Flint Farmers' Market: Flint, Michigan

Summary

In an area well known for being devastated by the exodus of manufacturing, the Flint Farmers' Market is a historical and cultural gem of the Flint, Michigan, community. The market is a unique place where members of the Flint community can come to shop for local, fresh and seasonal produce; meet friends; and be surrounded by the vibrancy of their community, the vendors and visitors in the market.

Designated Area

The Flint Farmers' Market is bordered by East 1st Street (North), East 2nd Street (South), Stevens Street (East), and Harrison Street (West).

The newly renovated market has a large open-air space for vendors and merchants to sell their wares and for shoppers to sit, mingle, run errands, and meet friends and neighbors. Photo Flint Farmers' Market.

Planning Excellence

From 1920 to 1940, the original Flint Market was operated in downtown Flint at the corner of Harrison and Union. Congestion created by the market became a nuisance to merchants so it was moved out of downtown to sit on the banks of the Flint River. For many years, the market flourished, but by the 1980s the quality of the market saw a decline in tandem with the automotive industry and the City of Flint in general. In the late 1990s, the market had become the home of a predominantly flea market-type business.

Beginning in the early 2000s, the revitalization of downtown Flint became the project of the nonprofit organization, the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation (URC). Over the course of 10 years, the URC worked to repair the reputation of the market. The success of the market is in part due to the confidence that was rebuilt in the community. This outpouring of confidence and support was the missing piece that helped to make the Flint Market an integral aspect of downtown Flint's revitalization and a centerpiece of the Flint community.

After 70 years, the Flint Farmers' Market relocated to the former Flint Journal printing facility, returning to its birthplace in the heart of downtown. This new building offered the revitalized market a new beginning in a space that is more than double the footprint of the old market. The 50 vendors inside the building sell a variety of products. From fruits and vegetables, to meat and poultry, to breads and baked goods, and cheeses, the market has the capacity to service a customer's grocery store needs (as well as an indulgence or two.) From May through October, the outdoor pavilion provides space for 25 produce and flower vendors, and on Saturdays art and craft vendors also inhabit the space.

The Flint Farmers' Market has also provided many people in Genesee County unprecedented access to fresh and locally grown foods. Twenty-five businesses at the market accept the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Bridge Card, and the Double Up Food Bucks program allows patrons to double the value of their purchases (up to $20 per market visit).

The Flint Farmers' Market represents the importance of planning in community building. This landmark market has had a home in Flint for many years, and provides local businesses, farmers, and vendors the space to share their products and their work with their neighbors, friends, and visitors.

Creative wayfinding markers help people navigate the marketplace quickly and easily, pointing the way to the wide variety of specialties offered by different vendors. Photo Flint Farmers' Market.

Defining Characteristics, Features

Combine healthy food choices, adaptive reuse, and a strong local community presence, and what do you get? An incredible public arena that is helping to revitalize downtown called Flint Farmers' Market.

• Flint Farmers' Market is helping to connect marginalized groups to healthy food choices. Market vendors accept SNAP benefits and have additional programs unique to Michigan such as "Double-Up Food Bucks" that assist poorer residents in accessing fresh produce. This is a major problem in Flint where, according to the USDA, many areas of the city have moderate to severe food desert conditions.
• The market is bringing activity back to what was a depleted downtown. In its 100-plus year history, the market has changed physical locations several times, and in 2014 moved back into the core of Flint. The current space occupies what used to be the old Flint Journal printing facility in the heart of the central business district. Not only is the market's appeal bringing people to shop, it is also a shining example of adaptive reuse. The printing building was bought in 2012 by a redevelopment organization, and the market became its primary tenant.
• There is a strong sense of community surrounding Flint Farmers' Market. On social media, there are many accounts of healthy relationships between vendors and their customers. Many have known one another for years, and the fact that these relationships have survived through the various location changes speaks to the importance of this market to the entire community.
• The Flint Food Works is a unique venture with the goal of providing a facility for food-based business to establish their products and develop a business. The Food Works provides a culinary incubator and low-cost, full-service kitchens for rent.

Events

• Flint Handmade hosts a Summer Arts & Crafts Street fair at the Flint Farmers' Market every Saturday from early June to late August.
• In partnership with Michigan State University, a class called "Preserving Summer's Harvest" is offered at the market to teach the fundamentals of food preservation. Attendees learn the basics of making jams and jellies, canning food, and pickling.
• The Sierra Club hosts a Flint Farmers' Market Urban Hike, an easy one-mile hike that starts at the entrance of the market.

Flint Farmers' Market is helping to bring better food access to many people living in the city. Vendors accept SNAP benefits and other state-run food matching programs, and all of the food is locally sourced from Michigan growers.