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.