Kalkaska Farmers Market Extends into a Winter Season
By Renee Penny, KFM Manager
2022 has been a momentous year for the Kalkaska Farmers Market. Our mighty and small Kalkaska Farmers Market continues to grow and creates a sense of place in the community.
We're most excited about extending our season until December 20, 2022. The best part about extending that season, is we will get to stay inside of the Pavilion (with heat even!). While there has always been some heat in the Pavilion, there will be an upgraded heating system installed to more adequately serve the entire space, allowing for meetings and functions to be hosted all winter long.
This decision to extend the season was made possible by working with both the Kalkaska Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the Village of Kalkaska. The Kalkaska Farmers Market management worked with both parties during a time of transition of the Pavilion Management.
To date, the DDA had been overseeing the management of the Pavilion and Railroad Square. In recent planning sessions and meetings, it was approved for those duties to be transferred to the Village in preparation and steps towards a long term strategic plan for Railroad Square. Aaron Popa, Village of Kalkaska Manager, said that "We're thrilled to see the Pavilion being utilized more. It was important to us to make the heating upgrades when we took over this fall so more groups can utilize the unique space."
Renee Penny, Market Manager and Conservation Specialist at the Kalkaska Conservation District, is as thrilled as Popa. "Shoppers and vendors have been hinting they'd love to see a winter market again like we were able to host at the Kaliseum in 2021. While the Kaliseum worked for us last winter, we'd be bursting at the seams this year with MSU Extension's recent move into the complex. Being able to stay in the same location we have all summer, is most ideal for our Market since people already know where we are at."
This Winter Market extension will continue with some of the special programming that had been showcased throughout the Summer Season. Specifically, the cooking demos and Music at the Market series. According to Penny, "These have been our most popular Market days by far so we will keep with them. Kid's days haven't been as well attended since school has started, which is something we expected. Instead we will plan on hosting kids days in the summer again once schools gets out and sports schedules quiet down.”
In addition, Penny reminds folks that they are always accepting vendor applications, especially for produce vendors. "We take pride in our Market that everything represented here is locally grown, crafted, or produced. With nearly all of those items coming from Kalkaska County, or a neighboring county."
Kalkaska Farmers Market will continue to run every Tuesday, 2:00 - 6:00pm, at the Railroad Square Pavilion in Downtown Kalkaska with the last day of the season being December 20, 2022. They will continue to accept SNAP/ebt, Prescription for Health, Communities in School, WIC, and Senior Fresh coupons.
