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Health & Fitness

Shelby Farmers Market Opens Saturday

The weekly farmers market is a great opportunity to shop locally while also exploring an amazing historical landmark.

Saturday marks the opening of the Shelby Farmers Market's 4th season. The market is held, rain or shine, on the front lawn of the historic Packard Proving grounds, on the east side of Van Dyke Ave between 22 and 23 Mile Roads.

 The weekly farmers market is a great opportunity to shop locally while also exploring an amazing historical landmark. Throughout the market season many people mention that they have always wondered about the buildings on the Packard grounds. Stopping in at the farmers market provides a chance to explore the site, which has recently been updated with placards featuring historical information about the facility.

 I grew up in this area and remember riding the school bus that picked up kids who lived on local farms. Now, some forty years later, I drive the same paths as my old school bus and see subdivisions in the place of many of  the farms. Unfortunately, with progress, we have lost local farms and farm produce stands, but the Shelby Farmers Market makes it possible to pick up fresh, locally grown produce and support local businesses and farmers by keeping our dollars in Michigan, every week from May through October.

Find out what's happening in Shelby-Uticawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This year's farmers market will feature an exciting mix of old favorites and great new offerings. Shelby Farmers Market staples include local honey and bee pollen, jams and jellies, Vic the Bread Man, The Righteous Bean coffee with their wonderful fair trade organic coffee, fresh eggs from Capac farmer Don Ginn's free range chickens and local sugar cookie artist Fran's Favorites, Sharkar Farms and Lynn from Rudich Farms will all be at the market again this year.

 We're also delighted to welcome back Sue Walker and her lovely Longerberger baskets, and we look forward to many new vendors, artisans, crafts and business people too. New to the market this season are Bernadette Troy of Shelby Township with beautiful, handcrafted soaps and Adriane Baden, of Shelby Township’s Kaliah Designs creates vintage & nature inspired jewelry that is affordable, feminine, romantic and perfect for any occasion, special or not.  You just never know what you'll find each week at the farmers market, but you can be sure that you'll enjoy the bounty of fresh and local produce; there's just nothing that compares to freshly picked, naturally ripened fruits and veggies.

Find out what's happening in Shelby-Uticawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 One thing I love about the Shelby Farmers Market is that it leads me to discover new foods and ingredients that I might not normally purchase. I wasn't a big fan of beets growing up, but the only way that I had eaten them was in the canned and pickled versions. As an adult I understood how healthy they are, but it wasn't until a local farmer suggested coating them with a little bit of olive oil and roasting them in the oven that I became a true fan of the beet.

The market features weekly cooking demonstrations by Chef Kendall, which might be just what you need to jump start a journey with new, healthful foods and recipes. It's amazing what a difference the proper seasonings and cooking techniques will do for some fruits and vegetables. You might even discover some things that you didn't think that you liked. It's a great way to eat healthier, little by little incorporating more new fruits and veggies into your diet. These adventures in eating are especially exciting as each new fruit and veggie comes into season. I hope you'll join me in taking advantage of all that the Farmers Market has to offer.

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