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!