Local Food Initiative Expands Access Through Community Marketplace
Agricole Farm Stop announces Agri-Fest, to take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., June 20, on Jackson Street in downtown Chelsea. The free community marketplace highlights local food, art and small-scale agriculture while raising funds for the Our Neighbor’s Basket initiative, a program that provides weekly CSA meal kits to Chelsea residents through a trust-based sliding-scale model.
Agricole Farm Stop focuses on increasing access to fresh, nutrient-dense food while supporting local farmers through direct compensation for their harvests. According to Store Manager Shana Weddington, the Our Neighbor’s Basket initiative raised $5,000 last year to help launch the program, and the organization now works toward a 2026 fundraising goal of $7,000. Weddington says the funding allows the program to provide fresh food baskets to eight households each week for the remainder of the year.
Agri-Fest transforms Jackson Street, outside Agricole’s north entrance, into a pedestrian marketplace featuring local farmers, makers and artists. Agricole Farm Stop currently seeks 11 vendors for the event. Available spaces include 10-by-10-foot parking spot pop-ups and 6-by-4-foot sidewalk window bays. Vendor participation requires a $50 fundraising donation.
Location: 118 N. Main St., Chelsea. Prospective vendors and community members interested in additional information may contact Shana Weddington at [email protected] or Melanie Zimmerman at [email protected].
