New food shops bring St. Joe citizens an opportunity to buy local
The Market, opening in the Spring, is still under construction.
Photo by Caroline Veine
According to a CDC study, only 1% of adults and 2% of children in the United States consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day. An easy solution would be to consider eating fresh and local foods. We are fortunate enough to live in a place where there is great access to these types of food.
There are multiple farms around St. Joseph, Michigan which provides many fresh meats, veggies, fruits and dairy products. Throughout Berrien County there are about 872 farms according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture.
Downtown St. Joseph has introduced two new food businesses. State Street Meats is located directly next door to the Buck, founded by owner Ken Kozminski. It is a local butcher, market and deli along with grilling supplies, local artisan products and fresh produce.
“This area has desperately needed it,” Annie, an employee at State Street Meats, said about why the business started.
The new business gets their meat locally, within only about a 250 miles radius. They look for the best quality and resources over anything when it comes to selling their meats and produce. State Street Meats carries multiple different types of meats and offers many specialities as well.
“Nate, our butcher, is an award-winning butcher for his brats and is one of the elite butchers in the United States,” Annie said, when talking about their specialties.
Not only did this much-needed butcher shop just open, but a few blocks away another fresh produce business is preparing to bring more local food sources to downtown.
The Cheese Lady will be opening late spring or early summer. Located at 301 Main Street, the building will be called The Market, where multiple different vendors will sell flowers, produce, and fresh meats along with The Cheese Lady.
“Cheese Lady is primarily cheese that we buy in big wheels and cut—then there are the cheese adjacent things like crackers and jams and things you put on a charcuterie board,” Mrs. Deb Sailor, owner of The Cheese Lady and The Market, said.
The small franchise founded by Kathleen Fagan Reigler originated in Muskegon. It is an all-women-owned business with different locations including Traverse City, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and now, St. Joseph.
“Cheese that is from a grocery store is already pre-cut and wrapped; even if it's from the same maker, it is better when you cut it off the big wheel,” Mrs. Sailor said when talking about different cheese.
Many fresh and local foods are right at our fingertips. Take some time to visit State Street Meats and the Cheese Lady the next time you go downtown St. Joe, and enjoy some fresh food.