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

So I ate the Polyporus squamosus, also known as Dryad's saddle. I was as they said, nothing to write home about, however, it was my first foraged and and eaten fungus so for that I am happy. This is a big week coming up. We are going to get about a half acre of tomatoes planted and staked. This will set our July scene. Yeah, it is a whole lot later than we wanted it done, but I am glad for it. There have been a few changes to our market start dates. Just take a look below. 
I hope everyone had a happy mother's day celebrating all the wonderful mothers we have. I was lucky enough to spend part of the day with my my wonderful mother and my sister (and my nephew!) It is just so wonderful to be around them.

To note:
Find us at the following markets from now on:
Eastern Market
Ann Arbor Saturday
White Lotus Farm Cart
Chelsea
Stocbridge
And back at Northville on Thursday and starting at Royal Oak this Saturday!

Here are all of our markets and their expected start dates:
Ann Arbor (Wednesday): May 22nd (holding off one more week- look for us Saturday!)
Recipe:
Radishes. One of the first spring beauty to climb back into our hearts. There is more to them than chopping them in a Salad. It is looking like the french breakfast radishes are going to come into their own this week. Get ready!

Radishes sliced with butter or cheese or olive oil on toast!
That is all! Good bread, tender, tasty radishes sliced thin, a sprinkle of salt, and a lipid. Beyond delight.
 
Food for thought: 
As we switch from writing the email towards the end of the week to writing them towards the beginning, you get a chance to see what the weeks looks like from this side. There is just so much on the docket! The big goal for this week is as I already said, getting those tomatoes planted. With the risk of frost all but passed, we have the green light to work like lightening, zapping plants into the ground. Weeding, planting, trellising. Hopefully (and it looks like it is true), we will get a chance to prepare more ground too.
We are also hoping to finish the repairs on our cultivating tractor, the project that is so close to completion we can taste it, but has been back-burnered so many times I can't count. It isn't that it isn't important and we aren't waiting for any parts. All it is, is time. Tasks elbowing their way ahead one at a time. 
And the other large under-taking (other than everything else) is to install the trellis lines for our cucumbers. This year we are growing them in the hoop house and using a vertical trellis to get the most cukes for our jukes. I am really excited to see how it turns out. 
We also hope to get our two smaller hoops prepped and planted in basil, install all the irrigation for what we have planted so far, weed as needed, and hopefully, harvest some delicious vegetables. 

Thank you for all the confidence and support in this seemingly endless wait for spring. See you at markets this week.
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. (Notice our new catch phrase? We call it the trifecta of sustainability. It sounds a little cheesy but we mean it from the heart. Good for the earth: Taking care of the natural world is a important, after all, it takes care of us; Good for the farmer: We believe farmers should have livable hours and livable wages; Good for the people: We believe in food equality and bringing our produce to market at an affordable price and keeping it accessible is important to us.)

• 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. 

​This week we are buying in some produce from local farms to make up for some gaps. These items are noted with an asterisk (*). We will not be able to bring these items to the Ann Arbor Farmers' market because of their producer only rule (which we love). You will be able to find them at The White Lotus Farm Cart and Eastern Market. 

Fresh From the Field!
Transplants!
Head lettuce and kale
Basil for your windowsill
Greens:
Microgreens: Solo-Arugula and a Mustard Mix (At all markets excluding White Lotus)
Pea Shoots  (At all markets excluding White Lotus)
*Spinach
All manner of deliciousness:
​*Daikon Radish- purple and white!
*Green Garlic, Maybe! (not certified organic but responsibly done by our friends at Titus Farms)
Bunched Radish- super cute and the first taste of our field crops coming in
Scallions
Parsley 

​This weeks Markets

Thursday: Northville

The Northville Market is located at the corner of 7 Mile and Sheldon Roads. It runs May thru October, 8 am - 3 pm

Friday: Stockbridge

The Stockbridge Open Air Market is located on the square in downtown Stockbridge. It runs from May thru October from 4 pm - 7 pm

Saturday: Ann Arbor,  Chelsea, Detroit's Eastern Market, The White Lotus Farm Cart and Royal Oak 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 - 3 pm.

The Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the Palmer Commons at 304 S. Main St.. It runs May thru October (then moves inside thru December!) from 8 am - 1 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 White Lotus Farm Cart is located at 7217 West Liberty Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. It is open Saturdays from 9:30am-1:30pm, May thru December. There is a collection of vendors there selling produce, bread, cheese, artisanal produces, along with brick oven pizza and the opportunity to roam the gardens. 

The Royal Oak Market is an indoor market located at 316 E Eleven Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067. It runs year round from 7am - 1pm.

