When Amber Mae first married Eric Petersen, she always joked that she was going to open a fish market and call it The Fish Monger’s Wife. Eric thought the market was a good idea, but hated the name. After their first daughter Anna was born, the couple revisited the idea of opening a market. However, they didn’t want the overhead or time commitment involved with a store front. 

That’s when they found the perfect solution–become a vendor at the Muskegon Farmer’s Market. After an enthusiastic feedback from the market’s manager, Eric and Amber started selling fresh whitefish fillets at the market in June 2010. And the name they chose… The Fish Monger’s Wife. 

“Eric still hates the name, but people love it. At the market I’m known as The Wife.  The market staff doesn’t even remember my real name,” says Amber Mae. 

Opening a retail business was completely new for Eric who has fished commercially  with his family at Petersen’s Fisheries since he was old enough to hold a dip net. Meanwhile Amber Mae grew up working with her own family’s retail business. 

“It’s only natural for us to open our own business. We both grew up working with our parents and that’s something we’d like to continue with our own daughter,’ say Amber Mae. 

Each week, the couple purchases fish from Petersen’s Fisheries and then cleans, pin bones and packages the fish for greatest freshness. From there, Amber Mae takes the fillets to the Farmer’s Market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

 So far, The Fish Monger’s Wife has been a huge success at the Muskegon Farmer’s Market. Area residents are initially surprised to see fresh, locally caught whitefish at the market, but then they are delighted.

To start off the couple plans to keep it simple by attending only one market. “Going to other markets would put Anna at a babysitter more and that’s not why we did this. The business will have to grow as our family grows,” says Amber Mae.

 Amber Mae says with a laugh, “We have an agreement. Eric goes on the boat, I go to market and the two shall not cross. That’s how we’ll continue to have a wonderful marriage!”

Click here for her website. You may email Amber Mae by clicking here.

The owner has been farming for 58 years and the family has beeen selling at the Muskegon Farmers Market for over 50 years.

Address: 8281 W. Stony Lake road, New Era, MI 49446.  Tel#: (231) 301-9312
Email

Email

Address: 5079 – 136th St., Hamilton, MI 49419. Cell#: 616-550-2817 Home#: 269-751-6742.

When business started: farming since 1994 and certified organic grower since 1997.

Website

Address: Funny Farm Organic Produce, 13181 Centerline, Grant, MI 49327 Phone#: 231-834-8643

Business started: My father, Seymour Rider, came to Michigan from Wisconsin and bought the farm we live on now. He farmed his whole life here. He sold at the Market for many years. Over the years all of our children and most of our grandchildren worked in the orchards and at the Market. Now Bob and Verlie have stalls #11 & 12 mid-July to end of November.

Email Verlie

Address: 312 N. 72nd Ave., Hart, MI 49420 Phone#: 231-873-2758

Business started: We bought the farms from our dad in the 80′s, so we have been farming all our lives.

What I sell: cheeses- many varieties

Business started: 2004 (I resigned my sales job in 2004- tired of being on the road. Within 3 weeks I was selling cheese at the Market.)

Website: The Cheese Lady  Facebook

Address: 808 Terrace St., Muskegon, MI 49440 Phone#: 231-728-3000

Business started: family-run vegetable farm for more than 10 years.

Email TerAvest     Facebook (See what’s growing!)

Business started: Purchased farm in 1977. We also grow soybeans, field corn, wheat and hay. Originally had dairy cows.

Email Dianne

Address: 19024 – 92nd Ave., Coopersville, MI 49404. Phone#: 616-837-0161 Cell: 616-293-2361.