​Snow it did! We are back to tracing tracks. I have to tell you, my looping loping kestrel trail tale is likely tall. After further consideration, those footprints in the snow are a might to large to be a kestrel. So the mystery continues! Do you have any thoughts?
Either way, today is too cold for a bird to be rampaging around. Very cold indeed. But not for long. This winter is a temperature rollercoaster! 
To note:
Our markets this week:
Saturday: Ann Arbor! Eastern, and Royal Oak! HEADS UP! We are going to do a late start in Ann Arbor! We plan to be set up by 10 am. SEE YOU THERE...
 
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:  Garlic Roasted Radishes; Recipe compliments of Mary
Wondering what to do with all of our beautiful radishes?  Do you have a lot of garlic on hand? This is an easy Tried-and-True recipe that works well with any of our radish varieties, just pick your favorites! 
 INGREDIENTS

• 2 Pints of our radishes (watermelon is my fav) ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch thick slices
• 2 Tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil/avocado oil/melted butter)
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, finely minced (you can also use frozen scapes ~5 of them) 
• 1/4 tsp dried chives or parsley or dill

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 425
1. In a bowl, toss your sliced radished with oil, salt, and pepper until coated
2. Spread radishes out on a roasting pan, dont overcrowd
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing once. Add the minced garlic, or toss the scapes with a little oil and add them. Bake for another 5 minutes or until radishes are golden brown and cooked through. optionally serve with side of ranch for dipping/drizzling and garnish with parsley, dill or chives

Food for thought: 
No seeds went in the ground this week, but as you can see, we did get the greenhouse re-wrangled! Spring. When you look outside, it seems so far away. But the days are getting longer. It is light when we finish up our work for the day. It is light when we start. It is a wonderful time of year to watch to world. Even on those days, when you don't see spring on the horizon, nature knows. The amount of sun, the time that passes above certain temperatures, these are signs telling the trees, the insects, the creatures (the humans too!), signs telling life that something more hospitable is coming. I love to look for the red tinge of maple buds over the forest, the early blooming witch hazel, the spring peepers! 

And after this bitter cold moment, we will start some seeds: Early tomatoes to plant in our hoop house come April, onions, celery, celery root, and some others. I am just so ecstatic that it is finally time! Even though it is cold today, the sun is telling us that warmer times are coming and I know that along with that, a whole lot of delicious food. 

Hope you head out to market tomorrow to get some delicious vegetables! 
Helen and Jim and Lizz writing for the Lake Dividers!

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. The Trifecta of sustainability. 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

At market this week! 
Greens:
Baby chard
Head Lettuce

All manner of deliciousness:
Cabbage
Carrots- Rainbow and regular (some from Tantre this week- at Eastern and Royal Oak only)
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Kohlrabi- petite treats back along with the staple economy-sized. 
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Daikon Radish- White- Chinese type and the spiciest of the three, Purple, and green Korean daikon
Watermelon Radish
Rutabaga: Purple and Green! Lovely texture. Great roasted. Great mashed. Great in soups!
Turnabaga: As sweet as a sweet turnip but with the texture of a rutabaga!
Potatoes from Tantre, wonderful, neighbor, elder farm! 
Purple top and golden roasting turnips- Excellent for roasting!

Herbs:
Cilantro! SOOOOO DELICIOUS! Seriously. So good.

Coming soon:
Parsley
Arugula
Large Leaf Kale
Microgreens
Pea shoots
 
This weeks MarketsSaturday: Ann Arbor, Detroit's Eastern Market, 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 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 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.
 
It was a cold week that really reminded us it was winter. It didn't start out that way though did it! Monday was glorious! I was ready to lounge in the greenhouse like it was a beach, reading a magazine, and sipping a fruity beverage. Instead, I harvested some spinach, adjusted covers, and caught up a little on some paperwork (still catching up on paper work- forever). And then down the temps went! But at least we got some snow out of the deal. Seriously, What's a Winter without the Snow?!
To note:
Our markets this week:
Saturday: Eastern, Royal Oak, and Stockbridge! Sorry folks, no Ann Arbor this week.

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: Vegetable Cream Cheese Wontons!
 I got some wonton wrappers from the grocery store. I though, hmmm, this seems like a great idea. Some baked vegetable bites. And I was right! (Along with all those that have know and come before me.) As an example of how casual you can be, here is how Jim and I made ours. We really just grabbed the various, co-mingling roots from the drawer- half a cabbage, a couple carrots, some turnabaga, a gorgeous watermelon radish, some frozen peas too plus some items from the counter-onions and garlic. I sauteed all this in a tall pot with some grated ginger (from the fall harvest!), turmeric, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt. The rest was by the recipe below. Man! They were delicious. 

