Ypsilanti Farmers Market – Growing Hope with a Blue Barn Door

For a couple of years we have been working with some of the folks at an organization in Ypsilanti, Michigan called Growing Hope. Their mission is to offer technical support and resources to non-profits and community organizations that want to use gardening as a way to further their social, environmental and educational missions. They are dedicated to improving people’s lives through gardening and healthy food access. From its start in 2005, Growing Hope has grown to multiple locations and has positively impacted local farmers and residents by creating a central hub for people to gather, interact and buy/sell healthy, locally-sourced food. One of their most visible success stories is the Farmers Market in Ypsilanti.

In the last year they have been able to update a building with the goal to bring the market indoors in the winter and open their doors year-round! We have loved helping them with this wonderful undertaking. Last year we helped to insulate and air-seal the building. Most recently some of the Meadowlark folks took an historic barn door on the building’s exterior and “reworked” it to make it more energy-friendly and resistant to the harsh Michigan winters. The blue-weathered patina of this door was too beautiful to get rid of so we took it off, turned it around and added a beautiful new bright-red metal exterior facing to it. Not only did it make the building less drafty, but according to Laura Gillis, The Farmers Market Development Manager for Growing Hope, it should make the Ypsilanti Historic District Commission very happy as well!

Thanks to our “Meadowlarkers” Rob Patterson, Jason Patterson, Grant Stadelman and Jon Higgs for taking such good care of this historic piece of Ypsilanti. For more information on Growing Hope visit them at www.growinghope.net or even better…stop by the Farmers Market on 16 South Washington Street in Ypsilanti on any Tuesday from 3:00 – 7:00 pm.

By Susan Christian