Beyond Chicago Metro? Share Your Market Photos
We Can’t Be Everywhere
Local Food Forum is intentional about covering the local food community throughout the four states that surround Lake Michigan. But as a one-man operation with a crazy publishing schedule (and no travel budget), I’m mostly limited to attending markets in and close to Chicago.
So I need your help.
We want to share what the local food scene looks like all around this expanse of the Midwest. And if you send your market or farm photos with permission to publish, I will share them. Email your pix to bob@localfoodforum.com, identify where the photos were taken, and let us know how you want to be identified.
Easy-English-peasy. Your photos will help broaden our community and raise the profile of local food to a bigger audience.
To kick things off, the article below, about the Holland (Michigan) Farmers Market, was submitted by Linda McIntyre. Linda and her husband Jeff are longtime friends to Barb and me from our Washington, D.C. days, and they recently moved to Saugatuck, located near Holland in western Michigan.
Holland, located about 155 miles by car from Chicago (and 30 miles from Grand Rapids) is a charming town that was settled by… wait for it… Dutch people. Its main claim to fame is its annual Tulip Time festival each spring. Switching to my craft beverage hat, it is also home to New Holland Brewing, one of the first craft producers in the country to make both beer and distilled spirits.
Enjoy Linda’s local look at the Holland Farmers Market.
Holland Farmers Market on Display
Content contributed by Linda McIntyre
The Holland Farmers' Market is a popular destination for both locals and visitors. It's open year-round and located at the Civic Center downtown, near the waterfront Kollen Park and the 8th Street/River Avenue shopping district, with many shops and cafes.
Most of the produce on offer is grown very nearby; western Michigan is rich in farms and agricultural diversity, with significant production of apples, blueberries, and other fruits, among other crops. During the main season, starting in mid-May, the market is open on Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The photos featured here include Shady Side Farm, a personal fave. This farm is in Holland and it maintains both USDA Organic and the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance program certifications, with a focus on soil health. They raise grass-fed cows and sheep and grow heirloom beans, grains such as oats/wheat/barley, and corn that's locally ground into polenta. In addition to food products, they sell wool, yarn, knitted goods, and rugs.
beautiful product. Thanks!