Vegetable Cream Cheese Wontons! Recipe from Simply Recipes 
INGREDIENTSFor the wontons:

• 4 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger (from a 1-inch piece of ginger)
• 5 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (green cabbage is also ok)
• 1 large carrot, grated (about 1 1/3 cups grated)
• 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 large egg
• 48 to 50 square wonton wrappers (we used Melissa's- they were close to the smoothies in the veggie section of the grocery) You can also make your own if you want to spend a little more family time in the kitchen.
• 4 1/2 to 5 ounces cream cheese

For the dipping sauce (optional):

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

METHOD1
Prepare the filling: Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.
Add the cabbage and cook, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until it starts to wilt, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the grated carrot, peas, scallions, salt and sesame oil and cook for another minute.
Turn off the heat and dish the vegetables onto a plate to cool for 10 minutes.
2 Preheat oven to 400ºF. Position an oven rack in the center position. Brush 2 large baking sheets with oil (1 tablespoon per pan), spray with cooking spray, or line with parchment. (Wontons baked on parchment won't get quite as crispy on the bottoms.)
Lightly beat an egg for the egg wash and set aside.
3 Fold the wontons: Lay 4 wonton wrappers on a work surface. Place about a tablespoon of vegetable filling in the center of each wrapper. Place about 1/2 teaspoon of cream cheese on top of the vegetables.
Using your fingers, brush the egg wash along the edges of the wonton wrappers. Lift 2 opposite corners of the wrapper and pinch them together at the top. Lift the other two corners towards the top and pinch them against the first two corners to form a pyramid. Pinch edges of the wrapper together to seal the wonton closed.
Repeat with the other three wontons. Transfer the sealed wontons onto one of the sheet pans and cover loosely with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.
Repeat filling and folding the wontons until you have filled a baking sheet with 24 to 25 sealed wontons. Remove the plastic wrap and brush a thin layer of oil on all of the wontons or spray with cooking spray.
4 Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until the edges of the wontons are a deep golden brown color.
5 While the first batch of wontons is baking, prepare a second batch of wontons using the remaining filling. Once the first batch is done baking, bake the second batch.
6 To serve: Let the wontons cool for a few minutes before serving. Whisk together the ingredients for the dipping sauce and serve with the warm wontons. These baked wontons are best consumed in the same day.

Same day best is a lie according to us! We ate the cold leftovers while standing at the counter the next night with no complaints except that there weren't more of them!

Food for thought: 
Our greens are a little slow to bounce back after that series of gray, cold days. They really need the sun to change all that energy into plant matter. That said, this week in the greens department we will have spinach, head lettuce, and baby kale, with the arugula, chard, and large leaf kale hopefully returning next week. Hopefully this gives us some time to catch up on weeding. On a sunny day like today, even with the below freezing temps, the fragrance of the earth rises to meet your nose the moment you enter the caterpillars tunnels. The plants are growing. More sun please. I have a feeling that the celestial forces will inevitably cooperate with this request.

The big project on deck right now (after the greenhouse is back in working order) is getting some more seeds in the ground. We want to keep you in vegetables allllll the way through the year. I would say our winter greens game has improved, although still has ample room for improvement. But our early spring greens game? Now that could stand to be launched into the future. Over then next two weeks we are going to assemble and seed 3 more tunnels! We are going t fill them with sweet turnips (won't it be nice to have those fresh turnip greens back?), mustard, tokyo bekana, and tatsoi, as well as some bonus lettuce! I have high hopes that in April our market offerings will be so extensive there won't be a chance they will fit on one table only. 

In other news, we used that fabulous new spinner this week to spin dry our spinach and it was awesome! It was so fast and quiet compared to our old spinner. And the loading and unloading was so streamlined. I would say the process was even enjoyable! 
Enjoy the sun today. 
Come see me tomorrow! 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers!

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. The Trifecta of sustainability. 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:Baby Kale
Head Lettuce
Spinach

All manner of deliciousness:
Cabbage
Carrots- Rainbow and regular
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Kohlrabi- petite treats back along with the staple economy-sized. 
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Daikon Radish- White- Chinese type and the spiciest of the three, Purple, and green Korean daikon
Watermelon Radish
Rutabaga: Purple and Green! Lovely texture. Great roasted. Great mashed. Great in soups!
Turnabaga: As sweet as a sweet turnip but with the texture of a rutabaga!
Purple top and golden roasting turnips- Excellent for roasting!
​
Coming soon:
Cilantro and Parsley
Chard
Arugula
Large Leaf Kale
Microgreens
Pea shoots
 
This weeks Markets

Saturday: 
Detroit's Eastern Market, and Royal Oak Market

NOT 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 - 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 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.
Ahoy!

These gray days are drifting by. They encourage one to curl up inside with a candle and a hot drink. But time is slipping by. By the time we meet tomorrow, it will bet the first day of February, the month we start our first seedlings. There is much to be done. We are stepping out of the deep thought and into deep action. 

To note:
Our markets this week:
Saturday: Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, and Eastern!

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:
Vegetable Fried Rice INGREDIENTS

• 1 yellow onion
• 3 large garlic clove
• 3 carrots
• 2 turnips
• 1/2 cabbage 
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups cooked brown rice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (at least!)
• salt (to taste)
• black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook rice like a pro!
2. add oil to pan at lowish heat. Add garlic and onion, then throw in your vegetables (chopped to pervection!), add your spice cloud (keep your spice shakers HIGH, about 18-21 inches above the pan for maximum clouding), now crack a couple eggs in there! Add in your soy sauce and give it some time on the heat to incorporate with the vegetables.
3. Combo your rice and party pan! Following your combo, invest the flavor, add additional spice cloud as needed.
4. Eat it hot and ENJOY!

