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Celebrate Fresh, Local Food on July 23 at the
Select Michigan Farmers Market on the Capitol Lawn

July 20, 2009 - Celebrate local food on Thursday, July 23 for a special Select Michigan Farmers Market on the east lawn of the Capitol, featuring nearly 50 vendors selling their fresh, local products, all grown and processed here in Michigan.

Vendors from South Haven to Bad Axe to Sault Ste. Marie will be gathered there from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. selling some of Michigan’s summer harvest, everything from fresh flowers to lamb to hand-crafted soaps. Products will include seasonal fruits and vegetables, herbs, potted plants, spices and herbs, honey, maple syrup, baked goods, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, mushrooms, wool and much more!

This market is the first of three this summer celebrating Michigan’s diverse agricultural heritage and commodities. A special Select Michigan Farmers Market will be held for the first time at Detroit Eastern Market on Thursday, August 20, followed by another special market at the Capitol on Thursday, September 17 to promote the many benefits of local food to farmers, consumers and the economy.

With our farmers producing more than 200 different agricultural products, second in the nation only to California for diversity, Michigan agriculture is one of the strongest industries in the state, and it’s growing all the time, especially for local food. Michigan now boasts around 200 farmers markets, more than double the numbers we had just a few years ago.

Farmers markets like this one not only bring farmers and communities together to enjoy fresh local food but help keep money circulating in our area, supporting our local and state economies. Plus, when most food travels more than 1,000 miles to get to your dinner plate, fresh sounds awfully good, especially when it was picked just hours ago from a nearby farm.

To find a farm or farmers market in your area, visit www.farmersmarkets.msu.edu or www.localharvest.org, which list great sources of local food all over the state. To learn more about supporting Michigan’s triple bottom line – our economy, environment and the social well-being of our communities – visit www.miffs.org.

Sponsors and partners for these markets include the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) Select Michigan Program, Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS), the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA), Detroit Eastern Market, Slow Food Detroit, the Food Bank Council of Michigan and Michigan farmers and specialty food producers.

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Founded in 1998, MIFFS is a statewide membership organization (501c3) whose purpose is to promote diverse efforts that foster and sustain food and farming systems that improve economic, ecological and social well-being.  MIFFS has been effective at establishing successful partnerships among producers, markets and institutions that have created more profitable, environmentally friendly food systems in Michigan.    

The organization’s vision is based on the premise that agricultural productivity, environmental stewardship and profitability reinforce each other for the benefit of Michigan’s rural and urban communities.  To learn more, please visit www.miffs.org or call (517) 432-0712.