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

Off we go! We are getting so much done. Onions in the ground, Check. Lots of ground prepped? Check. Just yesterday we put in a driveway short of an acre! Go team go! I think we passed the last stop before fall. Now we are all strapped in for the ride. For all of us. All of us: farmers, plants, animals. The signs of spring are kicking us into high gear and, although tired, I LOVE IT! 

This weekend I helped my beekeeper friend from The Sand Hill. She has lots of bee yards in the area, even one on our farm! It was wonderful to work for someone, learning, and not having to make any decisions. I really learned so, so much too. If you read on, I will tell you about it.

To note:
Find us at the following markets from now on:
Eastern Market
Ann Arbor Saturday
White Lotus Farm Cart
And back at Stockbridge this Friday and Chelsea this Saturday

Here are all of our markets and their expected start dates:
Ann Arbor (Wednesday): May 15th
Northville (Thursday): May 23rd
Royal Oak (Saturday): May 18th
Recipe:
Because we have different produce going to different markets, here are two brief recipes. 

Green garlic. It is garlic pulled before it forms a head. Fresh, tender, and delicious. Use the whole plant. Make a pesto. 

Microgreens with boiled potatoes: I do a lot of meal prep. It is the only way that I manage to feed myself through the week. Often, in the beginning of the week I will boil a bunch of potatoes and then tuck them in the fridge. A real quick meal can be made: heated potatoes, a couple sprinkles of microgreens, a scoop of sour cream, a drizzle of oil, and a little salt. That is all you need and you can be sated. And you can spend the whole meal making the perfect bite. 
Food for thought: 
But seriously guys, we are getting so much done. We really did get just a sliver less than an acre planted yesterday, between the onions, shallots, and whole lot of direct seeded items. I don't think that we have ever planted all the onions in one day. What a crew to stick it out because that is some really tiring work. Most of the day is spent remembering not to arch your back while placing plant after plant in the ground. One day we will have a riding transplanter that can accommodate the job. Until then, sturdy, determined people. (I actually don't think we will ever not need sturdy, determined people but...)
It was a real joy for me planting the onions be cause we were working into raised beds, made under the gun over the "weekend". 
Going into Sunday morning I thought for sure the ground would be too wet to get any responsible tractor work done. But lo and behold, when I took the soil up into my hand, its crumbling disposition told me it was time to get a move on. Rain loomed on Monday, so Jim and I work all day Sunday to get the ground ready. We fitted the bed former, tested it out, adjusted it, decided what "good enough" looked like, and went for it. 
Why raised beds? They offer better drainage for our plants, allow the soil to warm to a greater extent, and provide an accommodating root zone for our plants. One additional thing that I really love is that the topography of the beds reduces water run-off on our sloped fields. After all our hustle, we did get a real rain on Monday night. Previous rains, you could see where the water had run across our land, moving our precious soil. After this rain, there was none of that. On top of that, you could see where the beds caught water between them, allowing it to seep in to the earth be used later. 

I want to note that we still don't have a diverse crop selection. It is looking like our greens are on the verge. Please be patient. We are working our hardest to bring the vegetable heat! They will be here soon.

And now, can I tell you about the bees? They are so cool! It is hard to narrow everything I learned this weekend down to the few coolest, but here is my best.
***Fun bee things I learned: 
Fun fact one: You can picture the rectangular hives that beekeepers use, right? Stacks of boxes. Inside those hives are rectangular frames filled with comb. The bees fill the comb with food or brood (the collective term for immature bees- eggs, larva, and pupae). The brood is in the center. Pollen, the high protein food is eaten by the nurse bees and turned into Royal Jelly which is feed to all the larva and the queen, surrounds the brood. Honey, the food that the other bees eat, surrounds this. It is has a spherical layout. Inside that rectangle, the hive is still a sphere. I don't know why that was so amazing to me but it was. Maybe I thought that they would have conformed to the rectangle. 

Fun fact two: During the daytime, the many of the bees are out on the town, foraging for pollen and nectar. Because of this, when you open the hive during the day, there are a lot less bees present than when you open the hive in the early morning or in the evening. 

Fun fact three: You can be overwhelmed by bees. Especially bees in the morning or night. There are so many of them! And when it is cooler in the morning and evening, they don't fly. So if you open a hive in the morning, all the bees are there, and they don't fly around as much. Woah bees! (Sidenote: this may also have something to do with how they use the sun to navigate so don't fly at night or when it is dark, but I don't know)

Fun fact four and final: This time of year is know as swarm season (or maybe we just passed it), often corresponding to nectar flow, spring blooms, and other phenological indicators. If a hive survives the winter and is large in the spring, the bees may very well head out to find a new home. So in the spring, beekeepers all across the land are getting antsy, waiting for the perfect time to make their splits. Too early could be bad for the bees (?) too late, the bees may be lost to swarming. Making a split is kind of like dividing a clump of chives, except more complicated, more buzzing, and more stinging. If the hive is healthy and large, a beekeeper can split the frames from the main hive into smaller units that have proportionately balanced amounts of brood, food, and a little room fro growth. (These can also be called nucs, short for nucleus colonies). These splits can be taken to a new location, a least two miles from the mother hive, and turned into a new hive. If the beekeeper waits, the bees will make their own queen by feeding one lucky larvae copious amounts of royal jelly, usually within 3 days. If the beekeeper is quick about it, a she can carefully introduce a queen of their choice to the hive. 
***It should be noted, I don't know that much about bees. All that is written here is from me asking excessive questions. This information could be a little off but is likely right, enough. 