Food for thought: 
I have been wailing away on office work. Working on the new salad spinner was the first time I got out of the office for ages. But I have been working to great effect. The seed order is finally done and our field plans along with it. We selected new varieties of some (like yellow skinned watermelon!) and stuck with the tried and true for others (Hakurei sweet turnips immediately come to mind.) New crops that we are adding range from the truly experimental (artichokes anyone?) to the more predictable (leeks and watermelon).  We have increase the amounts of some things (more shallots, more of that delightful, torpedo-shaped radicchio) and changed windows of others (no more attempts at summer head lettuce until we balance out again.)

Jim has been moving repairs forward. With our fleet of market vehicles and tractors, this is not a small job! He has been proofing orders and gathering materials for the coming year. He has been connecting with our local NRCS and FSA offices to tie up some 2019 paperwork. He has been making sure we have what we need when it is go time. 

And along with all the plans and prep, we have a returning team that can make it happen. While I am in the office for a nested eternity, Lizz, Malcolm, and Janet are running the field. They are harvesting, cleaning, sorting, and packing all that we bring to market. They are weeding the field tunnels. They are cleaning cabbage. They are sanitizing the greenhouse. They are unloading supplies orders. They are total bad-assess.

I am excited imagining all that we can do together this year.  FYI, there two open slots on our dance card. If you think you love farming and you know you love using your body, this could be the job for you. Come dance with the Divider's for 2020, the clearest year yet!

Come see me tomorrow! 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers!

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. The Trifecta of sustainability. 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:Arugula (limited)
Kale
Head Lettuce
Spinach (limited)All manner of deliciousness:Cabbage
Carrots- Rainbow and regular
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Kohlrabi- petite treats back along with the staple economy-sized. 
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Daikon Radish- White- Chinese type and the spiciest of the three, Purple, and green Korean daikon
Watermelon Radish
Rutabaga: Purple and Green! Lovely texture. Great roasted. Great mashed. Great in soups!
Turnabaga: As sweet as a sweet turnip but with the texture of a rutabaga!
Sweet Turnips
Purple top turnips- Excellent for roasting!Herbs:Returning soon Cilantro and Parsley 

This weeks Markets

Saturday: 
Ann Arbor, Detroit's Eastern Market, 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 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 Roya lOak 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.

It has been cold but it seems we made it through this cavernous tunnel of cold weather. A few things have happened despite the low, low temperatures: The vegetables in the field are surviving! We are finding joy in the wilds! And the Sun! It was glorious. It was out for what felt like a whole week. 

To note:
Our markets this week:

Friday: The Stockbridge Winter Pantry Market (the fourth Friday of every month)  at the Presbyterian Church Hall on the corner of  Center and M-106 from 5 pm to 7 pm!

Saturday: Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, and Eastern!

Recipe:
Winter salad! How lucky are we, to enjoy local greens and roots in the winter. This is a nice, refreshing salad. Something I have learned! If you like mega lemon flavor, anytime you juice a lemon fresh, zest it! It is worth the tiny bit of extra work. So zesty and besty!

Lettuce and Kale Salad
INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch of kale, pulled from stems and ripped into smaller pieces
• 1 box of head lettuce- chopped
• thinly slice carrots and watermelon radishes (mandolin or grated)
• Lemon (juice it and zest it!), oil, and salt for dressing (my go to!)
• Sunflower seeds (optional) You could also include any other seed, nut or dried fruit that you like

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine everything in a bowl and toss together! 
2. ENJOY!

Food for thought: 
I have really been enjoying the snow. Some of these cold days I dread going out the door. However, once bundled and outside, I always feel joyous. I love walking around and looking at all the tracks in the snow, enjoying learning more of the secret lives all around me. One of the animals that we love year-round are the kestrels. We have a pair of them now! I don't know where they rest their heads (or the tuck their heads, or close their eyes- I don't want to make any assumptions about kestrel sleep) but they hunt our fields. Most days, one can look out into the field and see one hovering 50 ft in the air, watching for prey. 
Now I always imagined that they swooped down, landing on their quarry and then rising back to the sky with their catch in claw. The snow has revealed a different story.  The wing prints, just a few bars in the snow on either side of the foot prints. And then, running! Long, looping, loping trails through the snow, as though someone was stitching a flies path to cloth. Occasionally the paths end in a firm double foot plant, accompanied by more wing prints: the take-off. And sometimes! Sometimes they end in a 4 inch diameter hole through the icy crust, surrounded by smooth snow, tamped down by over lapping foot prints. I suppose this is the sign of success, at least for the kestrel! We offer them thanks for helping balance our ecosystem. In all likelihood, this behavior is caused by the snow, and on greener days, there is less cross country running but it brought a smile to my face to picture the pigeoned toed, footballer-shouldered head down hustle of a bird sprinting around the field.
On other life in the field, our vegetables are doing great out in the cold. We had a goal to improve our winter greens game and we have! The head lettuce is sizing up just like it is supposed to. The kale is FANTASTIC, so tender and so sweet. The Arugula is buttery and flavorful. Winter spinach? Winter chard? Coming along nicely I would say! And we have a few more tricks up our sleeves. We are hoping to make these winter markets worth your trek with all this bounty. Of course there is always room to improve our winter growing and you can bet we will! 

Neither Jim nor I will personally be at the markets this weekend. We aim to have one of these shared Saturdays per month through the winter. Let's call them our honeymooners weekends. Even so, Lake Dividers will be at all Three! See Lizz in Ann Arbor, Kathryn in Royal Oak, and Shana at Eastern! We allllll love animal stories so Dish. Them. Up. If inspired, email them! 

