Buying Local in West Michigan

Summertime Market, Douglas, Michigan

It was a beautiful start to Labor Day weekend here in West Michigan so Bill and I took a little roadtrip today. Our friend Waltraud had told us about Summertime Market in Douglas, Michigan, right on Blue Star Highway.

According to an April, 2009 article in The Commercial Record, Summertime Market’s goals are to:

• Provide the community with high-quality, safe and healthy products.
• Create a mutually-beneficial relationship with local farmers and suppliers.
• Have a positive impact on the community and environment.
• Educate the community on the benefits of eating locally.
• Recycle, reuse and reduce waste.

Founder Andrew Milauckas elaborated about the brand: “Our brand concept is to create an environment reminiscent of a 1950’s fruit and vegetable stand … a place that resonates, where the eggs were laid that morning and produce inventory depends on what the farmer harvested the night before.”

This is just the type of place I was looking for to supplement my freezer of grassfed meats or provide an easy one-stop shop for what’s in season. They have several products from the same vendors I use: Hilhof Dairy milk, Grassfields eggs, and Eater’s Guild produce.

Check out the signs that show the distance the food has traveled.

Thanks, Andrew, for providing a place for our community to buy local.