Okay, well. Now you know what we are doing on the farm, and just about everything I know about bees, except for a few random things like "You can pick a queen up without hurting her!" and "All the cells in the comb are at a slight angle so the honey doesn't drip out. This also means they can hold water!" and "The bees will clean that up."

We are looking forward to seeing you all this week!
 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers
Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. (Notice our new catch phrase? We call it the trifecta of sustainability. It sounds a little cheesy but we mean it from the heart. Good for the earth: Taking care of the natural world is a important, after all, it takes care of us; Good for the farmer: We believe farmers should have livable hours and livable wages; Good for the people: We believe in food equality and bringing our produce to market at an affordable price and keeping it accessible is important to us.)

• 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. 

This week we are buying in some produce from local farms to make up for some gaps. These items are noted with an asterisk (*). We will not be able to bring these items to the Ann Arbor Farmers' market because of their producer only rule (which we love). You will be able to find them at The White Lotus Farm Cart and Eastern Market. 

Fresh From the Field!
​
Transplants!
Head lettuce and kale
Basil for your windowsill
Greens:
Microgreens: Solo-Arugula and a Mustard Mix (only to be found at Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Stockbridge, and Eastern)
Pea Shoots  (only to be found at Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Stockbridge, and Eastern)
*Spinach
All manner of deliciousness:
*Carrots
*Daikon Radish- purple and white!
*Green Garlic (not certified organic but responsibly done by our friends at Titus Farms)
*Potatoes- yukon gold and Kerr's Pink
Bunched Radish- super cute and the first taste of our field crops coming in (only at Ann Arbor, Stockbridge, and Chelsea)
Scallions
Parsley (limited and only in Ann Arbor, Stockbridge and Chelsea)

This weeks Markets

Friday: Stockbridge

The Stockbridge Open Air Market is located on the square in downtown Stockbridge. It runs from May thru October from 4 pm to 7 pm

Saturday: Ann Arbor,  Chelsea, Detroit's Eastern Market, and The White Lotus Farm Cart

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 Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the Palmer Commons at 304 S. Main St.. It runs May thru October (then moves inside thru December!) from 8 am to 1 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 White Lotus Farm Cart is located at 7217 West Liberty Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. It is open Saturdays from 9:30am-1:30pm, May thru December. There is a collection of vendors there selling produce, bread, cheese, artisanal produces, along with brick oven pizza and the opportunity to roam the gardens. ​

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

There was no snow. But let it be known, so much rain. I am not trying to turn into your weekly weather exclaimer. I am not even making original predictions, just parroting what I have heard on the radio or, even more ludicrous, what I have seen. Yes. We can observe. As, too can you. But I was thinking the other day about my relationship to the weather. The thought rose to the surface while watching some t.v. nonsense. The characters experienced a touch of rain. It had no effect on them personally. They just went on about their lives. They didn't discuss the work it was creating or diminishing. They didn't sigh with relief or shudder. They just floated on.
The weather barely effected them, or so they thought! If this story continued (and took a drastically sharp turn from ridiculous crime drama to causal attention to daily life) we would find it was two months later, towards the end of June, when these non-farmers at last noticed the effects of the week of straight rain at the end of April. They were accustomed to getting tomatoes from the farmers' market by then. Those are the early tomatoes. Those are the ones that should have been planted a week ago to be swelling up to vine-ripened sweetness as June rounds the bend. Well, ours will be there in time but not on time. So let it be known: this is the fishhook weather that made them late for their date. 

To note:
Find us at the following markets from this Saturday onward!
Eastern Market
Ann Arbor Saturday
White Lotus Farm Cart! That's right, from now on you can find us in the bucolic setting of White Lotus Farm! The farm cart is open Saturdays from 9:30am-1:30pm, May thru December, and is located at 7217 West Liberty Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. There is pizza, there are gardens, there are wonderful people. Find The Brinery with their delicious fermented products, Whitney Farms with their meats and hand-crafted arts, White Lotus Farms wit their exceptional bread, cheese, and botanical products, among others. 

