Michigan women building a "buy local" community

Two Michigan women who have traveled the country are now back home and helping build their home state's "buy local" community.

Dawn Thompson and Jane Pacheco left Michigan to pursue careers; Thompson in the culinary field, Pacheco in commercial real estate. Now back home, they have combined their talents and skills to make it easier for people in Southeast Michigan to buy local foods and products.

After meeting through the Chelsea Community Kitchen, the women began to realize how difficult it was to find a central location for local produce. In September 2009 they helped to start the Yellow Door, a volunteer-based breakfast café that uses all local and seasonal foods to make breakfast once a week to benefit the Chelsea Community Kitchen, a non-profit organization that provides access to commercially licensed, shared-use kitchen facilities.

“To prepare breakfast for 30-40 people each week,” says Thompson, “we usually travel to about twelve farmers and markets to purchase eggs, flour, meats, produce, etc. That equals a lot of running around in unfamiliar territory for the average person who simply wants to feed their family locally grown food.”

The women have opened Lunasa (loo-nah-sah), a member-supported, twice a month pick-up at their warehouse, 6235 Jackson Road in Ann Arbor. The name is taken from an ancient Irish festival celebrating the harvest. Currently, 20 local farmers and producers upload information about their offerings to an online marketplace. Members register at lunasa.us to access a variety of local items. After a twice monthly shopping window, sellers and buyers meet at the Lunasa warehouse to complete the transaction.

Lunasa held a well-attended grand opening event August 10, with a farmer’s feast and music by local musician Michael Paluzzi.

“The benefit of this process," says Pacheco, “is that it gives the supplier another way to sell their products year-round and provides one-stop shopping for the buyer.”

The founders point out that, in addition to supporting local farmers and producers, buying local keeps resources in Michigan and reduces members' carbon footprints, even if they only buy enough food for a couple of meals each week.

Lunasa's mix of products includes Michigan meats, eggs, dairy, baked goods, flours, fruits, vegetables, coffee, tea, soaps, pickled products, fish, honey, and maple syrup. Visit Lunasa’s website, lunasa.us to learn about common food terms, view products and learn more about the people who grow and create products in Michigan.