In December, Tennes announced via Facebook that he would resume scheduling weddings at the orchard, while reserving the right to deny a request that would violate his Catholic beliefs. “It remains our deeply held religious belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman and Country Mill has the First Amendment Right to express and act upon its beliefs,” the post said…But when Tennes applied to be part of the 2017 farmers market, he said he was denied and his December social media post was referenced as an example of his violation of city ordinance.

LANSING – When the East Lansing Farmers Market resumes Sunday, produce from Country Mill Farms will be missing for the first time since 2010.

Steve Tennes, owner of Country Mill Farms in Charlotte, said he’s been excluded from the 2017 season because of views he expressed on Facebook regarding marriage.

The city’s decision to exclude Tennes from the farmers market prompted Tennes and a religious freedom advocacy group, Alliance Defending Freedom, to file a federal lawsuit Wednesday.

Tennes, who sold organic apples and produce at the farmers market, said his Catholic faith has made him a target of government discrimination.

“Our faith and beliefs on marriage and hosting weddings at our home and in our backyard of our farm have nothing to do with the city of East Lansing,” Tennes said at a press conference Wednesday. “Nor does it have anything to do with the produce that we sell to the people that attend the farmers markets who are from all backgrounds and all beliefs.”

The suit asks the court to restore Country Mill Farms’ freedoms, stop East Lansing’s “discriminatory policy,” and award damages to Tennes.

The city argues its policy is in line with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling eliminating a ban on same-sex marriage.

The tiff between Tennes and the city revolves around Tennes’ decision to refer same-sex couples looking for a wedding venue to neighboring farms.

Tennes announced in August he would not schedule any more wedding ceremonies at the orchard because of push-back that followed a social media post where he explained his refusal to host same-sex ceremonies.

After the August post, East Lansing urged Tennes not to attend the next farmers market for fear of protests, according to the lawsuit. Tennes continued to sell at the market, and no disruptions ensued.

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