Community Corner
Photos: Berkley Farm Stand Sells Out on Opening Day, Surpasses Owner's Expectations
"It's perfect - I couldn't have dreamed of a better spot," says owner Laura Uhlianuk.
Saturday marked the opening of the , and five hours before the end of the day, the Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables were completely sold out.
"I feel welcomed - just so generally welcomed here," said owner Laura Uhlianuk. "We didn't open until 8 a.m. on Saturday and we had people here even before 7 a.m. offering to help us out and just really be a part of it."
Uhlianuk and her husband decided to open the Stand, which sits on a plot of land near 12 Mile Road and Tyler Street, next to , for the first time this year, after receiving such a positive response from the Berkley community the previous summer.
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"It started last year with a lemonade-type stand in my mom's front yard and then I just realized, wow, Berkley is really up for this," Uhlianuk said. "We imagined the neighbors a few houses down would come and buy a tomato but it just turned into, really, a community event."
Bringing fruits and vegetables to Berkley from their North Branch farm each morning, the Stand greatly prides itself on being "truly farm fresh", as all produce is transported in less than 24 hours from the soil to the Stand.
Find out what's happening in Huntington Woods-Berkleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
So far, Uhlianuk is overwhelmed by the response she has received from nearby residents.
"Yesterday, one lady literally had tears in her eyes and she said, 'I just want to thank you for doing this, this is just so wonderful; we had always hoped for something like this in Berkley and we never dreamed it would be right down the street from us,'" Uhlianuk recalls.
Having previously held booths in local farmers' market, the Berkley Farm Stand is the Uhlianuks first seven-day, round-the-clock venture. With an array of upcoming special events planned including educational classes, story times and even a Halloween parade, the Berkley Farm Stand is sure to be busy this season
"It all fell into place, it was really one of those things that was meant to be and all came together and it was very easy; I just knew it was the right decision," said Uhlianuk.
The Berkley Farm Stand will be open from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. every day from now until October 31. Visit The Berkley Farm Stand website or e-mail Laura Uhlianuk for more information.
