About Us
We are Jim and Kelly Lively, 30-plus-year residents of Empire Township. We’re embarking on a journey to transform a 19-acre commercial parcel on M-72 into The Lively NeighborFood Market. In this vibrant community food hub, fun, food, and families can all happen together!
You can read more about our market plans in the Glen Arbor Sun, Leelanau Ticker, and from our friends at Venture North.
We are taking inspiration for our market from Ann Arbor-based Argus Farm Stop, which has introduced the concept of a year-round, everyday farmers market that connects farmers and families. Our passion for this market stems from years dedicated to food and farming advocacy – Jim with Groundwork Center’s food & farming program and Kelly’s tenure at Cherry Capital Foods and as a flower farmer. We’re pouring this passion into the Lively NeighborFood Market, aiming to make it an all-electric, solar-powered facility that supports our region’s hard-working farmers and food producers.
We’re pleased to be sharing this journey with two of our four daughters, who are also growing their own businesses on this property—The Lively Farm and Backyard Burdickville camping and events.
Stop by our place—we’re on M-72 just six miles east of Empire (about one mile east of Gilbert the Dinosaur). Watch Us Grow!
Our mission is to grow the local food economy right here in southwest Leelanau County. We want to support and highlight a connection between the customer and the farmer and improve access to locally grown, healthy food.
Our Grand Opening was on August 9, 2024!
We’re a market where farmers and families can mingle amidst shelves of delicious, plentiful, locally grown food—a space not just for buying food but also for growing connections, nurturing health, and fostering sustainability.
Stop By and See Us!
Lively NeighborFood Market
3805 W Empire Hwy, Empire, MI 49630
(231) 994-9339