Farmer’s market makes fresh debut into E.L. community

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For Matt Corrion, farming isn’t just hard work — it’s a family legacy.

Corrion, whose family runs Corrion Farms in Essexville, Mich., and produces a plethora of crops, continued more than 25 years of tradition Sunday at the East Lansing Farmer’s Market. The market was the first such event to occur in the city in about a decade.

“Business has been really good today. There’s lots of people who are really happy we’re here,” Corrion said.

Fifteen Michigan-based vendors sold locally grown produce and other goods at the market at Valley Court Park, 400 Hillside Court, and many sold out before the event concluded at 3 p.m., market manager Michelle Carlson said.

She said the market serves important functions, such as bringing the community together to support local farmers and businesses.

“I think the event is important for many reasons,” she said. “One, it’s a great community event. Families are out here enjoying a nice Sunday afternoon. It’s very good for the local farmers for their own businesses, and to keep farming going around here.”

Michigan’s tradition in farming coupled with the health benefits of consuming locally grown produce add to the benefit, she said.

“Everyone’s coming together for a common purpose and it’s really festive,” she said.

Local businesses also were present Sunday, including El Azteco, Grand Traverse Pie Co. and the East Lansing Food Co-Op, or ELFCO.

“I can’t believe how busy it is,” ELFCO employee Heather Fick said. “In the first hour we sold out of many of our things. I think people are just excited that there’s a market so close to where they live.”

ELFCO sold items to supplement the goods that farmers were selling, such as bread, drinks and packaged goods, she said.

Corrion, whose family participates in four farmer’s markets in Michigan, said his favorite part of participating in events like Sunday’s is interacting with community members.

“I really like coming here, talking to the people and selling stuff. It helps support the local economy and (helps bring) Michigan back up,” he said.

Lansing residents Jim and Wendy Fall said they decided to check out the farmer’s market Sunday because they wanted to take a look at the locally grown and produced goods.

“I think that a lot of the food that gets grown in Michigan gets sent somewhere else to be eaten by people and … along the way it sort of loses its luster and a lot of its nutritional value, so having something that’s grown right in your own backyard is better for you,” Wendy Fall said.

Richard Bowie of Owosso Organics said he sold out of most of his produce before the event’s end.

“I think that once the product starts rolling in, people will be rewarded so they’ll come back,” Bowie said.

He said farmer’s markets are important not only because of the benefit reaped by local farmers, but by the community as well.

“The reason it’s so important, to me, is because I think that the Greater Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos area is underserved in terms of access to farmer’s markets,” he said. “It’s vastly underserved in access to a grower-only forum, and that’s what this offers here. … The customers, the people that buy, seem to want to get that direct connection, so they’ll be able to get that here.”

The farmer’s market will occur from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday at Valley Court Park until Oct. 25.

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