Locally grown foods will once again come to town

Fresh, locally grown organic food is coming back to Hamtramck.

By Charles Sercombe

Good news for fans of fresh and organic foods.

Hamtramck’s one and only Famers Market is setting up again, starting Wednesday, May 16.

This year the group has a new location, said Alex Lumelsky, who runs the market with his wife, Zina.

And that new location is Pope Park, at the corner of Jos. Campau and Belmont.

Lumelsky gave a shout out to Mayor Karen Majewski and Director of Community & Economic Development Jason Friedmann for securing the new spot, which is closer to more pedestrians than the previous location in the city parking lot next to Polonia Restaurant.

“We are excited about the new space because of its central location and intimacy and are very grateful for the support from city hall,” Lumelsky said.

The market operates every Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. until September or October.

So, what exactly is so special about the market?

Lumelsky said there are several reasons:

“The main goal of our market is to provide a source for naturally-grown, organic produce to the citizens of Hamtramck. We are committed to supporting the efforts of local farmers who engage in natural growing practices. All of the produce to be sold at our market is grown in Hamtramck or Detroit, typically just a few miles away,” he said.
It gets even better.

Say you want to start growing organic food. In Hamtramck and nearby Detroit, our soil may have some issues with lead – after all this was once a heavy industrial area.

To find out if you need to replace your soil, the market will help out with testing your soil free of charge.

For those who want to sell your products, there is limited space so it’s best to get a hold of Lumelsky. The best way to do that is through their Facebook site, which you can find at:

www.facebook.com/hamtramckfarmersmarket

Or, you can e-mail them at: joinus@hamtramckfarmersmarket.com

The market has also now organized itself into a non-profit organization and it is applying for 503© status with the IRS, Lumelsky said.

And one final note. Lumelsky is setting up a fundraiser at Skipper’s Bar sometime at the end of May or beginning of June.