Getting a Sense of Farmington Farmers Market

From longtime family-owned farms that have become a staple of the market to fresher faces adding new ingredients to the mix, here’s a sampling of what you might find at the Farmington Farmers Market. Walt Gajewski describes it as a central plaza like you’d find in Europe or South America, where people come to gather and shop.

“With our food vendors, craft artisans and our farmers, we’ve built up downtown Farmington to really capture that sense of place in an almost Old World way.”

FUSILIER FARMS, MANCHESTER

One of the Farmington Farmers Market anchors, this 220-acre farm is overseen by the fifth and sixth generations of Fusiliers. In addition to vegetables, the farm grows melons, berries, cherries and apples.

BILL GASS CENTENNIAL FARM, RAY

Farmer Bill Gass has been coming to Farmington since the market first opened in 1993. The Ray farm boasts a large variety of vegetables as well as melons and honey. Bill and Ellen Gass also look beyond their metro Detroit community to have an impact by dedicating their time and income to build homes, orphanages and schools in Honduras, after it was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

GOETZ GREENHOUSE AND FAMILY FARM, RIGA

The last of the “Big 3” anchors, as Gajewski calls the three staple farms, is Goetz Greenhouse and Family Farm. Three generations of the family have stewarded the land and while it’s not certified organic, they use many organic methods to grow their vegetables, from asparagus to winter squash.

XIONG’S ASIAN PRODUCE, EMMETT

Gajewski says he’s proud of how the market reflects the area’s diverse population. One of the farms serving the area’s Asian- American community is Xiong’s Asian Produce, which offers Asian long beans, bok choy, Chinese leeks and more. These types of vegetables are usually imported, so this Emmett farm makes Asian vegetables more locally accessible to Michiganders.

BEAVERLAND FARMS, DETROIT

The smaller farmers are often the most engaging, Gajewski says, including this Brightmoor-based two-acre farm. The northwest side of Detroit has experienced a lot of blight and disinvestment over the years but revitalization is in the air, thanks to community-based enterprises like Brittney Rooney and Kieran Neal’s farm. They specialize in salad greens and specialty roots and also offer a CSA.

GOLDEN WHEAT BAKERY, WARREN

For 11 years now Matt Knio’s popular bakery specializing in French pastries and breads has added “flair to the market” not to mention “a ton of flavor,” Gajewski says.