Here are all of our markets and their expected start dates:
Ann Arbor (Wednesday): May 15th
Northville (Thursday): May 23rd
Stockbridge (Friday): May 10th
Chelsea (Saturday): May 11th
Royal Oak (Saturday): May 18th

To our Howell Farmers' Market patrons: Sadly, we are no longer going to attend the Sunday Howell Farmers' Market. We will miss everyone, but it makes a lot of sense for our business and our family to cling to one day of solitude in the storm that is farming. Please come visit us when you can at our other markets. In the meantime, we are we don't feel completely terrible about leaving the market because we know Renegade Acres (certified organic and out of Howell) and Two Track Acres (not certified but wonderful growers with a growing family, out of Grass Lake) are still attending the market. Between those two, you are definitely covered for spirit and most likely covered for all the produce. Additionally, if you add in Cinzori farm, a certified organic vegetable farm that is also at the market, you are covered for all the possible vegetables. 

We hope that you understand our decision and want to emphasize that your support of us over the last few growing seasons has made a huge difference for us. Thank you so much for being part of Lake Divide's formative years.
Recipe:
Pea shoots are delicious. I told lots of you all about how delicious they are last week. Here is one of my favorite things to do with them. Keep in mind, you can chop them up and add them to anything for an extra crunch. In hot dishes, I like to stir them in at the end, so they just turn bright green with out losing their texture. 

Pasta with wilted Pea Shoots:
Cook pasta. While the pasta is cooking, chop up some scallions and pea shoots. Drain the pasta and return it to the hot pot. Toss in the shoots and scallions along with some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some grated Parmesan cheese. If you like, you can also add pine nuts, but it is great on its own. 
This is a wonderful dish with any green and pea shoots are no exception. Make a large portion and dole it out through the week for lunch and dinner. See if you can make it last longer than a sitting. I barely can. 
Food for thought: 
The weather, as my upwards rant focused on, is a huge wrench in our plans. But it is to be expected. We were supposed to be doing all kinds of field work that just can't be done when the ground is this wet. Tractor stuff, which would then lead to building stuff, which would then lead to planting stuff. But, instead of moping about resenting the inevitable, we decided to use this time to fill in all the gaps that we ignore when the world is streaming past our faces. We are fixing, cleaning, moving, arranging. We are focusing on making the busiest of times smooth. 

And we are getting so much done. Yesterday we weeded almost every planting that we have in the field and caught up on some important office work. Today we divided into two teams of two and one team of three (SO MANY PEOPLE!) So far we caught up on seeding, potted up some adorable plants for your gardens, rearranged the greenhouse, planted a hoop house full of cucumbers and squash, updated our deer fence for increased efficiency, and retrieved more potting mix for yet more plants. And this afternoon, we are going to get a bunch more planted in the field- napa cabbage (which is looking awesome this year, by the way), chard, and oh yeah, that delicious kohlrabi we can't wait for! It is amazing what a team of focused folks can accomplish and how us working together amplifies all of our abilities. 

A couple weeks ago, the greenhouse was so full, I thought we were fools for thinking our greenhouse could contain all that we have planned. Over the last few weeks we have been emptying it out. I built some shelves. There was more room. And I started to wonder. What was I worried about? And now, the ramp up is back at it and it is almost a full house again. Okay. We are certainly entering the time-flux! 

We are excited and looking forward and glad to be here.
And everyone, including you, should start hoping for less rain please.
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers
Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People

• 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. 

This week we are buying in some produce from local farms to make up for some gaps. These items are noted with an asterisk (*). We will not be able to bring these items to the Ann Arbor Farmers' market because of their producer only rule (which we love). You will be able to find them at The White Lotus Farm Cart and Eastern Market. Fresh From the Field!Greens:Microgreens: Solo-Arugula and a Mustard Mix (only to be found at Ann Arbor and Eastern)
Pea Shoots  (only to be found at Ann Arbor and Eastern)
*Spinach
All manner of deliciousness:
*Carrots
*Daikon Radish- purple and white!
*Green Garlic (not certified organic but responsibly done)
*Potatoes- yukon gold and Kerr's Pink
*Onions- yellow (not certified organic but responsibly done)
Scallions
Parsley

This weeks Markets
Saturday: 
Ann Arbor,  Detroit's Eastern Market, and The White Lotus Farm Cart

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 White Lotus Farm Cart is located at 7217 West Liberty Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. It is open Saturdays from 9:30am-1:30pm, May thru December. There is a collection of vendors there selling produce, bread, cheese, artisanal produces, along with brick oven pizza and the opportunity to roam the gardens. ​

Hold on folks, the last snow is coming tomorrow in the amount of one to five inches! I am kind of excited to see it but I am not going to lie, there is a piece of me that says no thank you. 

