Gardeners, Cooks, Crafters Offer Wares Every Saturday Morning at St. Ignace Marina

St. Ignace restaurant cook Ray Amacher is a vendor at the St. Ignace Farmers Market, selling his homemade sauces and glazes. Mr. Amacher has also sells his wares through several restaurants in town. Fresh fruit, vegetables, and homemade bread are available at the St. Ignace Farmers Market at the city marina every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Other vendors, such as deer hunter Aaron Schultz, sell handmade tools and crafts.

Mr. Schultz displayed his collection of arrowheads, longbows, knives, and arrows at the June 13 market. All of his wares are handmade. A hunter for 50 years, Mr. Schultz has crafted his own equipment for 40 years.

Timothy LaJoice of St. Ignace is among the market vendors. Mr. LaJoice sells his children's books about beavers and other natural wildlife found in the area. A college children's literature project propelled Mr. LaJoice into the writing world while also working as a park naturalist at Historic Mill Creek near Mackinaw City. Mr. LaJoice's project impressed his peers so much they suggested he should try publishing books, he said.

Aaron Schultz (right), a hunter for more than 50 years, sells handmade hunting equipment and arrowheads at the St. Ignace Farmers Market June 13. "I didn't know I had it in me," Mr. LaJoice said.

Mr. LaJoice has been selling his self-published books at the farmers market for three seasons. Some are printed in color, while others are in black in white for children to color themselves.

Becky Simmons of St. Ignace sells a variety of jewelry and crafts made from stones, glass, and even fish vertebrae. Ms. Simmons specializes in working with natural materials, some of which she finds in other nearby areas, such as Traverse City. She sometimes finds it hard to part with her handmade jewelry, she said, rather than to keep it for herself.

Some vendors have been able to use the market to introduce their new products. Ray Amacher, a cook for the Driftwood Restaurant in St. Ignace, sold bottles of his homemade sauces and glazes at the June 13 market. Heuses many of the same sauces at the restaurant. When he thinks of a sauce flavor combination that could be tasty, he whips up a batch and tests it out, he said.

Timothy LaJoice of St. Ignace, a park naturalist and substitute teacher, has sold many of his children's books at the St. Ignace Farmers Market. Many of the vendors have reported successful sales since the Saturday market began May 23. Eleanor Wark of St. Ignace nearly sold out of her homemade bread, while Lylene Hillman of Sault Ste. Marie sold all of her duck eggs within an hour.

Karen Carrington, an herb vendor, said while she was unable to sell anything last year at the St. Ignace Farmers Market, this year, sales have been excellent for her stand. She believes the lamppost banners that promote the market downtown contribute to her sales surge.

The St. Ignace Farmers Market will continue throughout the summer, opening each Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. More fresh produce and products will become available as the growing season progresses.