Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.
I heard the trill of one red wing black bird. The next day, I heard an abundance. I saw some today. Look out into the tall standing wetland grasses and reeds and you can see them too.

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: Pick-up March 12th! I will get the order form out tonight!

Find us at Eastern Market and Ann Arbor's Kerrytown Market!

Still accepting CSAs!
Recipe:
Microgreens are the tasty baby leaves of the plant, harvested while small, tender, and packed with flavor and nutrients. What to do with them? Eat them atop your breakfast. Add them to your sandwiches. Sprinkle them on your hot dishes (baked potatoes/sweet potatoes/roasted vegetables). You can even toss them in some olive oil, add some salt and enjoy them on their own. They really bring some green delight to the table, especially this time of year.
 
Food for thought:
Along with help from our neighbor up the road, Jim has begun the repairs on our Farmall 140. It is our main cultivation tractor, the one we use for weeding, hilling potatoes, spreading cover crop seed, and forming beds, and it is indispensable.  Jim has been reading and watching youtube videos, learning how to approach this repair and finally the time has come. It is exciting to increase our mechanical knowledge.
We are keeping busy and busy as busy busy. 
See you tomorrow!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
• We are hiring! We have 1 part-time position open for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
• We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Microgreens: Spicy and mild mix! 
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon
Turnabaga- a cross between a crunchy sweet turnip and a rutabaga​

​Markets, always rain or shine!Saturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market

The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm

Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

Oh the sunshine! It is real and dear to our hearts! The onions are officially germinating! It won't be long until the greenhouse is a sea of green. All good things are rising our way!
I hope that all of you have gotten outside and gulped down a few good helpings of fresh air. 

To note:
CSA MEMBERS: All balances updated and accurate! Please find them at the bottom of the email once again!

Stockbridge Farm Members: Pick-up March 12th! I will get the order form out tonight!

BACK AT MARKETS! Come see us Lake Dividers at Eastern Market and Ann Arbor!

CSA Y'all- We accept members on a rolling basis through the season. However! This is the time that signing up to be a member of our farm has the greatest positive effect on your farmers!CSA's help share the burden of cashflow variability and seasonal unpredictability with the farmer. For us, it makes a huge difference to know that people are committed to eating our vegetables and the early investments take some of the stress out of all the early season improvements that we are making. So what is the CSA? In short, members open an account with us, receive a bonus for their commitment, and then use their accounts at market just like cash. You can find more details here. And let me say, if this is something you are considering, now is the time! We won't let you down!
Recipe:
I have heard the term braise before, but felt I didn't really know what it was. Here is Wikipedia's definition: Braising (from the French word braiser) is a combination-cooking method that uses both wet and dry heats: typically, the food is first sautéed or seared at a high temperature, then finished in a covered pot at a lower temperature while sitting in some (variable) amount of liquid (which may also add flavor).
Turns out, I have been doing it all along! So here is how I braise greens. The ones we are bringing this week are ideal candidates

Braised Greens with (optional) sweet potatoes:
Chop greens coarsely, stems and all. At high heat, add some oil/butter/fat of choice to a pan along with the greens, garlic and pepper (cayenne for me!) Stir 'em about until the greens start to soften. Add some lemon juice /red wine/apple cider vinegar/water, and allow simmer while the liquid cooks down. If you want the sauce to thicken up, you can always mince up an apple and put it in there (apples are rich in pectin). If you want a more hearty dish, roast some sweet potatoes in advance and toss them in when you add the liquid. The sweet potatoes add to the sauce. I like to eat it with some eggs, rice, pearl couscous or other delicious starchy-carb.
Food for thought:
We are now entering the time of increasing to do lists.  All the preparations for the season must be completed because soon, there will only be time for hustle. We are solidifying our nutrient management plan, slotting out time for some minor construction projects (crew break room and a partition for our cooler come to mind), finishing equipment repairs, finalizing spreadsheets, and more!
Exciting enough, we are also rounding the bend on hiring. We have filled all of the full time positions, as well as two of the part time positions. I am really looking forward to introducing you to our stellar 2019 crew. 
And Lizz and I are looking forward to seeing all of you at market tomorrow. May the sun be on our side!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
• We are hiring! We have 1 part-time position open for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
• We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

​Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Baby Kale and Chard mix
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon radish (last week until fall)
Turnips: Purple tops (last week until fall)
Turnabaga- a cross between a crunchy sweet turnip and a rutabaga

​Markets, always rain or shine!

​Saturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market

The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm

The team is reunited! The windstorm didn't blow us, or our infrastructure, away! The greenhouse is up and going! It is happening! It is happening! Read more below. 

To note:
CSA MEMBERS: You may notice that there is no balance at the bottom of the email this week. We have one final update to perform on the spread sheet and then those balances will be consistently present. Thanks for your patience. In the meantime, if you need to know your balance, send us an email and we will gladly pass it along. 

Stockbridge Farm Members: No pick up this week! The next pick-up will likely be March 12th.

NO MARKETS THIS WEEKEND. We are sorry to say that we are farmward-bound this weekend. Expect to see us back next weekend at both Ann Arbor and Eastern.

New Members and returning members! Thank you for signing up to be a farm member and welcome (back) to the farm! In every email you receive henceforth, you can scroll to the bottom to find your balance.

This is still true!!:
CSA Y'all! Thank you for excusing my relentless marketing but in case you missed it: This is the time that signing up to be a member of our farm has the greatest positive effect on your farmers!CSA's help share the burden of cashflow variability and seasonal unpredictability with the farmer. For us, it makes a huge difference to know that people are committed to eating our vegetables and the early investments take some of the stress out of all the early season improvements that we are making. So what is the CSA? In short, members open an account with us, receive a bonus for their commitment, and then use their accounts at market just like cash. You can find more details here. And let me say, if this is something you are considering, now is the time! We won't let you down!
Recipe: Roasted Turnips, Sweet potatoes, apples, and dried cranberries!
Here is a link to a recipe I recently discovered while trying to get creative with our remaining storage crops. It combines a nice assortment of seasonally available produce into a delicious dish! Changes to make? I recommend replacing the brown sugar with honey at a 1:1 ratio. Additionally, the granny smith apple can be replaced with whatever tart apple is is currently available (read: ask your farmer!) I also suggest using your oil of choice in leiu of cooking spray. If you are feeling fancy, you can always toast some walnuts to top this off. Yum Yum! 
Let me know how you like it!
Food for thought:
The excitement of the new farm season is palpable. All our bustling to prepare the greenhouse is really paying off. We have seeded our onions, packing our hopes and dreams for onion glory into each of the 128 tiny cells, in each of the 100 or so flats of onions that we have seeded. We have also rebooted microgreen and pea shoot production, started up some scallions and lettuce and have great plans to get tomatoes, beets and a wealth of herbs going before Monday rolls past us. In the same plant family as the onion (Amaryllidaceae) we are adding shallots this year.
We grew shallots a few seasons back but nixed them from the list while we simplified our lives  during our transition from New Jersey to Michigan. We think it is time to add them back into the mix and we are really looking forward to their rich flavor. I haven't done much cooking with them but they are a well-loved delicacy. Their gentle flavor- like a mild, sweet onion, without the bite, is one of the reasons. Another is that, as it turns out, they have more pectin in them than an onion. Pectin is the substance in plants that adds firmness to cell walls. As it breaks down during the cooking process, it adds body to the sauce, similar to the way gelatin would, and creates a stable gel at room temperature. Huh! Ya learn something new every day!
Last weekend, while I was still away at the MOSES conference (which was amazing and inspiring) wind raged through the farm. Jim was on it. The biggest factor in preventing ultimate destruction with a windstorm is dogged attention. Hourly, Jim braved the gusts, tapping in rebar, tucking down plastic, adding soil or weights. We came through it okay, thanks to him. 
And staying on the educational kick, this weekend, I am participating in a soil nutrient and fertility class up in Howell. Participants (that's us!) get to bring in their soil tests and review the results with the help of the "professionals". I am really looking forward to gaining a better understanding of what's going in our soil  and building a long term fertility plan for our farm.
Lately, my mind has been continuously drifting to long term planning and on more topics than just the tangible. My perspective zooms out and I find myself exploring whether we are on the path we think we are on. This brings us to consider whether we are meeting our goals of sustainability and wildlife habitat creation, if we are fulfilling our commitment to making food affordable and accessible, and whether we will be able to create good jobs.  This is typical of my mind, especially for this time of year, and this year is no exception. If anything, this phase of reckoning is more pronounced this year than others. I think these thoughts are coming up with such intensity this time around for a few reasons. At MOSES I ended up attending sessions that led me to think deeply about how our farm interacts with the environment and society. Simultaneously, we are participating in a year long class that helps us consider whether growing produce for a wholesale market is a worthwhile endeavor for us. This class has involved us working on rewriting our business plan, a process that merits introspection and reevaluation. Also, through all of our interviews, we are coming into contact with all kinds of people that are interested in growing food, having a relationship with their food source, and building community around it. Talking with them about what we are doing and where we are going has been thought-provoking and invigorating. And a final possibility, we have to also consider, as our business is growing, there is more room for deeper thought (yes!). At last the vice-grip of the beginning years is loosening a little.
This great annual zoom-out is typically paired with concern and existential crisis. What is enough and are we even capable of doing enough? There is so much to be done, we need help! And then, and thankfully this time, quickly, the reminder comes into focus, we are not in this alone, we are building community around these ideas, like many people around the country and the world are, etc etc. All told, I think that we are on the right path. Each year, as we learn more, meet more people, try more approaches, listen to more perspectives, our world grows and so does our capability.
All of this makes me very excited to be here, participating and doing my best. I really feel like this is the beginning of the 2019 season. I am ready! 
I will miss seeing all of you at market this weekend and am looking forward to getting back out there next Saturday. Eat well until then!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
• We are hiring! We have 3 full-time and 1 part-time positions opening up for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
• We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

