Marlo Bendon opened Proud Mitten Shared Kitchen in Plymouth in honor of her father. She offers small businesses a way to create their products in an industrial kitchen, but she also fosters them in getting their products on the market. Proud MItten Shared Kitchen is located in the Plymouth Arts & Recreation building in downtown Plymouth. Bendon has created a community of small businesses that can help each other grow.

Walt Gajewski had a vision for the Farmington Farmers Market, and it came true. The well-attended market now has a pavilion with heat and bathrooms, and it’s doubled in size since Gajewski took over. Opening day is Saturday, May 4, and will feature the opening bell ringing, a color guard, a band, the mayor’s welcome and more. Each week has a different theme, including flower day Mother’s Day weekend, strawberry shortcake day and a corn roast.

Amy Jean Thompson and her husband Matt Lange are from-scratch cooks at heart. They operated Ideal Bite Catering and the Ideal Bite Kitchen in Farmington Hills for years, but after the pandemic, they shifted gears to open Olive Thyme. The catering company operates out of a commissary kitchen on 11 Mile Road and offers catering for all occasions, plus seasonal pick-up items for the holidays (Cinco de Mayo is coming up). Olive Thyme also participates in Farmington events like the Harvest Moon Festival and some Farmers Markets, bringing along treasures like ground cherry jam and a special Farmington egg breakfast.