Once banned, farmer vows to stay at East Lansing Farmer's Market for good

EAST LANSING -- Once banned for a controversial business decision, a farmer is expected to return this summer to the East Lansing Farmer's Market for his first full season in two years.

Steve Tennes, owner of The Country Mill, was banned last year by the city of East Lansing because it opposed his 2016 decision to not allow same-sex weddings at his commercial farm and orchard in Charlotte.

Tennes, a Catholic, cites his religious beliefs as the reason why he made the decision. He returned to the market last fall for the final month and a half of the season after a federal district court judge issued a preliminary injunction against the city.

Starting Sunday and every Sunday through October, Tennes intends to sell The Country Mill's products, including organic apples, at the market, as he had done for most of the past eight years. The business is listed on the city's website as one of 34 market vendors.

"Our family has faithfully served everyone in our community from all different backgrounds and beliefs," Tennes said Wednesday in a statement. "It is our religious beliefs that teach us to love all of our neighbors and treat them with dignity and respect.

"We are excited to continue to do so, selling our organic apples and cider at the East Lansing’s farmer’s market."

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Kate Anderson, Tennes' lawyer, said he is expected to seek a permanent injunction this fall from a federal district court judge so he can stay at the market as long as he wishes. Anderson represents Alliance Defending Freedom, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based non-profit that advocates for religious freedom. The group is paying for Tennes' legal fees.

East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows said Wednesday night the city has never opposed Tennes' religious beliefs. The city only opposes Tennes' "corporate decision making" which led to his 2016 denial of a same-sex wedding at The Country Mill, Meadows said.

"This doesn't have anything to do with Mr. Tennes," Meadows said. "This has to do with the business."

Meadows said a judge's temporary injunction issued against the city last fall only covered the 2017 market season. Officials decided to not appeal that order and will wait and see if a second injunction will be issued.

Meadows said he doesn't understand why Tennes' legal team would seek a permanent injunction because Tennes may eventually decide to sell his products elsewhere.

"People come and people go," Meadows said. "Even getting a permanent injunction seems kind of senseless to me. They may decide in two years this market may not be their cup of tea and they want to go to a different market."

Meadows added he didn't know whether The Country Mill had an application approved by the market's planning committee for the 2018 season.

The market's planning committee is no longer accepting applications for this season, according to the market's website.

City officials said on Sept. 19, 2017 that East Lansing would not appeal the judge's order to allow Tennes to return to the farmer's market because of the expense.

City Attorney Tom Yeadon told city council members in a public meeting that night an appeal of the order for the preliminary injunction would cost between $30,000 and $50,000.

East Lansing faces serious financial challenges. Last week its City Council approved more than $1 million in general fund spending cuts to alleviate what officials call a "financial crisis."

The city's unfunded liability has reached nearly $200 million. That covers health care and pension costs and is expected to come due over the next several decades.

Eric Lacy is a reporter for the Lansing State Journal. Contact him at 517-377-1206 or elacy@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricLacy.