AP file photo of a pitcher of lemonade and fresh lemons.

ALPENA — A Posen resident expressed concern regarding fees her children must pay to sell lemonade at a farmer’s market in Rogers City.

Jessica Mielke, resident of Posen, said that her three children were told by the District Health Department No. 4 (DHD4) that they must pay $57 every two weeks for a temporary food service permit at a Rogers City farmer’s market.

State Representative Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan, criticized the department on Monday for requiring children to pay for this permit every two weeks to sell lemonade.

Cavitt also released a video depicting himself as if he had a lemonade stand set up in front of the state Capitol chastising the local health department. The video has been heavily shared on social media platforms in Northeast Michigan and beyond.

“We’re supposed to be teaching our children about responsibility, but we’re pricing them out of the opportunities they need to develop real business skills,” Cavitt said in a press release on Monday. “We need the health department to simply leave them alone. Kids don’t pay taxes, and they shouldn’t have to pay for absurd health department permits either. Lemonade stands are a part of every town gathering in the summer, and we shouldn’t let the health department’s greed put a stop to that tradition.”

In the video, Cavitt expresses his concern and further criticizes the permit requirements, as well as DHD4’s budget and financing woes.

“Our local health department decided to squeeze these kids for every bit of profit they had,” he said in the video. “And that leaves a sour taste in my mouth.”

Cavitt told The News on Thursday that he believes the permit fee is too steep to begin with and that the state only requires local health departments to charge a minimum of $9.

“How do they determine that is an adequate number,” he said, in regards to the $57 fee. “Why not $20? That seems like an excessive fee.”

At DHD4’s February meeting, Joseph Scheele, DHD4 environmental health director, told board members he had increased environmental health services fees.

Currently, the cost of a temporary food service permit is $64. The price for a DHD4 transitory food unit permit is $224.

Mielke explained that her children have participated in the Rogers City farmer’s market for “several summers until early in the 2025 season.” Her children have sold “a variety of things” including vegetables from their garden as a way to make some money.

She added that the farmer’s market season runs from June through September.

Mielke explained that when the farmer’s market joined the Rogers City Downtown Development Authority, it was subject to new participation criteria.

“Some of the products the kids had success with in the past were no longer feasible due to permit requirements, vendor fees, and cottage food laws that went into effect under the new market organization,” Meilke said.

She added that her family is still considering whether or not they will continue to participate in the farmers market this year.

She explained that established businesses and “larger scale vendors” who also participate in the market can cover the costs of vendor permits and still make a profit.

“Our family does have the benefit of multiple children who can split the costs of one booth … they each use their own money to run it,” she added. “But what about those families with only one of their kids interested in selling at the market? Does this affect kids near other farmers markets in the state?”

Meilke said that and her husband have had “dinner conversations” with her children discussing how they can overcome obstacles, cover costs of business ownership, manage government intervention, et cetera. She also has advised her children to not be afraid “to speak up and ask questions.

Meilke explained that her children first raised their concerns with Cavitt during a coffee hour in January.

“I noticed a coffee hour was coming up for our district Rep. Cam Cavitt in January and suggested the kids go there and bring up their concerns,” she said. “They did, and thankfully now there is awareness and hopefully efforts to find a common sense solution.”

“When government gets involved in regulating free markets, there will be unintended consequences,” she added. “I know that other vendors from the market, the Main Street program leaders, individuals at the health department, and Rep. Cavitt all want to see kids able to bring entry level goods as simple as lemonade to sell without all this hassle and discouragement.”

Meilke noted a similar issue that occurred in Arizona in which local government entities were requiring fee permits from children participating in farmers markets. She said that Arizona passed legislation that provided exemptions for children under the age of 18.

Cavitt said that he’d support similar legislation in Michigan. He added that there are “a few things we need to look at” in regards to the permitting process through local health departments and the Michigan Department of Agriculture Rural Development (MDARD).

“In the end we hope that our kids, the market, city, county, and state can work together to reduce the red tape for all entrepreneurs, but especially school-aged ones!” Melike said.

Cavitt reiterated on Thursday that his frustration with DHD4 goes beyond requiring permits from children but also lies with the department’s history of financial challenges.

The previous DHD4 administrative health officer, Denise Bryan, disclosed to health board members this past summer that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) had taken back $700,000 of DHD4’s money. That amount taken back by the state currently totals $1.2 million.

On Feb. 4, the DHD4 health board met to discuss solutions to its $500,000 budget deficit, as well. By Feb. 18, the department had solved its budget deficit through administrative actions, additional funding, and layoffs.

On Monday, Cavitt also expressed concern that the health department recently laid off sanitarians in Montmorency County, therefore making it more difficult for businesses to get necessary inspections done.

The News reached out to DHD4 leadership for comment but did not receive any communication before the print deadline on Thursday.

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.