Seed Award Spotlight: Country Style Market

This series features recipients from the most recent round of Seed Awards, sharing their paths to entrepreneurship, the values that guide their work, and the ways their businesses contribute to stronger, more resilient communities. Each profile offers insight into the leadership, creativity, and commitment required to build and sustain food businesses that serve both local markets and the broader public good.

In the most recent award cycle, Michigan Good Food Fund distributed nearly $300,000 in seed grants to 18 Michigan-based food and farm businesses. These investments extend beyond capital support, recognizing the essential role these enterprises play in strengthening Michigan’s food system, advancing equity, and supporting long-term economic growth.

Among them is Country Style Market, a locally rooted grocer in downtown Port Huron offering top-quality meats, fresh produce, and a curated selection of gourmet items. Designed for both convenience and quality, the marketplace blends small-town charm with a modern shopping experience, delivering friendly service and a diverse product mix in a clean, welcoming space. Driven by a commitment to freshness and community, Country Style Market shows how neighborhood grocers can remain essential, relevant, and responsive to local needs.

Keep reading to learn more about Country Style Market and the dedication behind its community-focused approach.

Shared by: Steven Fernandez, Port Huron Country Style Market, Port Huron, Mich.

What does being selected as a Seed Award winner mean to you personally, and how does it reflect on the journey of your business so far?

Being selected as an award winner is validation of the work we have done to remove the “food desert” designation for Port Huron downtown area. We opened this establishment back in March of 2022, so now we have been in business in the downtown area for over 3.8 years, and during that time frame we have been working hard to improve and expand this operation.

In what ways will the Seed Award funding support your immediate and long-term business goals?

We will improve the type of display cases we use to sell food from, thus we will lower our operating cost through less power demand, with more efficient equipment plus we get to display more Michigan based products as a result of the expansion of cases. (Local farmers, Amish Farmers, as well as businesses from the Detroit area too.)

The long-term impact is to allow for more Michigan producers of goods to sell inside of this location. We have always seen this place as a way to help others get their products to market, even if they didn’t have a Brick and Mortar place before….but now they do!

Can you share your vision for the positive changes this award will enable you to make in your business and the broader community?

Increased inventory, mostly Michigan based products, plus more efficient equipment to display these new skews will showcase our commitment to the Michigan family of farmers and producers of goods. People who shop here will be exposed to merchandise and foods that they would never have a chance to try or purchase elsewhere.

What led you to start your business? What motivates you to do what you do?

After surveying the local community, and discovering that this town was indeed a food desert, we decided that we would tackle this project, renovate this beautiful historic building in the downtown area, and then we would bring a new store to life in here and start to develop relationships with the community. We wanted to leave a legacy of a strong corner market located in the downtown.

Interested in learning more about Country Style Market in Port Huron. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram or visit their website more information.