It has been a dividing week at Lake Divide! Helen and Lizz are out of state, on assignment, polishing and advancing their farming skills at the MOSES Organic farming conference in Wisconsin. Our dear, not deer, friend Jess from Chickadee Creek Farm in NJ made the trek out here to join Helen and Lizz at the conference. While and I am very glad (and mildly jealous) that they are all together, advancing our long term, the farm is mine alone to tend, and so we are only able to attend the Eastern market this weekend, please pardon our absence in Ann Arbor. 
The shape and magnitude of our ambition for the 2019 season is coming into focus. We will be attending 8 farmer's markets per week through the coming main season! While we are ecstatic to be making good nutritious food available to a larger number of people, we can't help but anticipate the logistical, emotional and physical challenges that this season will bring. We adjusted our scale, purchased a new Market vehicle (which our friends/neighbors Kateri and Terry are helping us make road-worthy), upgraded our cultivation, increased our season extension capabilities and braced ourselves for what is to come. If you ever had any interest in our market based CSA, or are a current member with a dwindling balance, this is the best time to make difference! Thank you for all your support, you are the heart of Lake Divide. While I have every confidence in our plan for the 2019 (we've been through, over and over, every week since November) I know it can be made better by community members signing up for a CSA membership at this time. With that being said, I will utter the desperate S.O.S. call of my nerdy/handsome engineering ex-cohorts in hopes that it reaches an appropriate audience and merits the same hard line response that I've afforded it in the past: "Help us Obi-wan Kenobi, you're our only hope." Hope to see you at market!

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: No pick up this week!

We are preparing our largest hoop house for a new round of head lettuce transplants!

We're in the midst of cleaning and sterilizing our greenhouse, and you should expect micro greens and sprouts back on the menu in the coming month

Helen and Lizz are polishing and updating their skills at the MOSES Organic farming conference in Wisconsin this weekend (hence, no Ann Arbor Market this weekend)

Markets: We will only be in Detroit this week! Find us in the sun in shed five at Eastern.

New Members! Thank you for signing up to be a farm member and welcome to the farm! In every email you receive henceforth, you can scroll to the bottom to find your balance.
This is still true!!:
CSA Y'all! Thank you for excusing my relentless marketing but in case you missed it: This is the time that signing up to be a member of our farm has the greatest positive effect on your farmers!CSA's help share the burden of cashflow variability and seasonal unpredictability with the farmer. For us, it makes a huge difference to know that people are committed to eating our vegetables and the early investments take some of the stress out of all the early season improvements that we are making. So what is the CSA? In short, members open an account with us, receive a bonus for their commitment, and then use their accounts at market just like cash. You can find more details here. And let me say, if this is something you are considering, now is the time! We won't let you down!
Recipe: (Helen posted this one last week, but man are they delicious, it's like a vegetable crab cake that you can have all winter!!, if you haven't tried them, give 'em a shot) 
Radishes. So many winter radishes. Ready to try doing something new with them?