Enjoy the beauty in the world! 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers!

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. The Trifecta of sustainability. 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:
Arugula
Kale
Head Lettuce
Maybe Swiss Chard and spinach
Back in February! Pea Shoots and microgreens
All manner of deliciousness:
Cabbage
Carrots- Rainbow and regular
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Kohlrabi- petite treats back along with the staple economy-sized. 
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Daikon Radish- White- Chinese type and the spiciest of the three, Purple, and green Korean daikon
Watermelon Radish
Rutabaga: Purple and Green! Lovely texture. Great roasted. Great mashed. Great in soups!
Turnabaga: As sweet as a sweet turnip but with the texture of a rutabaga!
Sweet Turnips
Purple top turnips- Excellent for roasting!Herbs:Returning soon Cilantro and Parsley 

This weeks Markets
Saturday: 
Ann Arbor, Detroit's Eastern Market, 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 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 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.

Snow or no, expect to see us and our fabulous produce at market tomorrow. We are really excited to see everyone and bring local goodness to the table.

To note:
Our markets this week:
Saturday: Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, and Eastern!

It is going to snow, but we will be there and we hope you will be too! Enjoy a bit of the winter wonderland with us!

Recipe:
Kohlrabi citrus salad! A friend of mine made this for second christmas dinner and we just loved it. 

Kohlrabi and Cabbage Salad with Maple Lemon Dressing- I got this recipe a friend but it orginally came from Kitchn who got it from 'The Modern Menu' by Kim Kushner.  

SERVES6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium bulbs kohlrabi (for us this could be one of our giant ones or 3-4 small ones)
• 3 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using a sharp knife, remove the long stems and greens from the kohlrabi. Using a peeler, trim away the thick green skin until you reach the light green to white part that is free of tough fibers. Shred on the medium holes of a box grater or in a food processor fitted with the shredder disk.
2. Combine the kohlrabi, cabbage, cherries, sunflower seeds, and dill in a large serving bowl. In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Shake to thoroughly combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat well. Let sit for about 20 minutes before serving.

Food for thought: 
In less than a month we will be starting seeds for 2020. Let that sink in. I am. Less than a month. Honestly I am stoked! But in the meantime, we have some legwork to do. First order of business is to finish taking our seed inventory. We go through our seed fridge and count up what we have left. The germination rates of some of the seeds, like onions, dwindle after the first year. If we have large amounts of those seeds left, we do a simple germination test to see what we can expect. If the test shows a germination rate low enough, we will likely get fresh seed or increase the seeding rate to accommodate it.  Other seeds, like seeds in the cucumber family, remain viable for multiple years. For these, we just note the date and are extra careful to use the old seed first when it comes time to seed them.  
Next step, we begin adjusting our planting numbers to reflect what we think you folks at the market want. If you have come at the end of any of the market days, you may have seen us diligently accounting for what we have left at the end of the day. All this information is used now. We ask, did we regularly sell out of salad mix? Did we grow more than we could sell? Is there a crop that people asked for again and again that we just didn't have? Did we have too much cabbage in June? We adjust our field numbers and field plan and convert that into an amount of seeds. 
After this, we are ready to turn to those seductive seed catalogs (locally we love Ann Arbor Seed Company and Nature Nurture Seeds) and make our selections. This is mostly looking for the best prices and the most local source. Once deep in the dreamland of seed selection, we allow ourselves up to three impulse (thought out but.... impulsive) variety or crop selections. 
The other half to preparing to start our seeds, is cleaning and sanitizing the greenhouse. Good housekeeping ensures that our seedlings have the best start to their life and are able to take hold more quickly in the field. For this, we remove all of the greenhouse benches, spray them down, sweep out the the greenhouse, and sanitize the whole shebang with a bleach solution. We then reassemble the situation and get ready to rumble. 
Life. Food. So good. So glad that this is my job. 
In the meantime, come see us at market tomorrow in the magical wonderland. I think it is going to be great. 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers!

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. The Trifecta of sustainability. 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:
Arugula
Kale
Head Lettuce
Microgreens! Back in February! 
Radicchio- A delicious bitter green- the last round for the winter!
Pea Shoots-Back in February!

All manner of deliciousness:
Cabbage
Napa cabbage- The last round for the winter!
Carrots- Rainbow and regular
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Kohlrabi- petite treats back along with the staple economy-sized. 
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Daikon Radish- White- Chinese type and the spiciest of the three, Purple, and green Korean daikon
Watermelon Radish
Rutabaga: Purple and Green! Lovely texture. Great roasted. Great mashed. Great in soups!
Turnabaga: As sweet as a sweet turnip but with the texture of a rutabaga!
Sweet Turnips
Purple top turnips- Excellent for roasting!
Wintersquash- Butternut Squash and pie pumpkins!

Herbs:
​Returning soon Cilantro and Parsley 

This weeks Markets

​Saturday: Ann Arbor, Detroit's Eastern Market, 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 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 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.

Ahoy!
Hello hello. We miss you so. But while we would love to come see you as soon as possible, we are sorry to say that with the hazardous weather tomorrow, we are going to forgo our foray to the markets tomorrow. Expect us back next week! In the meantime Happy New Year! Welcome to 2020! We made it to the next circulation! We edged through the long sleep and into then new year. We have a lot of fun wintertime projects to tell you about but not yet! In the meantime, one smaller, personal dream for the season is to preserve more of our own food. I'm talking pickles, sauces, and salsas folks. 

