“September is a perfect time to visit the market because it highlights the fullest diversity of Michigan produce,” says Sarah DeWitt, general manager of the Ann Arbor Farmers Market.
Expect a mix of summer and fall produce–DeWitt highlights melons, tomatoes, apples, broccoli, micro greens, root vegetables, and lettuces. She recommends 7 a.m. as the best time to visit both the Wednesday and Saturday markets. Parking is readily available then and it’s free until 8; if you come later, bring a fistful of quarters in case a spot opens at the old-fashioned meters on Fourth.
Early morning has other advantages: the crowd is much smaller and the goods are easier to see. And sunrise is a glorious time to be outside.
The visual feast can range from apples to zucchini. And what about the smells? Jorja likes smelling the flowers. Bob likes smelling the tomatoes.
If you prefer to watch people rather than veggies, you’ll find kids in strollers and seniors pushing walkers and all ages in between. There is a goodly diversity not only of ages, but of races and ethnic backgrounds. Population variety is, we think, one of Ann Arbor’s strengths. And a good sampling of that diversity comes to this market.
As we strolled around one Saturday, we were drawn to a large sculpture of a rooster at a vendor’s egg and poultry stand. Where did that rooster come from? John Harnois of Harnois Farm said that he came home one day and started hammering and hammering, and out came the rooster. And then he added, with a twinkle in his eye, “or from Tractor Supply.”
Harnois went on to add an interesting insight. He was learning Chinese hand signals for numbers so that he could better convey numbers of eggs to his Chinese customers. The thought that this might be another chicken yarn vanished when he signed the number six using the fingers of only one hand.
Tod Williams, of Bay Port Fish Company, is the vendor who travels the farthest to come to market–Bay Port is on Saginaw Bay in Michigan’s thumb. His best-seller: whitefish, fresh or smoked.
At the Wednesday and Saturday markets (7 a.m.-3 p.m.) you’ll also find artisans exhibiting wares ranging from purses to photographs. The Wednesday evening market (4-8 p.m.) focuses more on food, not on artisans, with the notable exception of Pleasant Lake Hardwoods, which offers swings and other objects made from trees harvested from their own woodlot. They, and scores of other craftspeople, are back from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday for the Sunday Artisans Market (when parking is free all day). If it’s your first visit, you’ll find the Ann Arbor Farmers Market at 315 Detroit St., between N. Fourth and Fifth avenues.
