The Insider’s Guide to Michigan Farmers Markets

It’s harder and harder to find whole foods in the snack packaged bonanzas they’re calling grocery stores, let alone among the hordes of TikTok-driven consumers frenzied over viral concoctions. Good luck procuring something fresh from your neighborhood farm.

Now if you’ve been to Michigan, you know we have a lot of farms. Over nine million acres, actually. Most Michiganders are either living on a farm, have lived on a farm, live next to a farm, can smell a farm nearby, or at the very least have had to slow down for a tractor. The fact is that three quarters of the state looks like a 2000 Dell desktop.

As summer begins, farmers markets start to pop up like crocuses. And after spending summers beekeeping on my family’s farm, I now run my own stall at some of West Michigan’s best local markets and seasonal craft shows. Having been on both sides of the booth, it’s clear to see which side fuels the other. And it might not be the one you think.