To note:
Eastern Market and Ann Arbor this week: 
At Eastern, look for us in the middle of Shed 4, in the same place we were last week. (The space between the two indoor sheds)

Other markets will be starting up soon. We will have staggered start dates. Expect an earlier email next week, along with dates that you can expect to see us at all of our amazing locations!
Recipe:
What is the difference between a green onion and a scallion? Nothing, they say! Well, I beg to differ. A scallion (or bunching onion) is an allium that will never form a bulb. A green onion is an early harvested onion that would otherwise form a bulb and become what we are accustomed to calling an onion. What is the difference used in cooking? Well, there I have to agree. Use them interchangeably. There. It is settled.
Now, let me tell you, there is more to do with a scallion than used it for garnish. If you look around, you can find excellent recipes that include scallions like in quinoa salad (or noodles) with scallions, scallion pancakes, scallion dumplings, and more. They have a sweet flavor that is brought out by roasting. I came across this recipe in my search and am looking forward to trying it. I have copied the important parts below.

Miso Roasted Scallions (from a website called Saveur):
Roasting scallions brings out their sweetness; finished with a tangy miso dressing, this surprising, simple dish makes a great appetizer or side.

Ingredients: 2 bunches (about 1 lb) scallions, 1/4 cup olive oil, Kosher salt and black pepper to taste 1 tbsp. white miso (I say use what you can find/have), 2 1/2 tsp Rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 1/2 tsp hony.

Heat oven to 450°. Toss scallions with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake, stirring once, until golden and wilted, about 15­-20 minutes. Transfer scallions to a serving dish. Whisk miso, vinegar, sesame oil, and honey in a bowl until smooth; drizzle over scallions.
​
Food for thought: 
What a week! So much is happening now it feels like it has been two week. We started out on Sunday with 70 degree weather, sunshine, and our first ever pre-season crew potluck. It was really great to get together outside of work and get to know each other. After all, we will be working alongside each other for many hours to come. We all brought food and it turns out, our crew have great food tastes! Quiche, broccoli salad, a delicious concoction called puppy chow (involving chex mix, chocolate, and peanut butter!), fantastic cookies, delicious bread! We plan to have another one, for the company and the comida!

Just two days later, the full-time crew all started! Tuesday, we had an orientation where we walked around the farm and I TALKED AND TALKED! It was a good overview of the farm, though, and it is great to be familiar with all the pieces of the operation. And then, it was right into the fire. Everyone worked tirelessly: potting up plants in the greenhouse, preparing ground, preparing our hoophouses, and my most favorite of tasks, planting potatoes.

We tightened up our potato row spacing this year to better utilize our space, an hopefully compete more effectively with weeds. I am so excited to be growing all these tubers! I really love everything about potatoes. I think they got a bad rap during the whole "no carb" craze. Let it be known, an organically grown potato is full of nutrients and happiness. Check out this health bulletin on taters! A few highlights: 
"They act as "bulking agents" in the digestive system. They increase satiety and reduce appetite, so a person feels fuller for longer and is less likely to consume more calories." 
"Choline is an important and versatile nutrient that is present in potatoes. It helps with muscle movement, mood, learning, and memory.... One large potato contains 57 mg of choline. Adult males need 550 mg, and females 425 mg a day."

Anyway, I LOVE POTATOES! Check out our facebook post for an adorable picture of their greensprouts and send all your love to our 2019 potato crop.

Well, I have got to go! Thanks for reading and I look forward to sharing more with you as the season goes on!

Helen writing for the Lake Dividers
Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People

• 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:
Kale-Chard mix (Maybe, and maybe limited)
Microgreens: Solo-Arugula and a Mustard Mix
Pea Shoots
​
All manner of deliciousness:
Scallions
Parsley

This weeks MarketsSaturday: 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.

Wait, no, that was the last snow of the spring of 2019! If I keep saying it, will it unjinx it? Either way, the red maple flowers are giving the forest a blush. Leaves are emerging. The killdeer eggs are gone. Some birds remove egg shells from the next after hatching. Some eat the eggshells. Some don't do any of this. I am not sure if the killdeer does this, but that is my hope. Hopefully they hatched and are precociously running about now. Almost immediately after hatching, their parents lead them to a feeding area and watch after them until they can fly. I expect, if they are about, we will see them soon. 

