If you are reading this you may very well be one of the first to be hearing about the People's Market of Lansing...coming to your very own Lansing New York.
Jay Engels and his wife Carol have been thinking about a way to open a place of business where they could meet many needs.
The Engels' and Hunters own a small Alpaca farm (Angel Tree Farm Alpacas) just outside of town and have some wonderful products... but not the publicity and traffic on the farm needed to make it successful. The Ithaca Farmers Market is wonderful for them in the months of Nov. and Dec. but after that things slow down as does the income to support the farm. Items go back into storage to prevent the farm friendly squirrels from inhabiting the gift shop on the farm. It can be hard to sell items with few visitors, little publicity and precious products stored in bins...Ellie's famous felted hats are to beautiful to keep in bins!
At the same time...Engels Accounting is growing and needs a centrally located spot to meet and exchange information from it's clients other than the family farm.
The Engels also have a love of antiques and have had a small booth at the Barn House antiques shop for the past 13 years...cultivating their love of antiques.
With all these irons in the fire they felt that they had an opportunity to help themselves and others as well. Through their local business, friends and work they have developed relationships with people and come to realize that Lansing and the local area has a wealth of talent! Potters, jewelers, knitters, quilters, painters, and the list goes on. They began thinking that by combining all these businesses they could create a special place where they could all come together. Thus "People's Market"...of Lansing is evolving.
The Engels needed a centrally located spot and have secured a place in Lansing Place by the post office and Lisa's Dream Salon. This spot will come to fruition as the People's Market over the next month and should be up and running in early February. The Engels have been talking to friends and are accepting potential (for preview) sample crafts to be sold at the market. For information on potential involvement in the market call 533-7565.
The plan is to not just sell crafts by artisans but also to create a place where people will come together to support each others skills and talents by buying local. They hope to hold classes for knitting and felting since the market will feature a "fiber room". There, people will be able to see, feel and learn about alpaca fiber and what can be done with it. The fiber room will feature yarn, roving and fiber from the alpacas at Angel Tree Farm Alpacas as well as other alpaca yarns. This will not be the only class to be held...there may even be a class on clowning? Yes... clowning. Crossroads the clown knows a good thing when he sees it and is very involved in this project as well. If you know Lansing, you know that it is a great place...a great place with great people. We hope to have featured artisans at the market and help you get to know the "people" as well!
In the back of the store (or through the store if you like to shop!) as well as a separate entrance in back you will find Engels Accounting. Jay has been running Engels Accounting out of the farm house for the past two years and is now creating an office for his practice. He enjoys and specializes in auditing not-for-profit businesses as well as small family businesses that are looking for personalized attention. Jay also will provide tax services as well.
It is an exciting time for Engels Accounting and Angel Tree as well as the people of Lansing...who just don't know it yet! Keep an eye out for People's Market of Lansing!