Daikon Patties:  <-- follow the link ;)
I make a version of this recipe from my brain, but it is too variable to type out. Basically, grate the daikon, mix some flavor in, ball it and coat it with the crunchy and fry it in a pan.
I am going to try the linked recipe tonight. I love the addition of peanuts and powdered ginger. If I see you tomorrow, ask me how it was and I will give you a review.
Jim writing for the Lake Dividers

• Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
• We are hiring! We have 3 full-time and 3 part-time positions opening up for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
• We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Arugula (limited)
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Carrots- Last week for carrots until the spring!
Kohlrabi- kohlrabi and tender petite 
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon radish
Turnips: Purple tops
Turnabaga- a cross between a crunchy sweet turnip and a rutabaga

Markets, always rain or shine!Saturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market

The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm
​

Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

I realized after I sent the email out that I FAILED to update this top snippet. Here is what wrote last week: How was that breath of spring? I felt for a moment that I didn't get quite enough winter, but that feeling was washed away with the incoming winds. It was nice to enjoy fresh air on my arms and face without my skin being seared off by the cold. It will be nice to enjoy another dip and hopefully another big snow or two! I have some ice skating and snow meditation left yet!

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: No pick up this week!

Markets: We will be in Ann Arbor and Detroit this week! Find us in the sun in Kerrytown and in shed five at Eastern.

CSA members: We performed the annual update of our CSA spreadsheet. All of the balances should be updated as of now and incoming members are being added as they come in.

New Members! Thank you for signing up to be a farm member and welcome to the farm! In every email you receive henceforth, you can scroll to the bottom to find your balance.

CSA Y'all! Thank you for excusing my relentless marketing but in case you missed it: This is the time that signing up to be a member of our farm has the greatest positive effect on your farmers!CSA's help share the burden of cashflow variability and seasonal unpredictability with the farmer. For us, it makes a huge difference to know that people are committed to eating our vegetables and the early investments take some of the stress out of all the early season improvements that we are making. So what is the CSA? In short, members open an account with us, receive a bonus for their commitment, and then use their accounts at market just like cash. You can find more details here. And let me say, if this is something you are considering, now is the time! We won't let you down!
Recipe:
Radishes. So many winter radishes. Ready to try doing something new with them?

Daikon Patties:  <-- follow the link ;)
I make a version of this recipe from my brain, but it is too variable to type out. Basically, grate the daikon, mix some flavor in, ball it and coat it with the crunchy and fry it in a pan.
I am going to try the linked recipe tonight. I love the addition of peanuts and powdered ginger. If I see you tomorrow, ask me how it was and I will give you a review.
Food for thought:
Wind and snow = Empire Strikes Back, The Battle of Hoth. I had to ask Jim what I was talking about, he knew with very little help. "You know, the one where he hides in the animal to survive and the big machines walk around?" Count me impressed. 
But seriously, this past week the snow was phenomenal! Along our dirt road, there is a section with open field on either side where the wind picks up. The otherworldly snow drifts were upwards of three feet! And the visibility in that area? Nil. It was like driving into a hostile cloud. And yet, we made it out the other side! 
And then, the following day, all the snow melted and turned into a slick ice shield for the earth. All in all, I thought it was a pretty grand weather adventure, although I really don't like the wind all the much. It gives my sleep indigestion and I lay awake wondering what has blown away. (This time, nothing!)
The day of the snow-wind was the day we sealed the deal on another Sprinter van. We needed it to enable us to attend all four of the markets in our Saturday plan. The van is in good shape and we are excited to add it to the fleet. 
They day before that, our big supplies order came in after several weeks of weather related delays. We coordinated with a few local farmers to reduce shipping costs and everything was delivered to our farm. It was great to see everyone and it made me even more excited for the coming growing season. I swear I can hear the blistering snow wind whisper spring!
To add to the hype, next week I am going to a big farming conference in Wisconsin! We consider it ongoing education and try to get everyone headed to at least a one opportunity like this per year. 
See you at market this week!
Onward and farmward!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
• We are hiring! We have 3 full-time and 3 part-time positions opening up for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
• We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Head lettuce! Petite and sweet!
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Carrots- Last week for carrots until the spring!
Kohlrabi- kohlrabi and tender petite 
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon radish
Turnips: Purple tops
Turnabaga- a cross between a crunchy sweet turnip and a rutabaga
Markets, always rain or shine!Saturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market

The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm

 

How was that breath of spring? I felt for a moment that I didn't get quite enough winter, but that feeling was washed away with the incoming winds. It was nice to enjoy fresh air on my arms and face without my skin being seared off by the cold. It will be nice to enjoy another dip and hopefully another big snow or two! I have some ice skating and snow meditation left yet!

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: Pick-up this week on Tuesday. Look for the email. Sorry it is a little late getting out.

Markets: We will be in Ann Arbor and Detroit this week! Find us in the sun in Kerrytown and in shed five at Eastern.