To note:
Eastern Market and Ann Arbor this week: 
At Eastern, look for us in the middle of Shed 4, in the same place we were last week. (The space between the two indoor sheds)

This weeks Ann Arbor market doubles as a CSA fair! If you have been considering becoming a farm member at any of the farms that attend the Ann Arbor market, this is a great week to gather your questions and head out to meet your growers and show them some support. We will be there, along with an abundance of other fabulous growers that we are proud to know.
Recipe:
We are rolling recipe free this week. However, check out our recipes page on our website! (here)  If we ever share a recipe in an email and you want to see it again, look for it there!
Recipe Page 
Food for thought: 
There are adorable baby plants everywhere! In the greenhouse, in the field, hardening off just outside the greenhouse on our well loved farm wagon. We planted out the first round of cabbage. It sent my mind spinning to the time when we had all the cabbage we could want. That time is coming back around! Thank goodness for that!
We also transplanted peas into the field. Many people seed their peas directly into the ground. We have done that in the past. We have also used this method. It is a little more labor to get the peas started inside, however, I think the plants appreciate the warm, well cared for upbringing.
We put out some scallions and boy do they look good! 
And some transplanted beets, to go along with those that we seeded a week or so ago.
And some kale.
And some beautiful lettuce. This year we are growing baby lettuce heads. They are harvested smaller and let you mix up your salad by selecting different types. We are just trying it out. I will let you know when we start bringing them to market so you can let us know what you think. 

Now we can feel our work in our bones and as our heads hit the pillow. I can feel it in my mind now in fact. Maybe that is what makes a list style email. 

A few questions are lingering for me:
How much is it going to rain over the next few days?
Will it be dry enough to use equipment in the field next week?
How well will our new raised bed former work? (I am officially having dreams about it)
When will these baby plants be big enough to harvest. I'm talking to you, you March-seeded salad mix, arugula, radishes, and spinach.

This weeks to-do list was too long to complete. Downright unreasonable. We are all looking forward to the addition of new crew members next week. That being said, I have been enjoying the staggered start. It gives me a moment to adapt to the role of making sure everyone knows what they are doing. All winter, I talk to myself in code, make lists out of geometric symbols rather than words, and move between tasks as feels easy. Let me take a moment here to say, thanks for your patience Jim, and thanks learning my code! Anyway, as the people come back, so must I. It is good to be back! Hope to see you at market!
 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers
Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People

• 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):
​Kale Rapini
Microgreens: Spicy and Mild Mix
Pea Shoots
All manner of deliciousness:
Scallions
Sweet potatoes! Orange fleshed
Potentially a few surprises. We will see what harvest brings!

​This weeks Markets
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

​We officially got our last snow of 2019! (Wishful thinking maybe?) And with it came the wind! My goodness the wind! We are whirlwinding along with it, preparing for, or perhaps participating in the main planting season. If things go my way, we will transplant some lettuce by the end of the day.

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: We will not have anymore pick-ups but expect us at the Stockbridge market beginning in May! 

Just Eastern Market this week: Find us where we were last week, Outside in Shed 3 (between the two inside spaces)

Mark your calendars for the Ann Arbor CSA fair April 20th at the Kerrytown Market during market hours!

Still accepting Farm Memberships (CSAs)!
Recipe:
Onion top pesto! You can make pesto out of just about anything, but this is a spring specialty. Every year we cut the tops of our onions to sturdy them up before we put them in the field. The good news is, that means greens for us!

Onion Top Pesto: 
In a blender combine 2 cups of onion tops,  1/3 cup walnuts (toasted if you dare), about a 1/3 cup olive oil, and blend until coarsely chopped. Then pulse in up to 1 cup of Parmesan cheese (optional), and a pinch of salt and pepper if you so desire.  Done! Now, eat it on delicious toast, put it on pasta, toss some boiled potatoes in it, freeze it for later. No matter what you do ENJOY! It is fabulous!
Food for thought:
We have been taking advantage of the dry spell to get as much field preparation done as possible. Who knows what April will bring and this year, we are trying to be ready for it. 
In that vein, we incorporated nutrients, bedformed, and tarped (almost complete) just under half and acre where our onion planting will go. Hopefully this will reduce the weed pressure on one of our least weed competitive crops. We also put row cover over our most recently seeded planting both to warm the soil and protect the plants from interested insects.
We have to hold down all these billowing cloths and tarps with something. SAND BAGS! So many sand bags. We moved over 3 tons of sand to make it happen. Filling bags, loading them out of the truck (or sometimes into), carrying them down the narrow farm paths between beds. Because there is not airflow through the tarps, we aim for every 4 feet along the edges and then every 15' feet down a select few rows. Without the bags, just me Jim and Lizz breathing next to the tarps gives them the idea to ditch out and fly to the moon. The other still catch the wind, but not has horribly, so we get a little more leeway. 
We are on the seeding schedule as well. The greenhouse is downright crowded now. Early next week, we will move the onions out the harden off and possibly plant our potatoes, freeing up just enough room to accommodate the indefatigable rise of plant life bubbling up from the core of the farm. 
This flurry of field activity in the weather gap reigned supreme over all other tasks. Still of pressing importance on the docket, completing the farmall repair and getting the newly obtained equipment in working order. I am so excited to make some handsome raised beds to seed the next round of carrots! Jim and I have a delightful equipment date for this Sunday that I am eagerly looking forward to. It is going to be nice to spend some time together over one of my favorite activities (farming). Plus coffee. There should always be coffee.
That is all for now. Looking to the future!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers
Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People

• 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. 

Greens: (Limited):Kale Rapini
Microgreens: Onion, Arugula, and a tasty Kale-Mustard-Mix
Pea Shoots
All manner of deliciousness:
Scallions
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Hopes for the future! (Those seeds we put out there are growing. They are coming. They will be here)


This weeks MarketsSaturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market

NO ANN ARBOR THIS WEEK!: 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.

​The dogs are finally tired. We are feeling solar powered (and eating a lot!) We didn't get all that rain we thought we would, which opened windows and doors for us! The red maple buds are giving the forest a red hue. I can't turn around without encountering life. We are all feeling it.

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

Just Eastern Market this week.

And a special aside to our loved and loyal Ann Arbor patrons: We are sorry that we are not going to both markets every week. We want you to know that this is because we really don't have very many items and it doesn't make sense to send small quantities to both markets. The reason we are going to Eastern instead of Ann Arbor is because we are so new there and we are still doing the legwork of getting known and having a place in the market. We are being sure to attend every week at Eastern so that as the market gets packed back up, we cling to some amount of consistency of presence and (hopefully) location within the market. We are also using the time to fill our fields with food and hopefully this May will be one of the most bountiful yet. Hang in there spring is coming!

Mark your calendars for the Ann Arbor CSA fair April 20th at the Kerrytown Market during market hours!

Still accepting CSAs!
Recipe:
It is the last week for daikon (although the spring radishes we seeded last week are already germinating)! I say we all eat radishes this week.  

Roasted Radishes: 
Preheat oven to 450. Slice the radishes, toss them in olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme, and distribute them upon an oiled baking sheet. Roast them for 15 to 20 minutes, giving them a stir about every five.  They are done when they are tender, but still firm in the center.  You can drizzle them with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, or any of your other favorites. You can have them as a size or mix them into another dish. You could also try roasting them with meat, just like you would a potato or carrot. Celebrate the last of the winter radishes in preparation for the spring ones.
Food for thought:
So much has happened this week. Here is the bulk of it:
Lizz's hours went back up to full time and it has been a real booster shot to our productivity. It is great having such a motivated and enthusiastic person on our team. We are getting the farm in order for the incoming staff and for the upcoming onslaught, and we asked that Lizz work on straightening up the wash station. She said something like (if not exactly) "that would make my heart happy". How lucky are we?!
We weeded some of the overwintered kale and scallions. They look like they will have something to offer us in a moment, if they don't all flower from this heat wave (up to almost 70 on Monday folks, get your swim suits out!)
We seeded in the greenhouse, got our potatoes and ginger to green-sprouting properly, and potted up the first succession planting of tomatoes! Those plants smell so divine, there is nothing like it in the world. 
We put another round of seeds in the ground. All those good-good greens (lettuce, bok choi!, spinach, arugula, tatsoi, mustard, mizuna, and tokyo bekana). We seeded carrots and beets, radishes and sweet salad turnips! With the warm days and the drizzle of moisture, I have high hopes. It was a hard call whether to seed more but we held off on some of the planting as an insurance policy. If the weather goes sour, like it is entitled to in early spring, we have a back-up plan. If it doesn't, we will have a delightfully timed succession planting! This coming week, before the temps drop back to a more standard cool, we will cover this fresh planting up with row cover. 
The previous seeding, from just a week ago, has sprouted and looks healthy. The trappings of a good May.
We refurbished our driveway with gravel. That involved a lot of grading. Jim and I are a lot better at it now than when we first learned. It takes a lot of finesse. Now this epic staff will have a place to park that they can get out of at the end of the day!
After being carefully sourced by Jim, the parts came in for the farmall 140. It can be tricky with older model tractors to get the right parts. There are so many variants to each model. A caliper isn't a bad idea. Now all Jim has to do is reassemble! I am so excited to have a leveled up tractor (steering? yes please!)
We disced up about a little under 4 acres to fill with a diversity of vegetables. By my estimate, that land will be completely planted before we finish with May! It is insane to consider how much activity we are about to be surrounded by.
We picked up some equipment we bought from a friend. An undercutter to help with the carrot and general root harvest, as well as lifting up our reusable mulch. A bed shaper that will give our beds better tilth and smooth out the bed tops to help with seed soil contact and mechanical cultivation. And a potato hiller which will be an improvement over what we have been doing. They all need a little bit of TLC but I know that Jim is up for it. He has such a skilled eye for maintenance. 
We filled one more of our part-time positions with an energetic and engaging human. We still have one more part-time spot on the crew if anyone is having a hankering. Shoot us an email!

This spring feels a little different. It feels drier. It feels clearer. It feels abrupt and delayed. April has yet to lay itself out before us. How its revelations may change our views we have yet to see. Onward and Farmward my friends!
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):Kale Rapini
  Microgreens: Spicy!
  Pea Shoots
  All manner of deliciousness:
  Beets
  Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
  Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon

This weeks Markets
Saturday: Ann Arbor (not this week) 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 cogs of the farm are really starting to go now! Jim is busy finishing up the tractor repair and then on to the next task! The seed potatoes came in, as did the seed ginger. The fennel has sprouted and joined the army of lives that we are cultivating. With the warm weather and unexpected sunshine, it is hard not to float straight up into the air with joy.

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: No Pick up the week.

Ann Arbor and Eastern Market this week. There is a chance this will be our last market until the end of April so come on out and see us!

Still accepting CSAs!
​
Recipe:
Choi and Kale Flowers! The sisters of broccoli, these buds are every bit as tasty. Some say they are even better. The stems and flowers are edible and are great raw in salad, sauteed, or even grilled. Experiment and tell me what you like best. 

Sauteed Choi flowers with garlic: 
Simple Simple: Mince some garlic and chop the choi blossoms. Heat oil (any kind!) and sautee garlic for about thirty seconds, being careful not to burn it. Add choi blossoms and cook until wilted! That is it! If you have some lemon juice on hand, that can add a nice zing zang! These can be eaten alone, over rice, as a side dish, on some good bread with mozzarella-- there really so many ways to enjoy them!
​
Food for thought:
This past week, we really started feeling the pull of a warmer life. We got the first round of seeds in the soil and are feeling joyous about it! It is go go go! So much so that I will be a little brief! I hope to see you at market this week and I hope that you are as excited about all these vegetables as we are!
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 2 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):Choi-Tatsoi blossoms!
Baby kale and chard mix
Microgreens: Spicy!
Pea Shoots
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon

​This weeks MarketsSaturday: 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.
The turkey vultures are back too! Here to join the joy of spring. The vernal equinox rolled past this Wednesday, along with a glorious super moon. It was the last full moon of winter and the first full moon of spring. The slide into increased daylight and warmer temperatures is inevitable, as always, and at this time, undeniable. 

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: No Pick up the week.

NO ANN ARBOR THIS WEEK. You can still find us at Eastern Market though!

Still accepting CSAs!
Recipe:
Sweet potatoes! You can do so much with them! Here below is a recipe for sweet potato pancakes, but it isn't what you would expect. I think, shredded, latka style. This? Roasted, mashed and griddled. Someone at market told me about them and my jaw dropped. A new, and amazing sounding, way to consume sweet potatoes. And with some greens on top? Yogurt on top? Applesauce on top? What could be better Really, what?

Sweet Potato Pancakes: 
Roast and cool the sweet potatoes (1 medium potato for every serving desired). You can even do this ahead of time. Remove the peel, and mash/whisk the potato with 2 eggs. Add any spices you desire (cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, pepper, salt- all, none, or some). You may consider adding some honey too. Heat a skillet with a fat (butter/bacon grease/oil of choice). Scoop a 1/4 cup of batter in and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the cake can be flipped. Cook another 3-5 minutes on the other side. EAT THEM! Add a topping, snack on the solo. Either way, don't fight the smile that overtakes your face.
Here is a link to googled recipe.
Food for thought:
The greenhouse is a really desirable place to be now. When the sun peaks out, the temperatures rise to a tropical range. I have been spending afternoons out there, working on starting plants, while soaking in some sun. And so many plants there are! We already had to take down the partition, used decrease the square footage we heat during colder months, so we could fit more greenhouse benches in! And we are filling these benches with plants! This week we are starting another round of lettuce, tomatoes, the kohlrabi, peppers, eggplant, and more! Our seed potatoes came in, so we are making room to green sprout those, and the ginger should be coming in within the week. The good times are indeed about to roll.
I can't believe that we will be planting in the field soon. With all this sun and warm weather, the soil is warming up. I have a bag of seed packed, reading and waiting for the perfect conditions to sow them into the soil. It seems like the winter has sped by, even with the lingering cold. I am trying to keep time with the world, and warm up along side it, but it feels my sleepy winter self is clinging to the sheets. I swear, I am waking up.

Come see me at the Eastern market and cheers spring with me!
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 2 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):Arugula
Baby kale and chard mix
Microgreens: Spicy and mild mix! 
Pea Shoots
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​
​
​This weeks Markets
​Saturday: Detroit's Eastern Market

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 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