Getting Out the Harvest

"Eating local" and "farm-to-table" are more than common buzzwords on the current agricultural scene.  In a community that's highly dependent on farming of all kinds, Northport area farmers find many ways to get their harvests out to hungry people.

Revitalized a few years ago by the late George Anderson, the Northport Farmers Market is held from 9 am to 1 pm from June through early September.   It's located near the Depot and Marina in downtown Northport and always draws a good crowd eager for fresh food. 

Vendors sell all kinds of crops they've harvested in one way or another.  Fresh fruit and vegetables are the mainstay, but kettle corn, packaged cobbler mixes, and even occasional craft items are on display.

Small farm stands also dot the countryside at the tip.  I heard at breakfast a few days ago that the stand at the corner of Novotny and M-22 had sweet corn.  Checking out the tip, I could see three full bins of fresh sweet corn.  Three family members also sat on a nearby picnic table shucking corn to keep up with the demand.

Some farm stands are more elaborate than others.  This one, replete with a cooler and shelving, also had a bushel basket of corn awaiting first takers.

But edibles aren't the only items being harvested and sold.  This popular U-Pick farm just south of Omena had people walking through its lovely gardens and picking flowers that would eventually grace someone's dinner table or perhaps be bundled and given as a special gift.

Small stands holding firewood bundles are found throughout the country.  Their owners are ever mindful that those who travel Up North want a fire on the beach or at campsite in the Leelanau State Park.