Michigan Fresh and Master Gardeners at Detroit Eastern Market

Kristine Hahn<hahnk@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - August 15, 2016

Michigan State University Extension personnel and Master Gardener volunteers will staff an information booth at the Detroit Eastern Market this summer and fall.

Michigan State University Extension personnel and Michigan Master Gardener volunteers will answer gardening questions and promote the Michigan Fresh program at a booth at Detroit Eastern Market Shed 2 on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from June 7 through September 27, 2016. Detroit Eastern Market is an awesome place to visit on Tuesdays. You get to see and experience the wonder of Michigan products and the surrounding stores without all the crowds you have on Saturday. Visit the MSU Extension booth and if you like the Michigan Fresh Facebook site on your smartphone, we’ll give you one of the Michigan Fresh magnets.

The Michigan Fresh website is a great resource for all Michiganders who eat (isn’t that everyone?) as it has the best research-based information about Michigan food products.

You will find a handy Michigan availability chart that shows when different fresh fruits and vegetables are in season. This is when fruits and vegetables are at their peak flavor, nutrition and lowest cost – therefore, the best time to buy them. A great money-saving practice is to purchase bulk amounts of your favorite produce when they are in season and freeze them for out of season use at in-season prices. There is also a convenient MSU bulletin with tips on how to freeze your Michigan produce.

Moreover, buying Michigan-grown products supports our local food economy and keeps dollars circulating in Michigan – where we need them the most.

There is also beautiful, concise information on how to store, use and cook our Michigan abundance. This information can also help you save money by helping you keep your Michigan products fresh longer. There are even recipe cards and cooking videos at Michigan Fresh to help you expand your enjoyment of Michigan produce. In addition, there is information about farmer’s markets, food preservation, food safety, gardening, meats, fish and nuts. This information is also available in Spanish and Arabic.

So show your Michigan pride, and visit the Michigan Fresh website and booth. More importantly, buy and eat Michigan fresh!

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).