Ag Leaders to Discuss Future of Benton Harbor Fruit Market

State grant opportunity also on the agenda for regional listening session

Mar. 8, 2026 at 1:00am

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The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is teaming up with the United Way of Southwest Michigan, the Benton Harbor Fruit Market, and the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission for a regional listening session on March 16 to talk with local growers about the future of agriculture in the region, including a grant program and plans to reimagine the Benton Harbor Fruit Market.

Why it matters

The Benton Harbor Fruit Market is a key part of the regional food ecosystem, connecting growers and buyers, and has potential to play an even bigger role if reimagined. The listening session aims to get input from farmers on challenges they face and how programs like the Farm to Family grant can help.

The details

The listening session will have two main focuses - first, MDARD will explain its Farm to Family grant program that seeks to help producers grow, and gather feedback from farmers. The second part will discuss how a grant obtained by Be Healthy Berrien can be used to conduct a feasibility study on reimagining the Benton Harbor Fruit Market site to better fit the region's food ecosystem needs.

  • The listening session is scheduled for March 16, 2026.
  • The feasibility study on the Benton Harbor Fruit Market is starting now and will last two years.

The players

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

A state government agency that is organizing the regional listening session and promoting its Farm to Family grant program.

United Way of Southwest Michigan

A nonprofit organization partnering with MDARD on the listening session.

Benton Harbor Fruit Market

A seasonal farmers market and produce hub that is the focus of a planned feasibility study to reimagine its role in the regional food ecosystem.

Southwest Michigan Planning Commission

A regional planning organization hosting the listening session at its offices.

John Egelhaaf

Director of the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission.

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What they’re saying

“It's a pretty broadly structured opportunity for folks in the grower community specifically, but I think larger in the sort of food ecosystem to solve some of the problems that they or challenges that they're confronted by.”

— John Egelhaaf, Director, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission

“Essentially execute a feasibility study for the fruit market to try to understand, given the present characteristics of the food ecosystem in the region, how would the fruit market site be best reimagined to fit together well with a lot of the needs that the food ecosystem sort of calls for at this point.”

— John Egelhaaf, Director, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission

“It's really centrally located. It's very accessible to major transportation hubs, transportation lines. It's right there by the airport, where there's possibilities with that. So it goes on and on. It just feels like there's lots of untapped potential there.”

— John Egelhaaf, Director, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission

What’s next

The two-year feasibility study on reimagining the Benton Harbor Fruit Market is starting now.

The takeaway

This listening session is an opportunity for regional agricultural leaders to collaborate on addressing challenges facing farmers and exploring ways to maximize the potential of the Benton Harbor Fruit Market as a hub for the local food ecosystem.