The Seymour Area Farmers Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon today in the Walnut Street Parking Lot located south of the railroad tracks near the Jackson County Public Library in Seymour. The market also is open from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesdays.
Here’s a look at two of the vendors and their products.
Beautiful Breads and Coffee
Dan, Dee, Hannah, Bethany, Chloe and Nathan Carmichael
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The Carmichael family has been setting up at the Seymour Area Farmers Market for at least nine years.
What items do you sell at the farmers market?
We sell freshly roasted coffee by the bag or the cup, freshly milled whole wheat bread made with local honey, an assortment of breads, including cinnamon rolls by the plate, garlic herb bread, onion and white sandwich loaves, rye, cinnamon pretzels, deep dish pies and more.
Where is your business located?
We are home-based out of Brownstown.
How long have you been producing the items you sell at the market?
We have been making some of our items for 15 years or more. Though, I (Dee) have made bread for my own family much longer.
Do you produce your wares full time or is this a side business or hobby for you?
I (Dee) prefer to bake only on Fridays for the market. Dan is willing to roast or mill coffee whenever requested.
What made you want to start your business?
We have a large family with eight kids. We don’t give our kids an allowance but will gladly sell anything they would like to produce for the market. It’s really better for them. They make much more than we could ever have given them as an allowance.
What about the market makes it beneficial to you as a business?
The market provides a legal way for us to have a cottage industry. It also provides a safe place and advertising.
What do you enjoy most about selling your goods locally?
We enjoy the community atmosphere that the market creates. We see people connecting with others that they haven’t seen in a long time. We also enjoy meeting the people of our area. Our kids have learned so much about selling and running a small business. The vendors are amazing and have taken so much time to talk with our kids and mentor them in various areas.
Why do you think folks should shop the market?
We love for people to be able to see where their food comes from and the lives that depend on them shopping locally. It’s a precious thing to see the money you spend support families in your own community.
Laurilyn Farms
Richard and Jerilyn Mellencamp and Lauren Hopkins
Two-year vendor at the Seymour Area Farmers Market
What items do you sell at the farmers market?
We sell locally grown, fresh cut flowers. Our mixed bouquets are our signature item. The color combinations and cool textures and variety are what our customers can’t get enough of. We also sell sunflowers by the bunch, and we have a Bloom Bar, where our customers can mix and match bunches.
Where is your farm located?
We have two growing locations: My parents’ house on Enos Road and Richard and Jerilyn’s house just south of Jonesville on State Road 11.
How long have you been growing flowers?
We are in our third growing season. My mom has been a gardener all of her life, but we started growing cut flowers for us to enjoy three and a half years ago.
Do you farm full time or is this a side business or hobby for you?
This is a side business for Richard and Jerilyn. They grow the flowers and sell them at the market. Our parents are retired but work a ton on growing flowers, as well. This is a full-time business for me (Lauren), and I do the floral design for weddings and events, all the business administration, accounting and marketing, as well as helping with the farming and farmers market when needed.
What made you want to start your business?
Mom and Jerilyn wanted to grow flowers for us to enjoy in the summer because they both liked flowers. We grew way too many flowers the first year, and it blossomed from there. I got involved and figured out I was really good at floral design. We are all entrepreneurs. We loved flowers, and we knew how to run a business. It just seemed like a great fit for us.
What about the market makes it beneficial to you as a business owner?
We do not have a retail shop, and we don’t want to have one at this time. The market gives us an outlet to sell our flowers and get face time with our customers so we can build relationships. The rates are very affordable, as well, and the option to set up other days besides Saturday is great, especially if we have a crop flush all at once and need to move it.
What do you enjoy most about selling your goods locally?
We really enjoy building relationships with our customers and other vendors at the market. It is such a beautiful community to be a part of.
Why do you think folks should shop the market?
I think market customers love to support local business. It gives you those warm, fuzzy feelings when you can talk directly with the person that made the thing you are buying and learn about the product. The products sold at the market are great quality, and the vendors that sell them are great people, and that keeps customers coming back for more.
