Ann Arbor Farmers Market: What to Buy This Spring and Summer
Strawberries arrive in June. Asparagus is finishing. Here's what to look for now.
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market runs year-round at 315 Detroit St in Kerrytown, but May and June are when it shifts from the spare winter operation into something worth planning your Saturday around. Per the market's own site, it lists around 130 vendors from Michigan, all operating under producer-only rules: they grew it, raised it, or made it themselves.
Saturdays run 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. year-round. Wednesday hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. from May through December. The May return of the Wednesday market is not a minor thing if you actually cook with seasonal produce: it means you can get good asparagus on a Wednesday instead of planning your whole week around Saturday.
The market accepts SNAP/EBT and participates in Double Up Food Bucks, which matches SNAP spending on Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables dollar for dollar. Tokens for all payment types are purchased at the office trailer near the entrance.
What's in Season Now
The May-June window is defined by two overlapping moments: asparagus finishing and strawberries starting.
Asparagus: Local asparagus from Michigan farms peaks in late April and runs through June, depending on the weather. By mid-May, the season has been underway for a few weeks and the first stalks are no longer a novelty. That is actually the better time to buy: the initial frenzy has passed, prices stabilize, and the quality is high. Look for spears that snap clean when bent, with tight tips and a consistent green from base to tip. Buy more than you think you need. Roast hot (425 degrees, 10 minutes) with oil and salt. Nothing else is required.
Strawberries: Michigan strawberries typically arrive at the Kerrytown market in mid-to-late June, with peak weeks usually falling in the last week of June and the first week of July. The Michigan strawberry guide covers this in detail, but the short version: they are softer and smaller than California supermarket berries, they taste significantly better, and they do not last. Buy them, eat them within 48 hours. Get to the market by 8 a.m. when they first appear or the best vendors will be sold out by 9.
Greens and herbs: Spring is the most productive time for lettuces, arugula, spinach, and herbs like cilantro, dill, and basil. The cool nights and long days before July heat sets in produce greens that are tender and not bitter. Once temperatures stay consistently above 80, lettuce bolts fast. Buy greens in May and June when they're at their best.
Radishes: One of the most underrated market finds in spring. French breakfast radishes, watermelon radishes, and standard reds show up from multiple vendors in May. Slice thinly over butter on bread, or roast them (they turn sweet and mild). They're cheap, they're everywhere in spring, and most people walk past them.
Early summer vegetables: By late May and into June, expect the first zucchini, snap peas, and green onions from farms that run hoophouses or cold frames. These are not peak-summer abundance, but they're real local produce available weeks before the midsummer rush.
Flowers: The flower vendors are one of the most reliable parts of the spring market. Cut peony season in Michigan runs roughly mid-May through early June, and the peony stands at the Saturday market during those weeks are worth a separate trip.
Vendors to Know
The market operates on a producer-only basis, which means vendor selection shifts with the season. These are the vendors consistently present and worth finding.
Tantré Farm is the anchor. Richard and Deb Andres run a 16-acre certified organic operation near Chelsea, and their Saturday stand is one of the best-stocked at the market through the entire growing season. In May, look for their salad mix, spinach, and herbs. In June, they'll have strawberries and the first summer vegetables. Their produce sells fast. If you want the best of what they brought, arrive before 8 a.m.
The Brinery makes lacto-fermented vegetables: sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, hot sauces. They ferment cabbage from Tantré's crop on Tantré's property, which makes the sourcing story unusually verifiable. The sauerkraut is the thing to buy if you haven't tried it. A jar runs around $9-11 and lasts weeks in the refrigerator.
Kapnick Orchards is a fruit vendor from Britton, Michigan, known for apples in fall and winter. In late summer, look for their stone fruit. Through spring and into June, they carry preserved products and, depending on the season, greenhouse-grown items.
RoosRoast Coffee operates a stand at the market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Their coffee is available across Ann Arbor, but the market stand is the format that makes the most sense: you're already there, it's early, and the line moves. Get a coffee and walk.
Honey vendors are year-round fixtures. Local raw honey from Michigan apiaries runs roughly $10-15 for a small jar depending on the vendor and variety. Several vendors carry varietal honeys (buckwheat, wildflower, clover). The market lists honey as a standard category in their vendor directory.
Flower farms rotate through the season. In May and June, look for the vendors with peonies, ranunculus, and tulips. A medium bunch of peonies usually runs $8-15 depending on variety and vendor.
How to Use a Saturday Morning
Arrive by 7:30 a.m. if you want the best selection. The market opens at 7 and the serious shoppers start working the stalls immediately. By 9 a.m. the crowd is thicker and the best produce is moving fast.
Bring cash or be prepared to buy tokens at the office trailer. The token system handles credit, debit, and SNAP/EBT. Tokens are $1 each and accepted by all vendors. If you want to pay individual vendors directly, several accept cards, but not all.
Bring bags. Real bags, not thin plastic. A box if you're buying multiple items. The market has no bag situation to speak of.
A useful Saturday route: start at Tantré's stand while the selection is best, then work toward The Brinery and the flower vendors, then get a coffee from RoosRoast on the way out. Allow 45-60 minutes for a proper shop. An hour and a half if you want to stop and talk to people.
The Wednesday market is smaller but quieter and useful for filling in gaps mid-week. If you missed the Saturday market or need something specific, Wednesday from May through December is an option most people underuse.
The Bigger Picture
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market has been operating continuously since 1919. The history and the "why it matters" piece is covered in Saturday Morning at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. This is not that story. This is: get there by 7:30, buy the asparagus while it lasts, and in a few weeks start watching for strawberries.
When the strawberries arrive, buy more than you think you need. That window is three weeks at most. The asparagus will already be gone.
Ann Arbor Farmers Market: 315 Detroit St, Kerrytown. Saturdays 7 a.m.-3 p.m. year-round. Wednesdays 7 a.m.-3 p.m., May through December. SNAP/EBT accepted. Tokens purchased at the office trailer. Market phone: (734) 794-6255.