CSA Y'all! Thank you for excusing my relentless marketing but in case you missed it: This is the time that signing up to be a member of our farm has the greatest positive effect on your farmers!CSA's help share the burden of cashflow variability and seasonal unpredictability with the farmer. For us, it makes a huge difference to know that people are committed to eating our vegetables and the early investments take some of the stress out of all the early season improvements that we are making. So what is the CSA? In short, members open an account with us, receive a bonus for their commitment, and then use their accounts at market just like cash. You can find more details here. And let me say, if this is something you are considering, now is the time! We won't let you down!

​Recipe:
Another sweet potato recipe! It is hard to stop sharing culinary uses for these because they are so sweet po-tasty! (Thanks for letting me get away with that one. Just try saying it out loud, it is fun!) The Japanese Sweet Potatoes are a little drier and a little nuttier than the classic orange ones. Lizz came up with this savory (and simple!) recipe. You really can't go wrong.

Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Sauteed Onions: Preheat oven to 425. Cut large sweet potatoes into 1/2' cubes (or use a pile of small ones halved!) and put in a bowl. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle in some salt, and a dried herb (sage/thyme/rosemary). Bake 'em for 15 minutes, stir, then bake about another 15-20 minutes. When there are only five minutes to go, , pull them out of the oven sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and put 'em right back in for the final five minutes. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, slice some onions into crescents, heat some oil in a skillet and saute them until translucent. Scoop some sweet potatoes onto a plate, put the onions on top and enjoy! I would love to eat this with an over easy egg, a slice of buttered bread, and some pickled turnips! 

Food for thought:
We aired out the caterpillar tunnels and hoops this week! The plants were glad for it. I must admit, Sunday was a little concerning. I slopped around the farm, the soil trying to suck my boots off my feet at every chance, grumbling about how wet it all is. We had standing water in some fields and in the area that I chose to set up the caterpillar tunnels, just a general extensive sogginess. While it was in the forties, there was still persistent ice on the tunnels and on the row cover. Now rowcover is not the sturdiest of materials. It is a thin weave and tears with ease. Much of it was frozen to the ground, to the anchor bag, to the side of the tunnel, etc. After some sincere attempts of removal and in favor of preserving the material so it could live a fuller life, Jim and I held off on pulling all the covers until Monday. 
Monday, everything looked a little better. It was a little less "mucky", the covers weren't frozen, the sun was sunny. I finished the uncovering solo but it was no problem. My heart felt lifted, the plants looked grateful to enjoy an outing from their ice fortress. I was too, and so were the dogs. We frolicked. It was too wet to do much weeding but even so, the sight of new leaves on our plants brought my spirits up. 
Now, the temperature is dropping again (as to be expected) and the great winds that accompany this temperature change are picking up. We check to make sure everything is secure in the evening and then at night, sleep with pillows pressed over our heads so that nightmares of winds wrecking havoc on the farm don't infiltrate our slumber (although they do anyway).
Farm life continues. We have just about acquired another market vehicle, completed our crop plan for the coming year, and settled some managerial plans. The farm planning revealed that we are hoping to be planting in the field by the end of the month! Holy moley! We are going to be planting in the greenhouse in only a matter of weeks! That is wild too! IT IS UPON US! SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE BEND! The plants can feel it in daylight hours and whether we recognize it, so can we! I love that this life has brought with it an intrinsic appreciation of the changing of the seasons. Every time,  I am aching for a change of pace, the world offers it to me just by spinning. 

Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
• We are hiring! We have 3 full-time and 3 part-time positions opening up for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
• We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!
Greens: (Limited):Head lettuce!- Maybe.....
All manner of deliciousness:
Cabbage- running low
Carrots
Kohlrabi- kohlrabi and tender petite 
Onions
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: Classic (with greens! May be limited), White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon radish
Turnips: Purple top and golden roasting turnips
Turnabaga- a cross between a crunchy sweet turnip and a rutabaga
Markets, always rain or shine!Saturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market

The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm

Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

Well, the grand majority of our vegetable population survived the second deep freeze of 2019. I am impressed again! I love a good snow day and this past week, we had a few and I was peak joy. We haven't had to do much clearing of snow this year from our hoops. In fact, the hoop houses usually take care of it themselves by heating right up with the sunshine and shedding the snow. This time, things were a little different. With lots of snow coming and the drift from the wind, we had a drifts 4 feet high piled against the northwest side of the houses! No need to risk bending a hoop on that! Jim and I, plus our loyal canines (don't worry we were careful with them in the low temps, headed out and cleared the weight off. After finishing that up, Exie and I head off into the woods to lay in the snow and marvel at the magical world. Getting cold makes the warmth all the much more wonderful.

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: No pick-up this coming week.

We will be in Shed five (inside!) at Eastern Market. Look for our expansive and joyous vegetable display. Don't forget to seek us out!!

Back at Ann Arbor Saturday this coming week!  Following a roller coaster week of obsessive weather checking, Saturday morning temperatures have risen significantly! Thankfully our market hiatus was shorter than expected. Hope to see you in Ann Arbor tomorrow!

CSA Y'all! If you saw me last week, I likely pitched you our account-based farm membership. This is the time that signing up to be a member of our farm has the greatest positive effect on your farmers! CSA's help share the burden of cashflow variability and seasonal unpredictability with the farmer. For us, it makes a huge difference to know that people are committed to eating our vegetables and the early investments take some of the stress out of all the early season improvements that we are making. So what is the CSA? In short, members open an account with us, receive a bonus for their commitment, and then use their accounts at market just like cash. You can find more details here. And let me say, if this is something you are considering, now is the time! We won't let you down!
Recipe:
Get that oven going! Roast some sweet potatoes. I like the sweet and spicy combo.

Roasted sweet and spicy Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 425. Cut large sweet potatoes into 1/2 pieces (or use a pile of small one whole!) and put in a bolw. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle in some salt, chili powder, cayenne, paprika, and black pepper. Add a little honey or a little brown sugar, then stir the mixture to to coat. Bake 'em for 15 minutes, stir, then bake about another 15-20 minutes. I like mine crispy and tend to leave them in for long enough to achieve maximum ideal crispiness.  
Food for thought:
When I went out to check the state of the vegetables in the caterpillars on Wednesday it was negative 11 degrees. I was bundled. We spent a bit of the night (as I am sure other folk did) unfreezing pipes in our house and given that, I wasn't sure what to expect. I unfurled the makeshift plastic door and squirmed into the tunnel. The ground just inside the tunnel, but outside of the inner cover was hard to the touch, offering little give. I looked up and saw ice crystals like a science project. With trepidation, I lifted the frozen frost blanket and lo and behold , dripping water! Okay, well, that much moisture in a tunnel in the winter is not ideal however, it does tell me that the temperature is above freezing. I love it! I'll take it! And thawed kale leave! Alive chard! Everything is seeming good out there. Next week, the temperatures are briefly heading up to 40. That will be a change. We will uncover the crops, vent the sides and let everything breath. Hopefully it will move some of the condensation out and the plant will have more fuel for photosynthesis.

For my mindfulness notes? Snowdrifts like coolwhip. Until next week!   
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
• We are hiring! We have 3 full-time and 3 part-time positions opening up for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
• We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Arugula (maybe)
Head lettuce!
Herbs: 
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Cabbage- running low
Carrots
Kohlrabi- kohlrabi and tender petite 
Onions
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: Classic (with greens! May be limited), White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon radish
Turnips: Purple top and golden roasting turnips

Markets, always rain or shine!All good things come to an end: The Wednesday Ann Arbor Farmers' market and the Saturday Chelsea market will return in May after a winter haitus. 

Saturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market

The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm

​

Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

Well, the grand majority of our vegetable population survived the first deep freeze of 2019. I am impressed. Purportedly the temperature dropped to negative 12 degrees Fahrenheit, and this after a more reasonable low of negative 3 degrees! We are in the process of obtaining and placing thermometers about our farm. Data, data, data, however, even without this home furnished data, I trust that temperature to be accurate to within a few degrees. Bitter, that is the word for a temperature like that. It wasn't the last of it though. Next week, the temperatures will creep back down and there will be more snow. So, get out your skis, snow shoes, and ice skates. Get your mind in gear for bundling up and getting out there. There is joy to be had in this alternate universe that we call winter. 

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: The next pick up is Tuesday, January 29th. Please look for your order forms and complete them by Monday morning at 9 am.

We will be in Shed five (inside!) at Eastern Market. Look for our expansive and joyous vegetable display. 

