NORTHVILLIANS,
Mark your calendars! The Northville Chamber of Commerce will launch OPENING DAY of the Farmers’ Market on Thursday, May 1st at the community’s new “Commons Area” (550 Seven Mile Road @ Northville Rd), across from Custard Time. The journey to ensure a Farmers’ Market location for literally the next hundred years has been a labor of love, with Northville Township and the City working together for the benefit of all in the area.
A Farmers’ Market Task Force with key contributions from Andrew Krenz, Susan Haifleigh, Keith Kohler, Nancy Darga, Marilyn Price, Lisa Schon, and many more truly made this happen. The Northville Market has consistently been award-winning, dating back to its unofficial inception more than a hundred years ago. It is one of the largest Thursday markets in the State and attracts folks from over 90 ZIP codes, averaging 2000+ visitors each Thursday.
With the outstanding weather as of late, prepare yourself for a big opening day, where you will have the perfect opportunity to grab some flowers for your gardens, a gift for a special person in your life or for the Mother’s Day celebration (May 11).
Historic Farmers’ Market Activities:
The Farmers’ Market is sponsored and run by the Northville Chamber of Commerce. The first day of the season is always exciting and draws a large crowd coming from all over the State. Many take off from work to attend Opening Day activities, and I always have to clarify that it isn’t Opening Day for our 1st place Tigers – it’s for Northville’s Farmers’ Market. I will see many of you down there on Opening Day (May 1st) to experience the launch of the new location.
Our Community’s Farmers’ Market Activities through time:
1827 – Northville originally was an agricultural community. Our town was founded as a center of commerce in the Michigan Territory with some of the first mills (Lumber & Grist) established to grind the corn & wheat because of access to three flowing tributaries. Later, that hydraulic power was used during the Industrial Revolution when Northville was second only to Detroit in economics & production in the State. From these early beginnings, much of the produce including vegetables, apples, berries and more from our surrounding farmers were sold at our market or at Eastern Market in Detroit.
1919 – An article in The Record spoke about Pickard’s Meat & Farmers’ Market housed in the old Opera House on Dunlap and Center Street (site of a new multiuse structure with a bakery on the first floor). It was mentioned that the market thrived in selling local vegetables from community farmers. This particular Market was active through the first half of the 20th century. Early on, many of the fruits & vegetables for this market came from the Orchard Heights area of town where the Eaton Farm occupied most of the land, from Rogers to Clement & from Main to Seven Mile.
Additionally, during the early 1900s, fresh cheese from Northville’s famous Cheese Factory owned by Governor Warner of Farmington was sold alongside many vendors’ products.
1952 – After our Opera House was decommissioned, the Market continued and was hosted in various parking lots around town.
1974 – The Thursday Farmers’ Market was then led by John Genitti and offered produce from local farms, including vegetables, fruits, even maple syrup tapped from our local maple trees, some dating back 200 years.
1988 – The Farmers’ Market was located in the parking lot of MAGS (today’s Northville Square Mall) before migrating to Northville Downs (Seven Mile and Center St.), where it remained through 2023.
Over the Years, the Farmers’ Market has been housed in many locations around town, including Town Square, Main & Hutton, Northville Square, the Marquis Theatre parking lot, and the old Opera House, before it made its way to Northville Downs in 1990 … We are extremely grateful for all those that contributed to the vision of a long-term Farmers’ Market, now at 550 Seven Mile Road. We are especially thankful for the cooperation and partnership of the Township and the City that brought this vision to reality.
This is truly the start of a new era for the Market. The TEAMWORK of Mark Abbo (Township Supervisor), his Township organization, our City officials, the Chamber, community work groups and Task Forces has been outstanding. We all remain committed to having a Market in our community for the next 100 years. In closing, I remind you again to get ready for an early Mother’s Day present and pick up some flowers at the Northville Farmers’ Market on Opening Day (Thursday, May 1st), 8AM to 3PM … see you there!
Keep that Northville Farmers’ Market Faith!
Brian Turnbull
Mayor – Northville
BTurnbull@ci.northville.mi.us / 248.505.6849
(Reach out to me anytime or forward this communication to others interested.)
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