Ann Arbor Farmers Market: 100 Years

When

Monday July 8, 2019: 9:00am to Friday August 30, 2019: 9:00pm

Where

Downtown Library: 2nd Floor Exhibit

Description

In 2019, the Ann Arbor Farmers Market celebrates its centennial.  It was first established as a “curb market” where farmers would back their wagons or trucks up to the sidewalks around courthouse square to sell their wares.  Farmers from across the county drove vegetables, fruits, flowers, eggs, meats, dairy products, and baked goods into the city early Saturday morning to get a spot and a chance to sell to eager Ann Arborites.  After a donation of land in Kerrytown, the city enlisted the WPA to construct a permanent structure for the market, its home ever since.  The market has experienced ups and downs over the decades but today is as vibrant and active as at any time in its history.  

This exhibit traces the 100-year history of the Ann Arbor Farmers Market from the backs of farm trucks to gourmet food trucks.  Through photographs and text, it tells the story of how Ann Arbor’s relationship to food has changed over the years, how farming in Washtenaw County has evolved, and how people have come to appreciate what they eat and where it comes from.