HILLSDALE – As summer arrives in Michigan, residents can once again stop by downtown Hillsdale to enjoy the Hillsdale County Farmers Market.
The Farmers Market, which has been a staple of the Hillsdale community since 2008, is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It offers dozens of local businesses, artisans and vendors the opportunity to sell their goods to the community.
Kari Amstutz owns The Clove & Cotton Co., which sells handmade cosmetics, soaps and more.
Amstutz said she is excited to be back at the market every Saturday.
“It’s been a great year so far and I’m glad I can continue to be a part of it every Saturday,” said Amstutz. “Moreover, it seems that everyone is very enthusiastic about the restart. I love talking and interacting with all the people of Hillsdale.”
Ahna Decker, owner of Taste & See Bakery, says she looks forward to market day every week.
“I work hard during the week to get ready for the market, in addition to selling baked goods from my house,” Decker said. “Saturdays are extremely rewarding.”
She said the market has been extremely successful for her business.
“It was so nice to connect with people from the community. They approached my stand with big smiles, eager to try a sample and take some treats with them. Some people get coffee at Ad Astra and then come by to get strawberry shortcake scones for breakfast. Others come for a loaf of bread for dinner or a bag of cookies to take to a party,” she said. “Despite the windy and cold weather, I sold out of all my pastries on the first day of the farmers market. I increased the amount of bread and scones I sold the second week and still sold out.”
Decker hopes to continue delivering more products to the community each week, but has already found the past few weeks to be very encouraging for her business.
“I will increase the number of items I sell this week and add more variety until I can find the balance between what I can produce and what the community wants to buy,” she said. “I had returning customers this week, which was very encouraging. It is nice to hear what my customers think of the pastries they have purchased and to listen to their wishes for the coming weeks.”
Last year, the Farmers Market closed Howell Street in downtown Hillsdale after renovations to the Hillsdale County Courthouse derailed plans to host the market in the parking lot.
The Farmers Market will once again meet in the Hillsdale County Courthouse parking lot for the 2024 season.
Emma De Nooy-Miller said she is grateful it is no longer on Howell Street.
“I like how they moved the farmer’s market so that an entire street isn’t closed off,” De Nooy-Miller said. “And the new setup even made it easier to see each booth.”
She added that she is looking forward to when more fresh produce comes into season and will be available in the market.
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In the meantime, vendors are selling plant seedlings, some seasonal fruits and vegetables, baked goods and hundreds of other locally sourced and handmade items.
Decker said she and all the other vendors are grateful for the community’s support.
“We have some incredibly creative, skilled, hardworking artisans and farmers with a huge variety of goods. There really is something for everyone,” says Decker. “I’m excited to be part of such an amazing market in an incredible community. I’m looking forward to the coming weeks!”
— Elyse Apel is a correspondent for The Hillsdale Daily News. She can be reached by email at ehawkins@hillsdale.edu.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale County Farmers Market Reopens for 2024 Season
