Argus Farm Stop has combined cafe, farm-fresh grocery for a decade

ANN ARBOR, MI – A coffee shop and farm-fresh grocer has spent a decade as a source for local produce for Ann Arborites.

Argus Farm Stop opened in 2014 at 325 W. Liberty St. in what was once a gas station. Founders Bill Brinkerhoff and Kathy Sample envisioned a neighborhood cafe serving locally-sourced produce alongside hand-crafted coffee using RoosRoast beans and local beer and wine.

Brinkerhoff and Sample were inspired by a similar farm market concept in Wooster, Ohio, which showcased the fruits of local farms every day as an add-on to the local weekly farmer's market.

In their research of the farm scene around Ann Arbor, the couple stumbled across the building that became their first location. When their friend and local developer Alex de Parry bought the building in 2013, it had most recently been a medical marijuana dispensary called the Grass Station.

"This was a boarded up building with a bunch of mattresses in the basement," Sample said. "Community and serendipity come together when you're trying to do something that's going to benefit everybody."

By their grand opening in August the next year , the store was fully reshaped with a coffee counter, produce wall and corn stalks growing on its roof. Longtime partner Chad Brennan, who owns Crust bakery in Fenton, set up a table outside serving fresh-baked bread with sea salt butter.

The couple's vision of the business as an outlet for local farmers who depend heavily on the city's twice-a-week farmer's market in Kerrytown quickly became a reality.

When it opened, Argus Farm Stop showcased the work of 20 local farmers. Now, that number is upwards of 200. The couple added a second location on Packard Road in 2017, splitting up their concept on either end of the block with a cafe on one corner and a market on the other.

"The farmer's market is one way to sell local produce, and it's a great way for community," Sample said. "But we knew there were a lot of people who weren't making it to market - we figured at least 20 for every person who was at the market.. turns out it's way higher."

Vendors at Argus Farm Stop provide their produce, baked goods or products like honey or coffee for sale on consignment - 70 percent of the proceeds from each sale go to the vendor. That business model means the margins for the grocery side are slim, but Sample said the cafe helps make up for the whole store's operating costs.

"This forms community," she said. "We can have a conversation at the register, and you can't ignore that right there are all these gorgeous vegetables."

The cafe offers fresh pastries each day from Fenton-based Crust bakery, an early partner of the market, as well as Ypsilanti's Bird Dog Bakery and Ann Arbor-based Harvest Kitchen, Market Manager Michael McLoughlin said. About 80 percent of bakery items stay on the menu year-round, while seasonal items like an apple Danish or pumpkin muffin change each month.

The cafe also offers seasonal drinks like a Fireside Latte made with espresso, caramel and spice mix and a "chaider" made form local apple cider, chai and cinnamon.

Customers can dine inside in a heated greenhouse-style addition or on the restaurant's outdoor patio.

Since opening their second location on Packard in 2017, Argus Farm Stop has added an "unfrozen" section for meats and pre-prepared meals and a weekly produce box that customers can pick up from seven different locations across the city.

"At this point we've put - through this model - over $22 million into local farms. That's a lot of money when you think about what we're doing." "We give them a report that says 'this is what you sold, this is the price' and if it's prepared food, we let them know if anything dated out... our waste rate is super low."

On Thursday morning, local Paw Paw farmer David Swain stopped by to drop off several grocery bags full of the uncommon tropical fruit, which is endemic to Michigan.

"This was a good year for Paw Paws," Swain said as Sample added his harvest to a display showcasing the fruits of five other area Paw Paw farmers.

Sample describes the store's constantly rotating selection of fresh produce as "a Tetris game of groceries." Although seasonal highlights sell well, Sample and her employees takes the time to showcase each farm.

"You get all these people who are bringing stuff with such pride that you want to curate it well. You can't be lame - it has to be gorgeous." she said. "And in a place like this you can meet the guy who grew it."

Argus Farm Stop on Liberty is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The locations at 1200 and 1226 Packard are open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day, respectively.