To note:
Our markets this week: JUST STOCKBRIDGE!
Saturday: Expect our produce at the Stockbridge Winter Market tomorrow and expect us back at all our markets next Saturday. It is at the First Presbyterian Church CE Building downtown Stockbridge (just off the East side of the square), 11 am to 3 pm. Luncheon from 11-2 and live music 12 pm to 2 pm. 

Recipe:
Pickles are fantastic. I love an eclectic meal with some dipping sauces and a side of anything pickled. As I get ready for a summer of pickling the season's picks, I am going to start with some casual quick pickled root vegetables and ramp up with the season!

Quick Pickled Root Vegetables- I got this adaptable quick-pickling guide fomr the Kitchn.  

Quick pickles are also known as refrigerator pickles. They are simply vegetables that are pickled in a vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar, too) solution and stored in the refrigerator. Quick pickles don’t develop the deep flavor that fermented pickles do, but they also only require a few days in the brine before they can be enjoyed. Quick pickles also do not require canning when refrigerated.Pickling is best done with super-fresh vegetables. Save the slightly bruised specimens for soups or other forms of preservation. Almost any vegetable can be pickled, and the shape you choose to pickle in is entirely up to you. For example, carrots can be peeled and sliced into matchsticks or coins. Cherry tomatoes are best preserved whole. Green vegetables, such as green beans or asparagus, can be blanched in boiling water for two to three minutes and then shocked in an ice bath to preserve their color, but this step is purely optional.

Preparing Vegetables for Pickling

• Thinly slice: cucumbers, summer squash, ginger, red onion
• Cut into spears: carrots, cucumbers
• Peel: carrots
• Blanch: green beans (optional, but helps preserve their color)

Brine BasicsFor quick pickles, a basic brine is equal parts vinegar and water, but you can adjust the ratio to your preference. Any basic vinegar is game — white vinegar, apple cider, white wine, and rice vinegar all work well. You can use these vinegars alone or in combination. Steer clear of aged or concentrated vinegars like balsamic or malt vinegar for pickling.
Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh vegetables, such as cucumbers, carrots, green beans, summer squash, or cherry tomatoes
• 2 sprigs fresh herbs, such as thyme, dill, or rosemary (optional)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons whole spices, such as black peppercorns, coriander, or mustard seeds (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried herbs or ground spices (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed or sliced (optional)
• 1 cup vinegar, such as white, apple cider, or rice
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 teaspoons pickling salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)

EQUIPMENT

• Chefs knife ofrmandolin!
• Cutting board
• 2 wide-mouth pint jars with lids
• Canning funnel (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the jars. Wash 2 wide-mouth pint jars, lids, and rings in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Set aside to dry, or dry completely by hand.
2. Prepare the vegetables. Wash and dry the vegetables. Peel the carrots. Trim the end of beans. Cut vegetables into desired shapes and sizes.
3. Add the flavorings. Divide the herbs, spices, or garlic you are using between the jars.
4. Add the vegetables. Pack the vegetables into the jars, making sure there is a 1/2 inch of space from the rim of the jar to the tops of the vegetables. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing.
5. Make the brine. Place the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar (if using) in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the brine over the vegetables, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top. You might not use all the brine.
6. Remove air bubbles. Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles. Top off with more brine if necessary.
7. Seal the jars. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until tight.
8. Cool and refrigerate. Let the jars cool to room temperature. Store the pickles in the refrigerator. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open.

RECIPE NOTES
Storage: These pickles are not canned. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. If you process and can the jars, they can be stored at room temperature unopened.

Food for thought: 
A couple big awesome new-es from us: 
We got a box truck! It is the coolest and it can fit a lot of produce and 4 buckled in people! We are going to use it to carpool to two of our metro Detroit markets. Which leads me to our other big news:
We got into the Farmington Farmers' Market! Of course it is on Saturday... But even so, We are super-extra-stoked about it! We can't wait to meet a whole new group of locavores, commune with even more fellow farmers, and have even more overlap with some of the farmers that we already love. 

Other things on the winter docket:

• We are scheduled for our organic inspection this coming Monday. I have never had a winter inspection but I expect it to go well. I appreciate the motivation to get everything in order. 
• This coming week we have 3 working interviews scheduled! We have already hired one awesome crew member. And we have one more working interview scheduled for the beginning of February. I am not counting any chickens but if these work out, we are done hiring for the season. That being said, if you are considering applying, now is the time to put your name in the hat!
• We are ordering the materials to build three more caterpillars. With our awesome winter crew, we will get them up and planted by mid February, hopefully leading to excessive greens this coming April. 
• By the end of next week we hope to have our seed order along with our field plans completed! It's all improvements and logistics from there on out!

It is a little clipped but this recounting is mostly what is going on on the farm. On the personal front, Jim and I had a really fulfilling time visiting with family and friends over the break. We ate a lot of really good food, and while we are not fully recharged, we feel like we can see a path to that ultimate goal. 

Looking forward to seeing you again,
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers!

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. The Trifecta of sustainability. 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.

• HIRING
• 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:
Arugula
Kale
Radicchio- A delicious bitter green.

All manner of deliciousness:
Cabbage
Napa cabbage
Carrots- Rainbow and regular
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Kohlrabi- petite treats back along with the staple economy-sized. 
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Daikon Radish- White- Chinese type and the spiciest of the three, Purple, and green Korean daikon
Watermelon Radish
Rutabaga: Purple and Green! Lovely texture. Great roasted. Great mashed. Great in soups!
Turnabaga: As sweet as a sweet turnip but with the texture of a rutabaga!
Sweet Turnips
Purple top turnips- Excellent for roasting!
Wintersquash- Butternut Squash!

Herbs:
Cilantro and Parsley back on the menu soon!

This weeks Markets- JUST STOCKBRIDGE THIS WEEK!

Saturday: Ann Arbor, Detroit's Eastern Market, 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 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 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.

Brrrrrrrrr!
Another dip into the frozen world. The temperatures won't come up for a breath until Friday, but that doesn't mean the nature just stopped! Think about all those amazing creatures adapted to live in these conditions! I walked on a trail by my house and was blown away by how many birds there were scolding me for being on their turf! 
To note:
Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor
Saturday: Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, and Eastern!

We are hiring again! We have positions for farm crew and weeder harvesters. Check out our ads on indeed for more information. 

Recipe:

And brrrrr means it is important to keep the fires stoked- the fires in our bellies that is. And hot apple cider isn't the only solution (or is it?). To this end I am developing a strong relationship to the age-old recipe, the casserole! A one dish dish that is delish! It can be enjoyed through the week (although I think I need to pare down to size for 2!) And while they cook, they heat the house and make good smells! In the simplest form they are chopped things in a deep dish cooked slowly in the oven. But now that I am on the prowl, I have seen some long listed casserole recipes out there!
​
Butternut squash and Faroa Casserole!- I got this recipe from here.  Of course, you could feel free to loosen it up a little...
Ingredients:

• 1 Small - Medium butternut
• 2 chopped onions (tip for peeling smaller onions-  before trimming the ends, slice in half from root end to tip then peel from the end opposite the roots)
• 1 cup cooked farro
• 3 sprigs Thyme
• 1/4 cup Soft cheese like gouda or guyere (optional)
• 1/4 cup Creme fraiche, sour cream, milk of any type (dairy or nut). I bet another liquid would work too- a broth perhaps?
• 1 Tbsp Oil or butter
• Salt and pepper

Directions:
PREP

1. Butternut squash – Warm in microwave for about 3 to 5 minutes to soften skin. Slice in half, remove outer skin, and chop squash into 1/2 inch cubes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
2. Onion – Chop into 1/4 inch squares. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
3. Farro – Cook like pasta by bringing 1 quart (4 cups) of water to boil, salt, and then add farro. Cook until al dente (about 20 minutes). Drain. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

MAKE

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix cooked farro with creme fraiche or sour cream. If not using either, lightly butter / oil a medium-sized baking dish. Pour farro into baking dish and spread evenly over the bottom.
3. In a medium sized bowl, toss butternut squash with olive oil, thyme, and lightly season with salt and pepper. Spread veggie mixture evenly over farro.
4. If using, sprinkle gruyere on top, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Enjoy as a side or a main dish!

Food for thought: 
We are shin deep in the end of year activities of the office. Reviewing the year to see what we can do better (a lot!) as well as what we did well (also a lot!)! Moving forward with budgeting and hiring, clean-up and repairs, building structures both physical and mental. It is an exciting time that has me sitting a lot more than I am accustomed to. No matter! I can't wait to tell you some of the changes we are going to make once they are more developed! We are excited to spiral upward, doing a little better as we can. 
A specific topic we are plotting about, as I feel I have written about this time of year, is balance. How do we find space for ourselves in this intense job? How can we have layered identities while farming? How can we make time to contribute more than vegetables to our communities? 
Balance is something to practice. For this I hope to dig deep, read the experience of other creatures in this humongous world and take an inquisitive and open approach. I also intend to apply a nuts and bolts approach. What are the metrics of balance in life? How can we design those into our work?
You know I will let you know how it goes... In the meantime, we would love to hear your stories of balance -- both successful and face-planting! 
Stay snug and warm and eat lots of vegetables!
 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers!

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. The Trifecta of sustainability. 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.

• HIRING
• 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:
Arugula
Kale
Microgreens! Only on Wednesday- Back in February! 
Radicchio- A delicious bitter green. Here is some info from The Spruce Eats. Great added to salads (our green variety is stand alone delicious). Ours are looser heads than you may have seen before, yet just as fantastic.
Pea Shoots- Only on Wednesday- Back in February!
Swiss Chard- Maybe and if so, Saturday only

All manner of deliciousness:
Cabbage
Napa cabbage
Carrots- Rainbow and regular
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Kohlrabi- petite treats back along with the staple economy-sized. 
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Daikon Radish- White- Chinese type and the spiciest of the three, Purple, and green Korean daikon
Watermelon Radish
Rutabaga: Purple and Green! Lovely texture. Great roasted. Great mashed. Great in soups!
Turnabaga: As sweet as a sweet turnip but with the texture of a rutabaga!
Sweet Turnips
Purple top turnips- Excellent for roasting!
Wintersquash- Butternut Squash and pie pumpkins

Herbs:
Cilantro
Parsley 


This weeks Markets

Wednesday: Ann Arbor

In the same location as the Saturday market, the Ann Arbor Wednesday Market is a little more laid back.  If you don't want to fight the crowds. come out on Wednesday and take the chance to talk with all your farmers, chefs, and artisans.The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI Find us there May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm.

Saturday: Ann Arbor, Detroit's Eastern Market, 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 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 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.

We got back in the fray and a little behind. This email will be short and sweet! Come get some greens and goods at the market tomorrow. Support your intrepid and determined farmers!

To note:
CSA Members!: You balances are not in this email but will be next week. If would before next Tuesday either email me or ask at market! Thanks!

Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor
Saturday: Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, and Detroit's Eastern!

We are hiring again! We have positions for farm crew, markets, and weeder harvesters. Check out our ads on indeed for more information. 

Recipe:
RUTABAGA! Still swooning! You can mash them just like you do your potatoes or you can follow this recipe for security. 
Mashed Rutabaga
Ingredients:

• Scrubbed and cubed rutabaga, 1 quart will do. Some folks peel them, but without the wax and chemicals, I don't think there is any reason.
• 3-4 Tablespoons oil or butter
• Salt and pepper
• Nutmeg (optional)

Directions:

1. Put rutabaga in a sauce pan and cover with water (add a dash of salt!)
2. Bring to boil and and simmer until tender (about 30 to 40 minutes)
3. Drain and return to pot
4. Add butter, salt, pepper, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg
5. Mash 'em up! 

These are great as a side dish. Great centrally located. Great. 
Food for thought: 
Short and sweet. A true punt of an email. We are glad to be back and we hope you are glad too. Even though it will be cold, we will be at market with our delicious vegetables!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers!

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. The Trifecta of sustainability. 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.

• HIRING
• 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:
Arugula
Bok Choy- could be the last week for the long haul...
Head lettuce- limited
Kale
Microgreens! 
Mustard
Radicchio- A delicious bitter green. Here is some info from The Spruce Eats. Great added to salads (our green variety is stand alone delicious). Ours are looser heads than you may have seen before, yet just as fantastic.
Tokyo Bekana
Pea Shoots
Spinach- limited
Swiss Chard- back next week

All manner of deliciousness:
Cabbage
Napa cabbage
Carrots- Rainbow and regular
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Kohlrabi- petite treats back along with the staple economy-sized. 
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Daikon Radish- White- Chinese type and the spiciest of the three, Purple, and green Korean daikon
Watermelon Radish
Rutabaga: Purple and Green! Lovely texture. Great roasted. Great mashed. Great in soups!
Turnabaga: As sweet as a sweet turnip but with the texture of a rutabaga!
Sweet Turnips
Purple top turnips- Excellent for roasting!
Wintersquash- Butternut Squash and pie pumpkins!Herbs:Cilantro
Parsley 
This weeks MarketsSaturday: Ann Arbor, Detroit's Eastern Market, 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 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 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.

Ann Arbor folks! Wednesday! At the Kerrytown market! Be there! We will be! Or, Jim rather. The day before the feast you can count on us to bring greens galore, and squash. And so many roots. Uhm, rutabaga? I just fell in love. 

To note:
We are taking our annual season fall break: For all my years of farming, we have taken the week after t-day off. Let this be no exception. We will see you this Wednesday (11/27) in Ann Arbor and will then return Saturday December 7th.

Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor

We are hiring again! We have positions for farm crew, markets, and weeder harvesters. Check out our ads on indeed for more information. 
Recipe:
RUTABAGA! Butter yellow on the inside and full of flavor, these brassica roots pack a nutritional punch. They are high in vitamin C, vitamin E, as well as potassium! And they don't lack in the flavor department. I think they are climbing up the ladder onto the platform with cabbage as my favorite vegetable. 
Rutabaga Hasselback (you can also mash them, roast them, and put them in soups.)
Ingredients:

• Rutabaga washed with root ends sliced so they sit flat- you can select as many as you want for this recipe. One or two rutabagas per person is a good idea.
• Oil or butter
• Garlic
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F
2. Slice rutabaga 3/4 of the way through, being careful not to go all the way through. 
3. Mince garlic and sprinkle into the slices of the rutabaga
4. Drizzle the rutabagas with olive oil, being sure to coat the outside as well, and season with salt and pepper
5. Place on baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes until the rutabagas are tender and the the edges crispy. 

Yum. 
Food for thought: 
We got the garlic planted! I was so relieved that I realized how worried I had been! Thank you wild November weather for making space for our Alliums! Just under a half acre tucked into the soil.
And the other big even: The full-time crew had their final day on the farm last Friday. We carved out a little extra time for hot toddy's and reminiscence. I am just blown away by how lucky we were this year to have such a badass crew of wonderful, loving, friendly, hilarious, people. People that will work a grueling day and leave feeling accomplished rather than beaten down. Send a thank you out to them with your hearts!
And for Thanksgiving. Let it be about being grateful to be together and eating a thousand good foods. Fearlessly seeking truth and owning our paths. We love to be part of your day by contributing very delicious vegetables grown in a way that you can feel good about. We hope to see you at market and that you see your family's this week. All the love from the Dividers.   
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers!

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. The Trifecta of sustainability. 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.

• HIRING
• 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:Arugula
Bok Choy!
Kale
Microgreens! 
Mustard
Radicchio- A delicious bitter green. Here is some info from The Spruce Eats. Great added to salads (our green variety is stand alone delicious). Ours are looser heads than you may have seen before, yet just as fantastic.
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekana
Pea Shoots
Swiss ChardAll manner of deliciousness:Cabbage
Napa cabbage
Carrots- Rainbow and regular
Sweet Baby Celery- it is small but so, so delicous!
Fennel
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Kohlrabi- petite treats back along with the staple economy-sized. 
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Peppers- friers and bells- Last week!
Daikon Radish- White- Chinese type and the spiciest of the three, Purple, and green Korean daikon
Watermelon Radish
Rutabaga: Purple and Green! Lovely texture. Great roasted. Great mashed. Great in soups!
Turnabaga: As sweet as a sweet turnip but with the texture of a rutabaga!
Sweet Turnips
Purple top turnips- Excellent for roasting!
Wintersquash- Butternut Squash and pie pumpkins!Herbs:Cilantro
Dill
Parsley 

​This weeks MarketsWednesday: Ann Arbor

In the same location as the Saturday market, the Ann Arbor Wednesday Market is a little more laid back.  If you don't want to fight the crowds. come out on Wednesday and take the chance to talk with all your farmers, chefs, and artisans.The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI Find us there May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm.

This is our last full market week before our fall break. A pleasant tradition. See the details below. Come see us this weekend and next Wednesday to stock up and fill the ingredients needs for your feast. And come see us today for that matter!

To note:
We are taking our annual season fall break: For all my years of farming, we have taken the week after t-day of. Let this be no exception. Then expect us back Saturday December 7th.

Saturday Ann Arbor Customers! Ahoy! We are there! I don't know where but we will be there shining and vegetabling!

Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor
Saturday: Eastern Market, Ann Arbor, and Royal Oak

We are hiring again! We have positions for farm crew, markets, and weeder harvesters. Check out our ads on indeed for more information. 
Recipe:
Butternut squash is so fabulous. I love how it can be sweet or savory. I love that it is filled with nutrients. I love that you can just roast it and eat it. It fills in for a meal without a lot of effort. Here is something that I love.
Roasted butternut squash with yogurt- Fancier version here
Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash (I like a big one because more meals! You don't have to do the same thing with all of it.)
• Oil or butter
• Salt
• Yogurt- I like the thick kind
• Honey or maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Slice squash in half lengthwise, apply oil, and roast cut side down for 45-90 minutes (until fork tender)
3. Flip and scoop a meal sized portion into a bowl and add yogurt, syrup, and salt.
4. You can add additional ingredients- cilantro, peppers, steamed carrots, thinly sliced watermelon radish, cubed sweet turnips, minced arugula, toasted walnuts... imagination and goals! It all starts with a roasted squash!

Food for thought: 
The snow was beautiful but it brought with it some disappointing results. Our 8 beds of greens under outside hoops were lost or partially lost (today will really be the day to tell.) That really is the game of November- no one can tell how it will manifest. Eight inches of snow and single digit temperatures did not agree with the comparably flimsy hoops and fabric we had out there to protect them. Mustard. Choy. Tokyo Bekana. Tatsoi. These are the things that we may have lost. We still have some that we managed to squirrel away when times were good so it won't be all gone yet. On the other hand, maybe there are still some out there. Either way, we have kale, chard, arugula, spinach, and lettuce coming along on inside tunnels. It isn't all ready now, but it will be...
In the meantime we are mega-grateful to have a window with melted snow and above freezing temperatures to get our garlic in the ground! That was a close one! It prefers to be planted earlier in November but I know that it can handle this late planting date. It is amazing to realize that when we were rushing to prepare the bed fields for this planting it literally was the last opportunity.
For me, garlic has always been emblematic of future hopes.  It goes into the ground in the most inhospitable of times. And through those times, it wakes from its dormant state and begins to grow. Every time I plant garlic, I focus on my hopes and dreams for the coming season and our greater community, and put them all in the ground with these little vegetative propagules, This way we are not the only ones holding them forward. Let our hopes grow with the garlic! Join me in thinking to the future and putting our hearts into it. 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers!

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. The Trifecta of sustainability. 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.

• HIRING
• 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

​Fresh From the Field!

Greens:
Arugula
Bok Choy!
Collard Greens- Limited
Kale
Microgreens! 
Mustard- Maybe
Radicchio- A delicious bitter green. Here is some info from The Spruce Eats. Great added to salads (our green variety is stand alone delicious). Ours are looser heads than you may have seen before, yet just as fantastic.
Spinach- Maybe
Tatsoi-Maybe
Tokyo Bekana-Maybe
Pea Shoots
Swiss Chard

All manner of deliciousness:
Cabbage
Napa cabbage
Carrots- Rainbow and regular
Sweet Baby Celery- it is small but so, so delicous!
Fennel
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Kohlrabi- petite treats back along with the staple economy-sized. 
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Peppers- friers and bells- Last week!
Daikon Radish- White- Chinese type and the spiciest of the three, Purple, and green Korean daikon
Watermelon Radish
Rutabaga: Purple and Green! Lovely texture. Great roasted. Great mashed. Great in soups!
Turnabaga: As sweet as a sweet turnip but with the texture of a rutabaga!
Sweet Turnips
Purple top turnips- Excellent for roasting!
Wintersquash- Butternut Squash and pie pumpkins!

Herbs:
Cilantro
Dill
Parsley