Farmers Market Kicks Off 2026 Season With New Operators

*The Kalamazoo Farmers Market opened its 2026 season on Saturday with a new team running operations for the first time in 13 years.*

Shoppers braved chilly Saturday weather for the first day under the management of Gamsho Group, LLC, operators of Park Street Market and Midtown Fresh, according to The City of Kalamazoo officials.

The change marks a transition from PFC Grocery & Deli, also known as People's Food Co-op, which had operated the market for 13 years.

"I personally have not noticed, but time will tell. Eventually we will figure out if they help us or hurt us," said Shanna Martin, a vendor from VerHage's Fruit Farms.

Located at 1204 Bank Street, the Kalamazoo Farmers Market remains open on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. through November. From June through October, the Farmers Market operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

New Operators Promise Continuity With Small Improvements

Kiar Gamsho and Marcus Collins, the owners of Midtown Fresh and Park Street Market, will run the market with help from Deb Droppers at the Kalamazoo Experiential Learning Center.

"At the end of the day, we're just the operators," Gamsho said. "We're opening the door, letting the farmers do their thing, making sure it's a nice, clean environment and closing the door."

Gamsho said there won't be major operational changes to the market, but there are new opportunities for special events and offerings for those in need.

Many of the same vendors are returning this season, Gamsho said. Parking and a food truck area, which closed during construction last year, will be back open. A new multi-purpose building at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market was named in honor of former Commissioner Don Cooney.

The 2026 season will feature a lineup of local musicians and a special kids market, Collins said.

SNAP Program Returns With Additional Benefits

The new operators will maintain the market's SNAP program, Gamsho said, with additional benefits for veterans and tribal members. Those programs are already up and running for opening weekend, Collins said.

"We're running farmers markets 364 days a year in our grocery stores," Gamsho said. "We're dealing with a lot of vendors and from local to state to national vendors."

In the future, the operators hope to offer educational programming for vendors looking to grow their business.

"We're dealing with a lot of vendors and from local to state to national vendors," Gamsho said. "We can pass that expertise on, he said, and bring it to the market's operations."

Change Follows Months of Conflict at People's Food Co-op

The transition comes after months of conflict within The People's Food Co-op, a shareholder-run grocery store at 507 Harrison St.

Resignations, firings and conflicts during meetings sparked petitions and spilled onto social media just weeks before the city opened applications for the three-year contract in March.

A group of members is taking the board to court over violations of co-op bylaws and the Michigan Nonprofit Corporation Act.

Part of the drama was spurred by a February Facebook post, in which Board President Ellis Martin called the Park Street Market owners "foreigners." After another board member apologized for the post on Martin's behalf, the word was changed to "outsiders."

Martin's post was made under an alias.

"We don't dwell on that," Gamsho said. "It's the community's farmers market ... we're helping the city run this because we have the experience. We scored better and we have the right team."

Audrey Whitaker is a local government reporter in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her coverage includes the city of Kalamazoo, Portage and several townships and villages in the county.