Mill Street Market

09/02/2026

Please join us in welcoming Starr Older to the Mill Street Market team!

Starr joins us as Childcare Director for Little Sprouts Childcare, bringing 20 years of experience in early childhood education and childcare leadership.

Throughout her career, Starr has worked as both a teacher and a director, with experience in licensing, staffing, family engagement, enrollment, program operations, and launching a new childcare center.

As we prepare to open Little Sprouts Childcare at Mill Street Market in early 2027, Starr will help build a nurturing, high-quality program where children can learn, play, and grow, while supporting families and strengthening our community.

We're excited to have Starr join Allison, Anne, Stephen, and the growing Mill Street Market team as we bring Little Sprouts to life.

Welcome, Starr!

09/02/2026

From Michigan Good Food Fund
Are you an urban farmer looking to grow your business?

Join ProsperUs and Michigan Good Food Fund for Cultivate Your Business, an urban agriculture business accelerator and 6-week training program tailored for urban farmers, growers, producers, market gardeners, and other agriculture-related business owners.

Participants will:
-Strengthen farm operations, production, labor, and planning systems
-Build strategies to increase sales and expand market opportunities
-Improve financial management, pricing, recordkeeping, and business decision-making
-Explore land access, farm infrastructure, and long-term sustainability
-Navigate food systems, safety requirements, funding opportunities, and industry

Applications close on September 7th, 2026

resourceshttps://prosperusdetroit.tfaforms.net/5155241

08/25/2026

We’re hiring!

Mill Street Market is looking for a Farmer & Producer Engagement Coordinator to help us build strong relationships with local farmers, growers, food producers, makers, and vendors.

This full-time, hourly position will play an important role in growing our network of local suppliers, supporting producers through the onboarding process, coordinating seasonal product availability, and helping connect more locally grown and locally produced food with our community.

We’re looking for someone who is:

* A strong relationship-builder
* Comfortable reaching out and connecting with new people
* Organized and good at follow-through
* Interested in local food, agriculture, farmers, and small food businesses
* Excited to be part of a growing, mission-driven organization

Experience in agriculture, farmers markets, produce, grocery, food production, or local food systems is helpful, but not required.

📍 Hastings, Michigan
✅ Full-time, hourly
✅ Benefits package + PTO
✅ Professional development opportunities

Apply today on Indeed!

Please share with someone who would be a great fit for this role.

08/24/2026

"The Future of Food and Farm Policy"
Former U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
5:30 p.m. — Registration and light refreshments
6:00–7:00 p.m. — Welcome and remarks from MSU and CANR leadership, followed by the lecture
Kellogg Center Auditorium

Senator Stabenow will reflect on the evolving landscape of American food and agricultural policy and the challenges ahead. Drawing on her public service career and her tenure as Chair of the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, she'll discuss how policy, funding, research, and markets can work together to strengthen the nation's food economy and build a more resilient future for producers, consumers, and rural communities.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required: https://events.anr.msu.edu/stuckman26/

https://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?eventID=27881FE041837930250B13B6C23772BB7718EE402114CB43FA98783B26F9B5FE

The Stuckman Lecture Series Presents: Former U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow on

08/23/2026

For those wondering where to find us — Mill Street Market is being built on the former Royal Coach property in Hastings, just across the river from the Downtown Thornapple Plaza!

We haven’t widely published our exact street address yet because the property is still an active construction site and part of a much larger redevelopment project. For everyone’s safety, we’re asking people to hold off on visiting the site while construction is underway.

As we get closer to opening, we’ll share all the details you’ll need to come visit us. For now, if you know the old Royal Coach property — that’s where you’ll find us!

08/21/2026

Happy Friday - here are some pictures from this week! Walls, windows, and exterior work are moving forward!

08/19/2026

We’re Hiring: Little Sprouts Childcare Director!

Little Sprouts Childcare is preparing to open on the Mill Street Market campus in Hastings, and we are looking for an experienced, compassionate leader to help build the program from the ground up.

The Childcare Director will guide licensing preparation, staff recruitment and development, family communication, classroom quality, and daily operations.

This is a full-time, exempt position with a target start date of October 2026.

Join us in creating a nurturing, play-based environment where children can learn, grow, and thrive.

Apply through Indeed: Search “Child Care Director” in Hastings, Michigan.

08/14/2026

Construction Update!

Things are moving along at Mill Street Market!

✅ Under-slab plumbing is complete
✅ The concrete floor is in
✅ Walk-in cooler walls have been delivered

Up next:
🧱 Brickwork and exterior completion
🪟 Window installation
🔨 Interior walls begin going up
❄️ Walk-in coolers and freezer are assembled and installed

We're reaching the point where the building will start changing quickly, both inside and out. It's exciting to see the spaces we’ve been planning for so long beginning to take shape!

We’ll keep sharing the progress as we get closer to opening our doors. 💛 www.millstreetmarket.org

08/13/2026

Please join us in welcoming Stephen Grider to the Mill Street Market team!

Stephen joins us as our Kitchen & Culinary Education Director, bringing nearly three decades of experience as an executive chef, entrepreneur, market gardener, educator, and community builder.

Stephen's career has been grounded in a belief that fits naturally with the vision for Mill Street Market: food has the power to build community.

As we prepare to open, Stephen will play a key role in developing and launching our incubator kitchen and culinary education programs, while also working alongside our Farm Stop & Cafe team and helping create opportunities for local farmers, bakers, cooks, food entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

For Stephen, the vision goes well beyond the kitchen. He sees Mill Street Market as a place where a new food entrepreneur can get their start, a farmer can find another market for their harvest, neighbors can share a meal, families can learn together, and community partners can collaborate on new ideas.

In Stephen's words: “We are not simply building a market. We are building community, and the market is the place where that community gathers.”

We're excited to have Stephen join Allison, Anne, and the growing Mill Street Market team as we move closer to opening our doors and bringing this vision to life.

Welcome to Mill Street Market, Stephen!