Jackson Transforms Its First State Prison Into Thriving Farmers Market And Food Hub

Grow Jackson has announced that it has repurposed the historical land that was once home to the state's first prison site into a space where the community can gather and enjoy the brand-new Jackson Farmers Market.

This may be the first time anybody in the state has ever attempted to renovate an area that was once home to the worst prisoners in the area, taking it from a place of negativity to a place of such positivity.

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But that’s what Grow Jackson is attempting to do. The Grand River Farmers Market has changed quite a bit since all the renovations have taken place, and although this year the farmers market was held in downtown Jackson, it has a new permanent home.

Jacob Inisencio, who is a part of Grow Jackson, recently explained all the renovations that they are doing inside the old prison walls in this renovated historical area :

We’re building a locally sourced grocery store called the River & Rail Farm Stop, as part of a broader River and Rail food hub initiative that’s going to include accelerator kitchens. It includes the Grand River farmers market. The farm is a year-round locally sourced consignment grocery store that pays farmers a fair price and creates fresh food access in this neighborhood while creating a community space.

The old Jackson prison was Michigan’s first state prison, which opened up in 1839 but has since been transformed into a residential and creative community for artists and, most recently, a farmers market.

It closed down in 1934 due to severe overcrowding, which is when they switched to the newer state prison. But originally, it started off in 1839 as a wooden enclosure that held just 35 inmates.