New Farm (Club) market eases operations

By Ross Boissoneau

Sun contributor

Loma Farm and Farm Club now have a third farm operation in the family: the on site farm market and processing facility opened earlier this year. For owners Gary and Allison Jonas, and Sara and Nic Theisen, it’s been a long time coming.

“When we did the first drawings, we had the market on it,” says Nic Theisen. Until it opened, they compressed the bakery, brewing operation and market into the existing Farm Club restaurant. Which worked, sort of — space was at a premium, especially in the kitchen.

That was then, and this, finally, is now. The nearly 2,000-square-foot market boasts two levels. The upstairs is home to the market and bakery; the lower level is mostly for storage. “We use the new building for canned and bottled beer and cider conditioning and cold storage,” says Theisen.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic stifled their plans in both the short and long term. “We were delayed by COVID. We were slated to open in April 2020, and the building was so close to completion. We ended up opening in July. It went well given the circumstances.

“The market timeline – we didn’t know. It was all a stab in the dark. We believed in the products and processes, preservation of farmland, but you never know how it’s going to be received,” he adds.

Spoiler alert: It’s been very well received, thank you, starting with that very first summer – including the restaurant’s farm market. There, you could purchase fresh produce, baked goods and more, but it was shoehorned into a relatively small area.

The kitchen too was pressed for space. So having a separate building for processing, baking, a preservative kitchen for pickles, kimchi and the like, along with storage and displaying the business’s many wares, was always in the cards.

Though there are more products displayed and given room to breathe, it’s not just new items. It’s about bigger, better and broader, as in a broader selection. “Everything we are doing there we have been doing. It’s just amped up.”

Such as its grain processing. Farm Club processed corn for masa and polenta, making its own tortillas, all using an eight-inch stone mill. “We couldn’t keep up,” says Theisen. The solution came when they purchased a 48-inch mill. “It’s a bigger scale.”

The farm market serves both the on site farm and nearby Loma Farm. As one grows, so too does the other. “The produce footprint is significantly larger,” says Theisen. Then add the coolers, preserves including hot sauces, freezers to sell meat, beer and wine, merchandise – they all call for a larger footprint.

Best of all, the front of the restaurant still welcomes shoppers, with the promise of more, bigger and better a stone’s throw away, enticing patrons twice.

“Part of the goal of Farm Club was to support other farmers. It’s a place that supports local agriculture.”

To that end, not only do the restaurant and market sell products grown on site, but those made on site from area farmers. “We partner with Michigan-based farms for our bread: wheat, rye, corn, buckwheat,” Theisen notes.

The lone exception is for the pasta: while it’s made on site, the durum flour is from out of state. “The high-protein wheat doesn’t grow well in our climate,” he says. They import it from North Dakota and Montana. “They have stronger sun, a larger fluctuation in temperatures, and are less humid. We could take the same sed and the protein content pf the grain would be drastically different.” Theisen compares it to growing wine grapes, saying, “There’s a terroir for grain. Michigan grows wheat that is soft, low protein,” which is good for things like pastries and cookies.

What else? Glad you asked. “We grow two heirloom corns. One is for our pislolé and tortillas, the other for grits and polenta,” says Theisen. “All our beer and cider are made here. We partner with Leelanau and Grand Traverse wineries.”

The new market is stocked with produce, groceries and everyday essentials, and the bakery offers a full menu of breakfast items, pastries, sandwiches, cookies, grab and go meals. It is complemented its diminutive sister operation inside the restaurant, which boasts a selection of ceramics, cookbooks, textiles and kids’ items, as well as a small assortment of items you’ll find at the separate market, such as pastries and produce.

So, what’s next? Another building? More farms? Another restaurant? “I hope not,” says Theisen with a laugh. More likely is simply refining the processes as they grow used to new space and their customers grow used to another, larger farm market.

The bakery and market hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The restaurant is open Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Wednesday through Sunday noon to 9 p.m. Both are closed on Monday.