Ahoy!
​​
First off, I hope you are well and warm and your pipes are okay. Any time to lose power is hard but the cold brings special trouble. 

Second, after last weeks extensive email, this week's is being accomplished on a blueberry break, so I'll be quick. 
A lot is happening at the farm. We did hire one person!! Yay! Our onions are up, we are ready to plant in some tunnels next week, the ginger  seed pieces came in from Hawaii, and we will be seeding tomatoes next week if you can believe it.
The ice storm left us undamaged on the farm.

We are short on shoots this week, but loaded on everything else. I have to specifically say, the apples from Almar Orchard have been amazing! I really like the Galarina. They are a little smaller than the others and perfectly crispy and sweet. See you out there tomorrow!
Cheers,
Helen

I will leave these lean times support suggestions here...
Ways to support us through these lean times? 

• Become a farm member through our CSA!
  • Here is a link to information about it.
  • Here is a link to the sign up sheet
  • You balance will stay on the books until the end of the 2023 season.
• Come buy our vegetables at market! Make going to the farmers' market part of your weekly routine. We love to see you and we love our vegetables being part of your meals.
• Invite your friends to come to market with you or introduce them to our vegetables!
• Share our hiring ad! If you know someone that is a farmer or is considering farming, send them our way! 
  • Here is a link to our hiring page.

 
In this email:

• Winter market schedule:
  • As of now we are planning on attending Eastern and Royal Oak every week. If anything changes, we will note it here. 
• Generally important notes
  • We are inside at Eastern Market, in Shed 3, stalls 367 and 369. You can find us on the left if you enter Shed 3 from Russell st.
  • Farm Members! Accepting sign-ups for the 2023 Season. Please ask for a sign-up sheet at market or print one (here) and bring it!
  • Here is link to our Social Justice page on our website. It is a list of resources to keep active in effecting positive social change.  
• Fresh from the Field
• Recipe: Crispy Apple and Kohlrabi Slaw
• Market Details: Royal Oak and Eastern (shed 3, 367 and 369)!

Fresh From the Field- 
Greens:
Microgreens: Various.
Pea Shoots (limited this week)
Sunflower shoots (limited this week)

All Manner of Deliciousness
Apples (Al Mar Orchard, certified organic, at Eastern and Royal Oak)
Beets! (certified organic from Stutzman Family Farm)
Cabbage: Savoy Leaf Cabbage, Classic, and Red (Some is ours and some is Certified organic and from Stutzman Family Farm)
Garlic (certified organic from Cinzori!)
Napa Cabbage- baby and delectable
Kohlrabi 
Onions: Yellow and Red (certified organic from Cinzori!)
Potatoes: Red and white
Daikon (Purple, Red (grown with organic methods by Tantre) and White)
Watermelon radishes (certified organic from Cinzori!)
Rutabaga
Purple top turnips

Recipe: Crispy Apple and Kohlrabi Slaw

From Cookie and KateThis super simple kohlrabi salad features honeycrisp (Evercrisp is LDF's recommended substitution) apple, lemon, tarragon and olive oil! It’s a delicious and unique fall side salad. You’ll love it!
Recipe yields 4 side servings or 2 large.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 small kohlrabi (about 1 pound, I used the green variety but purple would be prettier), cut into matchsticks about ¼″ wide
• 1 large Honeycrisp apple (about ½ pound), cored and cut into matchsticks about ¼″ wide
• ⅓ cup grated gouda cheese (optional, not shown)
• ¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves
• 3 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds* (could easily substitute sunflower shoots)
• Lemon zest, to taste
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, to taste
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
• Flaky sea salt (like Maldon) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large serving bowl, combine the kohlrabi and apple matchsticks. Add the cheese, if using, and the tarragon leaves and sunflower seeds. Shave lemon zest liberally over the bowl (I probably used about half of a small lemon’s worth or more).
2. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, then sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper. Use your hands to gently toss the salad, then add another drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice if the salad seems dry. Finish with another light sprinkle of salt and pepper and serve immediately.

NOTES:
Recipe adapted from Cooking with Seeds by Charlyne Mattox, with permission.

*HOW TO TOAST YOUR OWN SUNFLOWER SEEDS: If you only have raw, unsalted sunflower seeds at home (like me), toast them in a small skillet over medium heat with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until they’re turning lightly golden on the edges, about 5 minutes.

STORAGE SUGGESTIONS: This salad keeps well for a day or two, provided that you use enough lemon juice to prevent oxidation (I used closer to 2 tablespoons and day-old leftovers were still great).

MAKE IT DAIRY FREE/VEGAN: Skip the optional cheese.

Market Details: We are at market this week
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market- Back in May

Eastern Market, Shed 3, stalls 367 and 369 (on the right when you enter shed 3 Russell St.), Saturday with Helen! 6 am to 2:30 pm

Royal Oak, Saturday with Peter, and Lisa! 7 am to 1 pm

Ahoy!
​​Wow, this week was a weather roller coaster. I loved being outside and feeling the sun directly on my skin. And because I didn't have to leave the house in the dark this morning, I was also able to love the wild ice the slicked all surfaces between yesterday and today. I heard an owl. I saw a flock of robins. