Food Access
Increasing access to nourishing food is at the core of our mission to build a healthier, wealthier, and happier Detroit. This goal of access isn’t only about our most popular markets but resonates in all of our additional resources, programs, and partnerships as well. Below is more information on the programs that bring the food, culture, and togetherness of Eastern Market to smaller communities throughout Detroit.
Connecting Communities to Fresh Food—One Program at a Time
Food & Health Fellowship
Each year, Eastern Market Partnership hires around 25 Food & Health Fellows who assume hands-on responsibility for running our Food Assistance operations, Farm Stand program, and other food access initiatives. Food & Health Fellows serve as healthy ambassadors to over 12 weekly partner locations from mid-May through mid-October, while also learning about the challenges and opportunities of building a sustainable regional food system. Fellows are responsible for purchasing, storing, transporting, displaying and selling produce at each Farm Stand site. The Fellowship program incubates participants in Michigan’s regional food system and engages them with food justice issues in Detroit.
Contact
Nicole Morba, Food Access Manager
nmorba@easternmarket.org
Farm Stand
We operate 12+ mobile pop-up Farm Stands each week from mid-May through mid-October, offering fresh produce at sites all around Metro Detroit. Through partnerships with Detroit Community Markets, community development organizations, Downtown Development Authorities and neighborhood farmers markets, the Farm Stand seeks to promote a culture of wellness in the City of Detroit and Southeast Michigan.
Each Farm Stand is equipped to accept all currencies including cash, credit/debit, EBT, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC Project FRESH and Senior Market FRESH.
Detroit Community Markets
We work with Detroit Community Markets, a network of neighborhood farmers’ markets and alternative food distribution programs, to improve healthy food access in underserved areas in Detroit. Learn more at the Detroit Community Markets website. Learn more at our Detroit Community Markets page.
GROW Eastern Market
GROW Eastern Market (GEM) is Detroit’s locavore wholesale connection. The mission of GEM is to increase access to local produce by brokering farm-to-fork relationships with institutional buyers (chefs, restaurants, schools, grocery stores and other wholesale markets) to create and expand new market channels for Michigan’s small and emerging growers. We like to think of GEM as: DIRT. DOCK. DOOR. We start with locally grown and harvested fresh foods from Michigan farms, they are brought to our loading docks, and finally to your chef’s door… delicious!
For more information, visit Eastern Market Online and their Instagram page.
Contact
Reid Walborn, Food Hub Manager
rwalborn@easternmarket.org
Ways to Pay
We make the Bridge Card easy to use at our public farmer’s markets. Bridge Card participants can receive more information about how to use their card at our markets at our Welcome Center, located between Sheds 2 & 3, or Shed 5 information booth.
Double Up Food Bucks matches your Bridge Card purchases dollar-for-dollar (up to $20 per day), giving an additional free $20 to spend on Michigan fresh fruits and vegetables.
Learn more at DoubleUpFoodBucks.org
Michigan farmers can accept WIC Project FRESH and Senior Project FRESH coupons from June through October at our Saturday and Tuesday market. Visits these websites to learn more: WIC Project FRESH and Senior Project FRESH.
Fresh Prescription
Fresh Prescription is a fruit and vegetable prescription program that brings together the healthcare system and the food system, fostering innovative relationships to build a healthy sustainable food system in Detroit. This promising approach to a healthier food system connects patients to fresh, locally-grown produce while providing direct economic benefits to small and midsize farmers.
Participants are referred to the Fresh Prescription program by their primary care physician. The clinician gives the participants a “prescription” to eat more fruits and vegetables and helps set goals for healthy eating. Patients fill their prescriptions at a partnering farm stand or with a food box delivery, where they also receive other educational support for making meaningful, healthy eating changes.
Contact
Brittiany Peeler, Eastern Market Partnership
bpeeler@easternmarket.org