No Ann Arbor Saturday this coming week. With the single digit temperatures for a portion of the day, plus blustery winds, we have decided to  forgo the foray this week. Stay posted for next week!
Recipe:
Returning to a simple shredded vegetable recipe that never disappoints. I eat delicious scoops of this in the morning with my breakfast fare.
Shredded carrots, apple, and watermelon radish: Wash! Grate carrots and apples. I don't even cut the apple, just apply it to the grater and go to the core. Thinly slice the watermelon radish. Toss it all together with powdered ginger, a pinch of salt, a little black pepper, and some lemon juice. It satisfies every time. 
Thoughts and rambles:
I don't know if you folks know it yet, but we are scaling up, again. We have added two, large markets to our line up while business continues to improve at our existing markets. This brings with it all sorts of growing pains. We need additional market vehicles, additional storage, additional people, and we need to grow more food. We are attacking these tasks voraciously. Just today, Jim drove to Ohio through this icy mess, to look at another sprinter van. The prospect looks good and we will hopefully check that acquisition off the list within the week.
Interviewing has become a domineering part of our lives. It is exciting to have so many wonderful applicants interested in working with us. Jim has been carrying out the phone interviews and checking references and I am about to start lining up the work interviews. At least this year we start off with one returning staff member taking of a full-time position (Lizz!) and one taking on a part-time position (Brianna!). I have never had returning staff before and it is so exciting that people are gathering with us to build this farm. This farm that will become all of our farm as is the dream. 
Taking on an additional farmers' market for the winter has been wonderful. We were able to sell many of the field greens that otherwise would have stayed in the field. And we are meeting lots of new people. The downside of this impulsive expansion is that our carefully planned stores of vegetables, with numbers taiilored to a single market, are dwindling due to the doubled exodus from our cooler. Bear with us this winter while our supplies may decline for the months of March and April, just remember, this gives us all the more time to really prepare for increased harvests in the early spring. This year we are hoping to put up some more caterpillar tunnels and seed them for early harvests of carrots, salad greens, turnips and more. These are incipient plans, however keep them in the crooks of your mind and cheer them on with us. 
In my non-work life, I have been restoring my good habits to good working order. Eating food that makes me happy- shredded carrot and apple, an egg from a farmer friends flock, delicious toast from bakers that I love. Lighting candles. Cleaning up after myself- one of the less glamorous habits that needs to be restored. One of my favorite habits that I am trying to cultivate is to simply experience the world. Every walk I take,  I try to push the static of decisions and  concerns, analysis and debate, towards the back of my mind (or out of it for that matter) so that I can exist as just myself, so that I don't have to look through that fog. I don't have to think of all the factors, every moment. If I put them down, they will be there when I return to pick them up again. In this practice, I make a point of noting one interesting thing that the world is doing. The picture of the tunnels in the snow was the product of one of these walks, as were the ice crystals. Mindfulness doesn't require pictures however. Join me in enjoying the world. 
Keep warm and see you this weekend. 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
• We are hiring! We have 3 full-time and 3 part-time positions opening up for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
• We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Arugula!
Head lettuce!
Herbs: 
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Cabbage- running low!
Carrots!
Kohlrabi- beautiful meal sized kohlrabi and tender petite 
Onions
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed!
Radishes: Classic (with greens! May be limited), White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon radish
Turnips: Purple top and golden roasting turnips!

​Markets, always rain or shine!All good things come to an end: The Wednesday Ann Arbor Farmers' market and the Saturday Chelsea market will return in May after a winter haitus. 

Saturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market

The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm

Ahoy!

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: No pick up this week. 

We will be in Shed five (inside!) at Eastern Market. We are still new there and getting moved around. Please look for us. We may be by the doors on the North Side of the building- that is a good place to start looking.

Recipe:
Japanese Sweet Potatoes! White on the inside, with a nutty flavor, they are a little more dry than the classic orange fleshed sweet potato. They make GREAT chips. I recently got a mandoline from a second hand store and have been toasting up a batch in the oven every chance I get. They make a great crispy addition sprinkled on top of any meal or just a crunchy, healthy munchies to fill that indulgence slot. 

