A Taste of Fall: The Mount Pleasant Farmer’s Market

Story by Kelsey Wooten
Photos by Anne Langan

The Mount Pleasant Farmer’s Market is a scene from a heartwarming movie playing out in Central Michigan University’s own backyard.

Small-scale farmers from all over mid-Michigan make their way to Island Park just before the crack of dawn. They unload truck loads of fruits, vegetables, homemade jams and candies, set up their tables and wait for the first few customers to arrive with sleepy eyes around 7:30 a.m., when the park opens.

Warm smiles are exchanged as local coffee houses set up their homey stations, eager for the first pot of hot coffee to finish brewing. The butcher fills his coolers with ice and stacks packaged meats one on top of the other. He gets his wheel spinning, sits and waits for the first set of knives someone will need sharpened.

Food trucks from surrounding restaurants roll in a little before 10 a.m. to prepare for the lunch crowd.

Businesses like the GreenTree Cooperative Grocery, MSU Extension and RedBloom Yoga arrive a little later to hand out information about community involvement, and sometimes provide sweet samples, as well.

Students all over campus find the farmers market enjoyable. Senior Kassi Inch said she loves the farmers market for the people who keep it going.

“There is just the sweetest woman who grows flowers in her garden, cuts them fresh, and sells them for a very reasonable price. She once told me meeting new people with things to talk about is the best part of every Thursday spent at Island.”

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The September farmers market provides the perfect taste of fall. Instead of strawberries and watermelons, you can now purchase a variety of apples and squash. The soap vendors have even changed the direction of their products to crisp and musky scents. Apple cider is sure to be on its way as the next appearance here in a couple of weeks.

For the rest of September through the end of October, the Mount Pleasant Farmer’s Market is open every Thursday 7:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Island Park and Saturdays at City Hall 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

If you plan to buy from vendors, be sure to bring your recyclable bag and cash in hand.