Local farmers’ market presents fresh food to the community
With a large bag of lettuce slumped to his left side, Central Michigan University senior Eric Petersen explained why he thinks it’s critical for students to visit the Mount Pleasant farmer’s market.
“Getting healthy food, with every two out of three Americans being obese or something like that, is very important,” Petersen said.
The Mount Pleasant farmer’s market at Island Park and City Hall offers fresh food to the community. Many of the goods are grown in farms located in Isabella County.
Foods available at the farmers’ market include vegetables, breads, chicken, eggs, honey and salsa depending on the vendors that appear that day. Other vendors offer things such as plants or soap. Some of the food stand owners are certified food organic.
Petersen, a 22-year-old biomedical science major from Hemlock, said he ventures to the market as often as he can for fresh local produce. He said likes being able to get healthy food while balancing other obligations.
Heather Shaw of Wicked Foods said she has enjoyed operating a food stand at the farmers’ market since the spring.
“There’s a lot of local produce. It’s fresh and it’s affordable,” Shaw said.
Shaw, a 30-year-old grad student majoring in conservation biology at CMU, said she also enjoys the community feeling of the market and the passion she believes both the food stand owners and patrons alike have for organic foods.
“Everybody has that same commonality,” Shaw said. “We’re all here for the same thing.”
Shaw, who said she grows the vegetables filling her food stand with her mother at their Brighton farm, hopes to be certified organic soon. She said students would get a lot out of going to the market.
“I think if everybody from campus came to the market, it would be phenomenal,” Shaw said.
But Petersen cherishes the variety of offerings at the market.
“I mean, where else can I get purple tomatoes?” Petersen said.
The Mount Pleasant farmer’s market is at Island Park from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays until October 3, and at City Hall, 320 W. Broadway, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays until October 25.
