Buying local used to mean traveling to the farm—not always the most convenient way to shop—but the Lansing City Market makes it easy. Local vendors no longer have to wait for the customer to come to them; they come to the customer.

MOO-ville Creamery

A recent study from England showed that cows given names actually give more milk than their nameless cousins. The head researcher stated that, “Just as people respond better to the personal touch, cows also feel happier and more relaxed if they are given a bit more one-to-one attention.”

Rest assured that every one of Doug and Louisa Westendorp’s 90 dairy cows are named, known and valued, not only by Doug and Louisa but also by their six children, all of whom work with their parents at MOO-ville Creamery in Nashville.

Carlyle (the oldest), triplets Levi, Brittany and Tina and twins Troy and Eric all play an active role in the day-to-day functioning of the busy farm (while also attending school). The family workforce is supplemented by 15 part-time employees and a full-time delivery driver.

According to Doug Westendorp, “Both my wife and I grew up on farms and we always knew this was what we wanted to do. We’ve been selling dairy products for many years and, about five years ago, we opened the restaurant and started giving tours here at the farm.”

MOO-ville Creamery’s product line includes whole, 2 percent and skim milk (all of which are also available in chocolate), ice cream (60 flavors!) and butter. All their products are produced and processed on site with milk from those 90 named cows. The milk is pasteurized but not homogenized. According to Westendorp, homogenization diminishes flavor and decreases the health benefits.

In addition, their cows are not given any hormones and are grazed on pasture land. The cows are provided with access to shelter in bad weather, and these facilities are heated or cooled to provide the most comfortable conditions for the animals.

Besides selling their products at the Lansing City Market, MOO-ville Creamery milk, butter and ice cream are available at 48 retail outlets, including L & L Food Centers, Horrocks, Meijer in Charlotte and many other stores (listed on their website). Their products are also used in various coffee shops and restaurants, as well as a local daycare center and a nursing home.

The MOO-ville Creamery store sells not only their own line but also locally produced eggs, cheese, maple syrup and other foodstuffs and also features toys, gift items and a restaurant. Westendorp says, “We offer tours of the creamery and farm. We host a lot of school and scout groups. Every Saturday, we have a tour open to the public. Right next to the store is a petting zoo with goats, calves, chickens and ducks as well as a play area for kids. We also offer all-day outings for adults, where we take a back-roads bus tour of the area as well as spend time here on the farm.”

The farm is surrounded by beautiful farmlands and it impresses by its sparkling cleanliness, friendly atmosphere and delicious products. The Westendorps can be justifiably proud of what they have accomplished and what they have to offer mid-Michigan consumers.

Otto’s Chicken

If you haven’t tasted Otto’s Chicken, you don’t know what you’re missing. A quick trip to the Lansing City Market will give you the opportunity to sample some of the best poultry around; not only is it a treat for your taste buds but it’s healthy as well.

Gary Otto has been raising chickens since 1998 and has been selling at the Lansing City Market for almost that long. As a fourth generation farmer (the second generation on the property he now owns), he always knew farming was what he wanted to do. His hope was that his children would become, in time, the fifth generation to carry on that proud tradition.

Currently, two of his three children (Jared and Ranae) are working with him to bring Otto’s chicken to the public. And, as Gary Otto says, “I’m thrilled about that.”

The Middleville farm boasts a population of some 15 thousand chickens at any given time. All are free of antibiotics and are given no growth hormones. Although not technically free range, the chickens have plenty of space in clean, comfortable chicken houses. According to Otto, “Keeping them outside would expose them to predators, disease and bad weather. Even though they are inside, we give our chickens about twice as much space as most commercially raised poultry so they have room to grow and exercise. We feel this makes them healthier and better tasting. We feed them with locally grown corn and soy, mixed and ground right here on the farm.”

Otto’s Chicken employs about 15 part-timers in addition to the family. They offer their goods to the public in Lansing, Kalamazoo, Holland and Royal Oak. Besides whole and cut-up chickens, they also offer specialty products like chicken bratwurst and sausage, smoked chicken and pre-marinated BBQ and buffalo wings. A particular favorite is their tumbled chicken and tumbled chicken tenders. Otto says, “We soak skinless, boneless chicken breasts in a light salt brine and then tumble them; when they’re cooked, they are especially tender, moist and juicy.”

Otto is, as he says, “geeked” about the new Lansing City Market. “It’s a beautiful building and is laid out much better than the old one. It has a more homey feeling and our business has really picked up since we moved into the new facility.”