Tag Archives: local produce

Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Farmers Market runs Fridays, June 14 through Oct. 11; Meet new Manager Yeli Romero

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Food, Going Local, Health, Kent County, Local Food, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, ,



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org


It’s a new location and a new manager for the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Farmers Market, which begins on Friday, June 14 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and runs through Oct. 11.


The new location is 1100 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, and the new Farmers Market Manager is Yeli Romero, a WYCE 88.1 Radio Host and a new volunteer host of the WKTV Journal Soundbites Espanol program.


“I am excited to be the new manager of Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Farmers Market because I love being part of my community and helping local farmers showcase their products,” Romero said. “Seeing our community come together, supporting one another, and enjoying healthy food is something I’m truly passionate about.


“I believe that by working together, we can create a vibrant, thriving market that benefits everyone. It’s not just about the food, but about building relationships and strengthening our local economy.”



(Image Courtesy, Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association)



Join in on the excitement of the community-based farmers market that runs every Friday through Oct. 11. You can purchase all different kinds of fresh produce and prepared foods from the up to 15 local vendors (see list below). Shoppers can use their EBT Bridge cards to utilize SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks and WIC Project Fresh benefits.



Shop local with over 15 vendors at the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Farmers Market. (Image Courtesy, Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Farmers’ Market)



According to Amy Brower, Executive Director of the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association, the concept for a community-based farmers market started in 2017 after the creation of the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association’s Area Specific Plan (ASP) for the Grandville Avenue Corridor.


“The Kent County Health Department provided a grant to help the RPNA get the market established in 2018,” Brower continued. “In 2020, the market received a Michigan Health Endowment Fund grant to build the capacity of the market and add food assistance benefits so that shoppers could utilize their SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC Project Fresh and Senior Project Fresh benefits at the market.”


Over the years, the market has taken place in a variety of locations within the neighborhood, first located at 900 Cesar E. Chavez Ave SW and later moving to Roberto Clemente Park.


“This year the market will be moving to 1100 Cesar E. Chavez Ave SW so that the vendors will be more visible on the main corridor in the neighborhood,” Brower explained. “The mission of the Roosevelt Park Farmers Market is to provide a community gathering space where local farmers can sell affordable, local food directly to consumers while promoting sustainable agriculture and advancing health in the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood.”


If you are a local vendor interested in selling your produce at the market, contact RPNA at 616-243-2489 or info@rooseveltparkna.org


Interested in supporting the market as a sponsor?  Please contact Amy at amy@rooseveltparkna.org or 616-243-2489.


(Image Courtesy, Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Farmers Market)

Eat Local: Why choosing in-season, locally grown produce is good for you and the community

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Food, Non-Profits, , , ,

Your Community in Action!

By ACSET Community Action Agency

 

Summer is right around the corner. That means plenty of locally-grown produce options will be available. But why is choosing local produce good for you?

  • It’s fresh. Most wholesale produce is picked up to a week before it reaches a supermarket and travels an average of 1500 miles! Veggies and fruits grown by local farmers don’t spend days in transport. This means they can be harvested at peak maturity when they are the most nutritious and tasty.
  • It supports local farmers. The money you spend on local products stays in the community and boosts the local economy. It’s a win-win for you and the farmers.
  • It can cost less. When you purchase produce that is grown locally and in-season, you aren’t paying for the transportation costs of getting food from across the country.

What about families who have a limited grocery budget? Many local farmers markets participate in food assistance programs. Programs like Double Up Food Bucks, Senior Project FRESH and WIC Project FRESH can make buying local an affordable option for those that qualify.

For a list of local farmers markets and their food assistance program participation, visit www.westmichiganfarmmarkets.org/by-county/ and select Kent County.

ACSET Community Action Agency (CAA) also provides food assistance for qualifying families. When in-season, locally grown produce is combined with the pantry staples offered by CAA, low-income families in Kent County can put healthy meals on the table.

Visit CAA’s website to learn more about their nutrition programs and see if you qualify: http://communityactionkent.org/programs/nutrition-services/

Your Community in Action! is provided by ASCET Community Action Agency. To learn more about how they help meet emergency needs and assist with areas of self-sufficiency, visit www.communityactionkent.org

Farmer’s Market Thursdays are Back at Metro Health!

Community Health, Our Cities, , ,

Photos and story by Janice Limbaugh

At the Metro Health Farmer's Market, not every booth is farm produce - some are fine crafts, coffees and spices, offering shoppers a variety of local goods to choose from.
At the Metro Health Farmer’s Market, not every booth is farm produce – some are fine crafts, coffees and spices, offering shoppers a variety of local goods to choose from.

The produce displays create an organic work of art.
The produce displays create an organic work of art.

Yvonne Woodward hand weaves custom jump ropes of all sizes out of recycled material.

Colorful and creative patio boxes come in all types of varieties.
Colorful and creative patio boxes come in all types of varieties.

Late spring is the best opportunity for purchasing annual flower baskets.
Late spring is the best opportunity for purchasing annual flower baskets.

Now that the weather has finally shifted to preferable human conditions, it’s time to get back into the rhythm of summer. A welcome change for sure starting with the fresh sights at the Metro Health Farmer’s Market.  Be sure to check out the local produce, goods and services every Thursday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Metro Health Village. And if Thursdays don’t work with your schedule, Metro Health has added a second farmer’s market at Aquinas College on Mondays from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Brown Center parking lot. Now you have two chances and two locations to shop fresh and buy local!