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Lansing Consumers Enjoy Local Food at Sept. 14 , 2006 Farmers’ Market on the Capitol Lawn

LANSING, MICH - The Capitol lawn buzzed with activity as hundreds Lansing shoppers enjoyed a farmers’ market there on September 14, 2006 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. This special market celebrated the 2 nd annual “Buy Fresh, Buy Local – Select Michigan Day” and encouraged Michiganders to benefit from the great taste and community impacts of local food.

This event, sponsored by the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS), brought 17 farmers from the Lansing area and beyond to the Capitol to sell their goods. Agricultural products, like fresh-cut and potted flowers, fruits and vegetables, cheese, honey, maple syrup, eggs, sausage, jams and jellies, baked goods, grains and herbal soaps, brought only a fraction of Michigan’s harvest bounty into the public eye.

“The event helped state policy makers see the opportunity for farmers and response of citizens to local farmers’ markets,” said Elaine Brown, executive director of MIFFS. “And people got to eat great food, meet the farmers who grew it and really make a connection about how important local food is to Michigan.”

Great taste is only the beginning of what local food does for Michigan’s consumers, farmers and economy.

“ Michigan’s growing food and agriculture industry generates $60.1 billion every year for our economy,” said Mitch Irwin, director of the MDA. “Selecting Michigan food keeps those dollars circulating in our communities, adding value to our family farms, and improving our quality of life.”

Many of the vendors couldn’t believe the response they got or the sales they made. Some ran out of product early, and others had to call in for reinforcements.

“We had to call in more trucks,” said Sandra and Jane Feltzke of Feltzke Farms in DeWitt. They sold fresh flowers and produce, but the raspberries were the biggest hit. Buyers waited in lines up to 15 people deep just to get them.

The shoppers loved it so much, they wanted the farmers’ market to come back every month, or even every week! While that schedule might not be possible yet, MDA and MIFFS handed out directories of where to find local food, including u-picks, farm and farmers’ markets and other ag tourism hot spots. Visit www.michigan.gov/mda or www.farmersmarkets.msu.edu to see these lists.

“The farmers’ market on the Capitol lawn was a great opportunity to distribute information on more than 150 farmers’ markets across the state,” said Dru Montri, project manager of the Michigan Farmers’ Market Association. “We wanted to recognize the markets that each of the farmers in attendance ordinarily sell at and encourage shoppers to regularly visit their local farmers’ market.”

Other events around the state also celebrated the “Buy Fresh, Buy Local – Select Michigan Day” and the September 10-16, 2006 “Selecting Michigan Week” recently proclaimed by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.

Read more about the annual "Buy Fresh, Buy Local - Select Michigan Day" here!