SOUTH LYON — If you’ve never been to the city’s farmers market – a staple here for more than two decades, organizers are hoping this year is your first time.
The South Lyon Farmers & Artisan Market is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through the end of October at the northwest corner of Liberty Street and Pontiac Trail, with more than two dozen vendors offering a variety of farm fresh produce and other locally made goods.
These small farmers and artists, as well as downtown businesses including the new Maple House restaurant, said they could really use some extra support this summer with the challenge of a massive Pontiac Trail reconstruction project.
“It’s a different year, but we still expect an incredible market and we have incredible vendors and patrons,” Market Manager Tim Davids said. “We’re all excited, we’re all serious and we’re all ready to go.”
The market, which opened this year on May 2, will feature at least 25 vendors each week and could have up to 40. Among them are familiar faces, like beekeeper Michael Nardelli and some new ones, including welder Lola Romero and farmer Trent Vella.
Nardelli, owner of Nardelli Apiaries in Salem Township, has been keeping bees for 14 years and bringing fresh, sweet honey to the South Lyon Farmers Market for the past four years. “I love the interaction, it gives us an opportunity to talk about bees and honey and meet the downtown patrons,” Nardelli said. “For me, beekeeping is therapy… What is really phenomenal is they pollinate 30% of our food sources. Honeybees are a critical part of food chain… Every bee in the colony thinks about the whole organism, not just itself.”
Last year, Nardelli collected over 900 pounds of honey from 20 hives. Throughout the season, he plans to extract honey on market days and bring 60 pounds with him, sold in pints or half pints. The freshest honey has the most beneficial nutrients for customers to use in baking, teas, yogurts and barbecues, he explained.
Vella, owner of Lion Meadows Garden, is also excited to bring nutritious and delicious food to the market. It is the 18-year-old’s first year participating in the weekly spring to fall event, but his farming roots go deep.
“My grandparents always had a big garden and way more food than we could use,” Vella said. “I took over the garden and we expanded so we could take some to the farmers market.”
Throughout the season, the Northville Township resident plans to bring leafy greens, radishes, potatoes, sweet corn, watermelon, cantaloupe and potato artichokes, which are especially dear to his family.
Also called Jerusalem artichokes, the ones grown by Vella are from seeds brought over from Malta by his great-grandfather, who immigrated to the U.S. after World War II.
Like everything else Vella will bring to market, the artichokes are grown organically and will be harvested on Saturdays for ultimate freshness.
Romero has been coming to the market for years, but this will be her first year as a vendor. The owner of Metal Vision will bring with her a variety of welded art pieces that can be displayed in your home or garden.
The 19-year-old, a 2025 South Lyon High School graduate, grew up watching her father’s mechanical aptitude in the garage and after he showed her welding, she discovered her passion.
Romero participated in a welding program for two years at the Oakland Schools Technical Campus, is pursuing a welding technology engineering degree at Washtenaw Community College and now welds anything she can think of, including flamingos, flowers, jewelry stands, signs, and more.
“I’m so excited to be a vendor there and inspire others who are creative and going into the same field as me and want to see different things,” Romero said. “The market is always fun to visit. We go by bike and buy tomatoes and cheese and get fresh, special things you can’t get elsewhere.”She is hoping that, in spite of the Pontiac Trail construction, area residents will find their way downtown on Saturdays this spring, summer and fall.
That is the hope of Davids as well.
“We are a true farmers and artisan market,” he said. “It’s a great place to bump into your neighbors, meet new people and check out all the local vendors that don’t live more than half-an-hour from you.”
Contact reporter Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: South Lyon Farmers Market poised for season despite Pontiac Trail construction
Reporting by Susan Bromley, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
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