Local produce,baked goods and much more offered
ALMA — There’s no better way to spend a Saturday morning than by strolling through the local farmers market, where vibrant vegetables and freshly baked goods create the perfect start to the weekend.
With spring in the air, the warmer weather creates a beautiful atmosphere for getting some friends together and visiting the farmers market for locally made, homegrown produce.
The Element Market The Element Market in Alma makes it possible to enjoy a warm spring morning outdoors shopping for fresh groceries, or grabbing a muffin for breakfast.
Jordan and Kelly McGuire,owners of The Element Market, first opened their farmers market in 2016. With the support of the community, the market has grown and is now a staple for spring Saturday mornings in the small town community.
It all started with a half acre spot and a farm stand at their house.As their business grew, they moved their market into town. They are now at their third location, 410 W 16th Street in Alma, to accommodate the large turnout.
“We started with the farm stand at our house, and we had really good community support,” said Kelly. “I mean we live five miles out of town, so that was pretty cool.”
The market is open every Saturday in the spring from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., offering fresh, local goods up until Father’s Day.
Family impact
The market isn’t just something they do on the side. It’s part of their lives and their daughters’ lives.
The McGuire’s have three young daughters who enjoy helping out in the field and at the market. Jordan even trained one of his daughters to run the cash register.
From planting and growing crops to executing a successful market day, having their daughters by their side step-by-step is a way the couple can demonstrate to them the importance of hard work and dedication.
“Kelly can teach them how to arrange the bouquets and how to bake in the future,” said Jordan. “It’s all part of a plan to raise our daughters right, and then to add something to Alma that we feel like is missing on a Saturday morning.”
What to expect
They offer a variety of vegetables including kale, carrots, broccoli, head lettuce, onions, cauliflower and more.
Kelly arranges bouquets of flowers in glass jars with vibrant spring colors. They also offer fresh-baked goods such as a variety of muffins, homemade pop-tarts and cinnamon rolls, made by Kelly.
“Starting out, it was just vegetables and then we added flowers to it. Kelly kind of fell in love with the flower part of it,” Jordan said.
Preparing for the spring market season is something the McGuires do months in advance. As a science teacher at Bacon County High School, Jordan uses his knowledge of science to lay out the foundation for their plan.
They have been “planting seed, prepping and weeding since September,” according to Jordan.
Carrots are a family favorite at the McGuires’ house. Jordan says he and his daughters love growing carrots.
“I was mostly excited about carrots,” he said. “We grow the rainbow carrots. We have purple, orange, yellow, red ... they’re all different colors.”
Supporting local businesses
When you support businesses like The Element Market, you’re not just supporting their business.
You are also benefiting from fresh local produce and can rest assured that the foods you are eating are healthy. Their produce is grown in Alma, following an organic model.
“To us, the most important thing is that it’s grown five miles down the road,” said Jordan.
Photo By SUZANNA WOODALL Customers from around Bacon County wait in line to cash out their farm fresh items at The Element Garden Market.
Photo By SUZANNA WOODALL Kelly McGuire shows her daughters how to arrange bouquets, which are sold at The Element Garden Market.
Photo By SUZANNA WOODALL Fresh broccoli and cucumbers grown on the McGuire farm, located five miles from their stand, are displayed as are other vegetables the family grows.
