Mike Grattan is always a man to join the fun at farmers markets, as you can see in the photo of Mike above with his daughter, Mandy, who often worked the market with him. Mike was the Saturday market sales lead for The Local Catch for seven years, becoming the sales manager and their Wednesday staffer in 2020, with us at every market until recently. Mike's good spirit, generous nature, and cheery greetings are already missed by market staff and customers.
After more than seven years with The Local Catch, Mike has moved on to a new career with Monroe Dairy - still in the local food world - and so we pause for this moment to recognize his contributions and hail him as a local food champion!
From a simple system that allowed customers to purchase seafood and keep it while completing their shopping with other vendors (and not forget to get it on their way out!), to his constant willingness to help out in any way needed at markets and events, Mike made his presence felt through his remarkable customer service, and an ability to sense the needs of others and support the success of all.
At first, Mike's Saturday shift was a part-time position in addition to his full-time job, about which he said "It was the day of the week that didn't feel like working" and "it was a joy to be there and be part of the community, not just about food being sold, but also getting to hear about people's lives".
Mike was with us the whole year that we navigated the markets through COVID, never complaining about the constant adjustments required to keep everyone safe and the mask wearing, learning to read the smiles behind customer's masks and hoping we could see his "eyes light up to see us".
We say farewell to Mike with a hint of sadness at the departure of an old friend and wish him every success in his new job. Here is his message to all of you: "It was an honor to serve you. Those moments with each of you gave me a lifetime of memories to look back upon fondly. Once I am settled in my new position, I look forward to returning to the market as a patron and visiting with people I now count as friends."