Grand opening for Nourish Organic Market set for Saturday

Wondering how to buy food locally, but not sure where to start? Look no further than Nourish Organic Market. Located at 634 Wealthy St SE, Nourish sells products that are organic and locally produced. Here you will find items from Michigan farms that specialize in produce and pastured meats. Nourish chooses farms that care for the environment by using zero poisons, chemicals, industrial processing, or factory farming. Other organic and locally produced items sold at Nourish fall into the gluten-free, raw, and vegan category. With cooler weather upon us, one may wonder where to purchase local produce after the farmer's markets have closed for the season and Nourish is a good place to start.

Nourish provides produce from several local farms, like Mud Lake Farm, a sustainable agriculture that grows hydroponic lettuces that have a long shelf life and are clean of pesticides and herbicides. You can buy produce from producers like Reformation Growers, a farm that incorporates agriculture, activism and sustainable practices to produce large harvests of high quality vegetables. You could even stock up on fruits and vegetables and consider canning them. All materials needed for canning, from Mason jars to instructional books, can be found in the store. One great way to buy local is by purchasing meat raised in Michigan. Nourish only carries meat from farms that raise their livestock naturally. Creswick Farms specializes in grass-fed beef and lamb, heritage pork, and pasture raised chicken. Egypt Valley Angus operates their farm by raising their cattle in a natural, pasture-raised habitat, where all livestock is grass-fed and free of growth hormones, steroids, and antibiotics. Local dairy is another specialty item one will find while shopping at Nourish, with items from Thomas Organic Creamery, a certified organic dairy farm with pasture-fed and hormone free cows. Products include yogurt and ice cream, along with brown eggs, meats, and custom-made meats. Other local creameries include Grassfields Organic Cheeses, which raises cows that are pasture-based that produce foods like raw milk and organic artisan cheese, and Evergreen Lane Farm and Creamery, which makes goat cheese and artisan cheese by the season. Produce, meat, and dairy aren't the only items you can buy at Nourish Organic Market. Locally made jams, honey, and syrups are also available, along with fair trade and organic chocolate, coffee, tea, nuts, spices, and herbs. The shopper with the sweet tooth can be satisfied with handcrafted organic granola and cookies made by Daily De-lish and certified organic cookie mixes by Farm Boy Flap Jacks, which also makes waffle and pancake mixes, cornbread mixes, and tortilla chips. For other baking needs, the shopper can purchase grains, beans, and flour from Ferris Organic Farm.

The grand opening of Nourish Organic Market is this Saturday, October 8th from noon to 4 p.m. There will be food, music and films, as well as the opportunity to meet local farmers and food artisans. Visitors will be able to sample local foods and learn about how they are produced. There will also be kids activities available.