Sweet potato chips: Scrub them up and slice them thin. I have been using a mandoline but you could use the slicer on the side of your cheese grater or a regular ole knife. Coat the slices with the oil of your choice and season to taste with salt, pepper, and any other flavor you desire. Spread them onto a baking tray. They do not have to be completely single layer.  Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees, give them a scrape and flip, and then bake for another 20-30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and give them an additional stir. Allow them to stay on the pan while they cool to add on some additional crispy-ness. Enjoy!
Thoughts and rambles:
We are moving from a dusting of snow to a real snow and along with that, a real dip into the winter cold. By Sunday we will experience this year's first dip into the single digits, and a potential for a drop into the negatives. We are bracing for it by adding additional covers to the crops in the hoophouses and crossing our fingers. Hopefully our impressive plants will bear with us.
We are also working on completing our seed order. We aim to have the bulk of our seed orders placed by January 25th. This involves looking at all that we grew and sold this past year, predicting how much markets will expand or contract and making adjustments, nixing crops that didn't pan out or firming our resolve and trying again, and resisting the temptation to add too many new types of crops. There is so much data in a diverse vegetable business like this, organization is key. This is where excel becomes an actual member of our team, taking on human form and advising our decisions.  Thank you human-excel, for holding all this information for us. Just next month we will be starting our first seeds for the season. It amazes me yet again how easily time passes.
But never fear, we aren't letting this time slip by unnoticed. We took a dip in the winter woods and saw some beautiful ice crystals. They look like leaves! This is known as hoarfrost and happens when temperatures are cold enough and there is ample water vapor around. We saw more hoarfrost in the forest where the frozen soil heaved up. Between the cracks, leaflets of beautiful ice crystals were exposed! 
I hope you can make some time to get out in the world and observe some beauty! Looking forward to seeing you at market.
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
• We are hiring! We have 3 full-time and 3 part-time positions opening up for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
• We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Arugula
Head lettuce
Herbs: 
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Cabbage
Kohlrabi- beautiful meal sized kohlrabi and tender petite 
Onions
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed!
Radishes: Classic (with greens! May be limited), White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon radish
Turnips: Purple top and golden roasting turnips
Turnabaga- Turnip-Rutabaga cross! Delicious, sweet and crisp!

​Markets, always rain or shine!
Saturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market

The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm

Ahoy! 
​
See the greens that I promise exist pictured about. They are coming! In the meantime, roots, roots, roots.

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: We will be sending out an order form to be used. Orders should be placed by Sunday night for pick-up Tuesday evening at Positively Chiropractic (thank you ladies!) between 4:00 and 6:45 pm. More details in the order sheet.

We will be in Shed five (inside!) at Eastern Market tomorrow. We are still new there and getting moved around. Please look for us. We may be by the doors on the North Side of the building- that is a good place to start looking.
Recipe:
I know you have seen these pointy, lime green cabbage at market! Did you know they are tender and sweet? They carry a meal! Here is a unique way to enjoy them.

Roasted Arrowhead Cabbage: Cut the cabbage into wedges, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme. Roast for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. A dusting of parmesan cheese just before finishing is optional. 

Blatherings:
We got a dusting of snow! I miss the snow of last year. It was thick and quieting. I don't really miss the super cold we had, but the snow. And the prospect of ice skating on whatever lake I wanted. 
The warm weather this past week has been really enjoyable. And the sun. In the gray times of Michigan's winter, slivers of sunshine and string lights are the only way through. We can control the influx of string lights (you should see our kitchen!) but the sun is on its own schedule. As we knew, the warm weather couldn't last forever. It will be cold cold by the end of the week.
This weather change that we are experiencing is bringing a lot of wind. As the air warms and rises, it leaves a low pressure area begging to be filled. In comes the cold air. Wind with a farm is stressful. Before the farm, wind was a portal. I could feel the big systems that we are a small part of. It was like getting a glimpse of the big magic. While that is still true, and could still be visible, it is often overshadowed by the threat of destruction. Our structures seem flimsy when up against the all powerful wind.
Our caterpillar tunnels, the ones with the greens you see pictured, are such structures. Especially with the rain softening the ground that their stakes are holding on to. We had an even last week when the plastic, loosened by the warmer weather, slipped off to the side. Kindly, it was still belted in with cord, but it was an effort to pull it back on. This week, we were more ready. We have been maintaining our caterpillar tunnels diligently, checking rebar and tightening plastic. We have found that on windy days, regular checks are imperative. It takes a lot less time to maintain than it does to recover.
We are going to dramatically extrapolate that theme into our lives. Maintain rather than rush and rebuild. 
Onward and upward!

Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
• We are hiring! We have 3 full-time and 3 part-time positions opening up for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
• We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):ARUGULA!!
Herbs: 
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Cabbage
Kohlrabi- beautiful meal sized kohlrabi and tender petite 
Onions
Sweet potatoes!
Radishes: Classic (with greens! May be limited), White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon radish
Turnips: Purple top and golden roasting turnips
Turnabaga- Turnip-Rutabaga cross! Delicious, sweet and crisp!
Markets, always rain or shine!All good things come to an end: The Wednesday Ann Arbor Farmers' market and the Saturday Chelsea market will return in May after a winter haitus. 

Saturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market

The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm