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Wisconsin community group visits Manchester to learn about Acorn

Residents of Denmark, Wisconsin, meet with Acorn Theresa Herron (far left). Photo by Victoria Spain, courtesy of Acorn Farmers Market and Café

submitted by Acorn Farmers Market & Café

On Monday, May 23, a group of people interested in opening a multipurpose space in Denmark, Wisconsin—that may include a café and a gathering space along with a market for local products—visited Acorn Farmers Market & Café. Theresa Herron, the current Acorn Board Chair, met with the group to talk about the circumstances that led up to Acorn formation as a 501(c)(3) and then the connection to the group that became the new Manchester Market.

The visiting group included the town recently retired school superintendent, a Denmark Village Board trustee, the pastor of a local church, and two high school students who are working on the project. They are all part of One Denmark (), a community group that organized to help form a hub of support for their small village in rural Wisconsin. They have joined with Teal VanLanen and Nick Cochart from Kinect M1, an agency that connects “communities dedicated to creating the conditions for all to thrive.“

This was their third visit to Acorn and they were very positive with their praise of how far Acorn has come. They first visited the Manchester Market right as renovations started. Then they came back in the fall when the store had opened, and on this visit they noted how many products had been added. One community member who had been present at a past visit but wasn’t able to come along this time had sent a shopping list.

Acorn Theresa Herron was able to share the history of how Acorn came to be a part of the current version of the Manchester Market. The model has been rewarding, but a lot of work, she admitted. “We raised a lot of money for our project, at a time when the pandemic was in full swing,” said Herron. “We know that our community is behind us, so we need to make this work.“

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.