Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette The Chassell Farmers Market enjoyed a great day for opening its 2025 season Wednesday. Located under the pavilion at Chassell’s Centennial Park, the weekly market is protected from both the hot summer sun and rainy periods.

CHASSELL – Weather provided a perfect summer day for the Chassell Farmers Market’s first day of the season Wednesday afternoon. The market, located under the pavilion at Centennial Park, will be open from 3-6 p.m. every Wednesday through the end of September.

“We’re booming,” said James Niemela, co-founder of the market. “We’ve had a good first day. We’ve handed out hundreds of free market bags promoting our markets, both the Chassell market and the Hancock Saturday morning Tori, which is under the Keweenaw Marketing Association.”

Niemela said the bright green fabric shopping bags will also be available at the Tori Market, in Hancock, this Saturday. More than 30 vendors regularly rely on the markets for selling everything from soaps, syrups, bakery, jams, jellies, eggs, jewelry, locally grown produce, in season, to plant starts and seedlings.

“The two markets are under the KMA,” said Niemela. “It’s a good way to pool our resources, promote both markets and streamline some things through the organization.”

Niemela said the Chassell Farmers Market benefits from being with the KMA in a number of ways.

“It’s a way to streamline some of the food access through the KMA,” he said. “Ultimately, the KMA is working to getting some of the SNAP and other food access programs to the markets.

It’s also a way to pool and promote both markets under one nonprofit organization.” The farmers markets provide a connection between an increasing number of small-scale, local growers and customers seeking an alternative to relying on national food distribution systems and purchasing foods of unknown origin and fertilization methods.

Neimela, owner of Niemela’s Market Gardens, is one example of the increase in local farm production. Located in northern Baraga County, his farm has been growing for the local market since 2008, producing a wide variety of vegetables.

Niemela’s Market Gardens focuses on growing a number of vegetables, without the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The farm produces lettuce, carrots, beets, chard, kale, summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, escarole, endive, and leeks. Niemela said he extends the short U.P growing season with the use of plastic tunnels.