Hidden Acres hosts first-ever Antiques at The Farm Bazaar and Artisan Market

Published 8:28 am Wednesday, August 18, 2021

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DOWAGIAC — Hidden Acres Safe Haven put the “farm” in farmer’s market on Sunday.

The nonprofit farm, 50582 Pleasant St., Dowagiac, hosted its first-ever Antiques at The Farm Bazaar and Artisan Market Sunday.

More than a dozen vendors participated in the event, selling antiques, homemade crafts, baked goods, produce and more.

Admission was free, and donations were welcome. Event organizer and retired local business owner Laurie Kinzler was pleased with the turnout, which saw visitors from across Michiana stop by the farm.

“It turned out pretty good for it being our first time,” Kinzler said. “Every vendor was selling so that’s good. [Hidden Acres operators Heather Matthews and Dawn East] are talking about wanting to do it more often, so we’ll try to figure out how to make that happen.”

Using her more than 40 years of experience in the antique business, Kinzler reached out to her friends and colleagues in the antique and artisan industries about participating in a market to support Hidden Acres. The nonprofit has provided homes for unwanted and special needs livestock since opening in 2017 and works closely with local 4-H organizations and hosts popular events every year, including goat yoga.

Each vendor paid a $30 fee to reserve space at the event, with that money going directly to Hidden Acres. In addition to the market, Hidden Acres hosted kitten, goat and chicken adoptions, which were successful, according to Kinzler. Hidden Acres’ Helen’s House for Kittens is a cat shelter founded last year as a means to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome kittens in the southwest Michigan area.

Adoptions cost $35 at the market, compared to $85 normally. No animals leave the farm before they are up to date on vaccinations and spayed and neutered.

“A few of them have been adopted today,” Kinzler said. “[Hidden Acres] pays more than 35 bucks to get them spayed and neutered. They’re ready to go when you get them, and they’re full of love.”

Kinzler said the feedback she has received from vendors was positive.

“A lot of them have come up to ask me if we will be doing this again,” she said. “We probably will but we don’t know when. We don’t know if we want to do it annually or maybe three times a year. We have to sit down and talk about it.”