Farmers Market at Capitol kicks off 2023 season
LANSING — Andy Todosciuk remembers when the farmer's market at the Michigan Capitol was only a handful of people.
"There were just five of us," he said, shuffling ears of corn Tuesday at a folding table at his bustling Andy T's Farm Market stand on Capitol grounds.
About 80 tents surrounded him, a long way since the early days.
The market brings dozens of vendors, farmers and food trucks to the Capitol lawn on three Tuesdays beginning in the summer. The next ones are Aug. 15 and Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
"Vendors have Michigan crops, homemade baked goods, soaps and all kinds of stuff," said Keke Griffin, a food access assistant with the Michigan Farmers Market Association, which hosts the Farmers Market at the Capitol.
The group was conducting surveys: How much would people spend at a farmers market? Did they come downtown just for this? Surveyors will use the results to help the 300 farmers markets across the state for challenges like finding local markets and determining whether to take EBT cards and offer senior discounts.
The markets are the best spot to get fresh food, said Bev Davis, who waved hello to Todosciuk, whose gourmet corn is one of her favorite farmers market finds.
Todosciuk said he began the farmers market in downtown Lansing more than 15 years ago and was bringing 10 bushels of corn. He kept running out.
The bushels kept growing, reaching about 70 before the pandemic and he sells about half of that now, he said.
"There's less people downtown," he said. "The legislators also used to work during the summer but it doesn't seem like they do anymore."
The separate and weekly Downtown Lansing Farmers Market runs 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Reutter Park, 400 S. Capitol Ave. Read about other Greater Lansing area farmers markets here.
Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Farmers Market at Capitol kicks off 2023 season
