customer,” Zyburt said. “We hope people will make an evening of it.”

A weekday market allows the approximately 2,000 people who work downtown another chance to purchase local food, she said.

“Some of those come from out of town to come into work and then to come in again on Saturday doesn’t necessarily fit people’s schedule and there’s lots of other reasons that keep people from coming down on a Saturday,” Zyburt said. “But on a Wednesday night your car is already in town, your car is already parked and we all eat and so the chance to purchase this beautiful Upper Peninsula-grown food is such a privilege and we are all really happy and work hard to be here to bring it. We hope that the people of Marquette and those who visit will support the vendors.”

Isa Hendrick, 9, enjoys a pastry while holding a bouquet of flowers from Rock River Farm. (Journal photo by Trinity Carey)

For those who have a Bridge Card or SNAP benefits, a second market day means more fresh food each week. Through a grant from the Fair Food Network, those who spend $20 on their bridge card receive an additional $20 to spend at the market.

“That is a match up to $20 a day,” Zyburt said. “For households that use that for purchasing their food an additional day on that, on a four-Wednesday month that’s an extra $80 in free food, plus the Saturday market, so that’s $160 in free food benefits when they leave that money on their Bridge Card to use here. That’s part of the benefit is making the food accessible to everybody but again just to fit people’s schedules.”

The Power of Produce, a farmers market incentive program that encourages children to make healthy choices, will begin at Saturday’s market. Children who choose to participate in the POP program receive $2 in produce bucks each time they attend the market to make their own food decisions.

“They can get it every time they come to the market, or they can save it up,” Zyburt said. “Say, probably in two weeks, strawberries will be in season and if they love strawberries they can buy strawberries or maybe they’re interested in kohlrabi, but no one else in the family is. Having that POP allows the child to experience food that is not just determined by the cook in the household.”

Dia de los Tacos will be present at each market and live music is also set for most Wednesdays. The Wednesday market runs through Sept. 25, and the Saturday market will run through Dec. 14.

Zyburt hopes the farmers market is a dynamic place for people to enjoy local food and spend time with friends.

“Being able to meet the people that grow your food or eat the other food products or artisan goods is really a privilege and is pretty exclusive to farmers markets to have that direct producer-to-consumer relationship,” Zyburt said. “It’s just a privilege and I hope people will come down and experience it.”

Trinity Carey can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 243. Her email address is photos@miningjournal.net.