At A Glance
Community health organizers in Manistique, Michigan, population 3,097, face a number of obstacles in their fight against obesity. High poverty levels and unemployment in a rural food desert provide few affordable options for purchasing fresh produce. Community and tribal leaders came together to create the Manistique Farmers’ Market (MFM). In 2013, MFM celebrated its 4th anniversary with an average of 365 shoppers a week, and the ability to accept Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Senior Project FRESH payments.
By
Kerry L. Ott, MA, CHES
Public Health Challenge
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009, Michigan had the 8th highest obesity rating in the nation—slightly more than 30%. In Manistique’s Schoolcraft County, obesity rates matched the state level. The region’s poverty rate was 30%, compared with just over 20% for the state. But local health, poverty, and unemployment issues were not the only challenges the region faced. A local farmers’ market may seem to be a simple solution for this rural area. But, previous attempts to establish a market had failed because of complicated rules, a perception that there was not enough locally grown produce to supply the market, disagreements among farmers and organizers, and a lack of community support.
Approach
With a mission of preventing chronic health conditions, the Sault Tribe Manistique Strategic Alliance for Health recruited tribal and community members to form a farmers’ market work group. The group studied state and county rules and learned from other markets that location, community support, and basic rules specific to each market were key success factors. The Manistique work group decided that because its goal is to eliminate a rural food desert, the MFM would be carrying fresh food products exclusively. The group also chose Wednesdays over Saturdays to hold the market to take advantage of farmer availability.