Acorn Farmers’ Market & Cafe is an indoor farmers market open all year around and open every day. Acorn focuses on local food and food from Michigan businesses. Most of the local food is sold on consignment – vendors deliver their goods, set the price and receive 75% of what sells. In addition to the farmers market operation, Acorn also has a cafe that serves coffee drinks (lattes are the most popular), tea, hot chocolate, etc. and bakery items, soups and sandwiches, and hand dipped gelato- all can be eaten in the cafe or taken home. We have some local craft items also. The cafe has seating for about 25 and free internet is available to guests.
The market open in mid September 2021 in its new location at 455 W. Main St in Manchester inside the Manchester Market. The Manchester Market is a conglomerate of business with many interactions. Acorn is a non-profit (501c) and the others are for profit businesses, but together provide a full service grocery store, a farmers market, fresh gelato made in-house, bakery items made in house, a butchery (local meat), a deli and a commissary with to-go meals created by a top notch chef.
Winter hours are 10 am – 6 pm (usually Dec – April) and summer hours are longer. Acorn currently has over 30 vendors and hopes to have over 100 vendors signed up and delivering goods by spring.
In addition to supporting local agriculture, part of Acorn’s mission is to offer community programs. Some programs will be for vendors, but others will be for community members to promote healthy eating habits, to connect people in healthy ways and to just have fun!
Acorn accepts payment as cash, credit card, check but also SNAP (EBT), Double up Food Bucks, Community Resource Center wooden nickels, Senior Project Fresh and Senior Market bucks (from St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea).
Acorn partners with other local non-profits in many different ways.
As a non-profit (501c3) the mission is – to model a rural, community-driven market that provides access to fresh food and supports the economic viability of area farmers by promoting education, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.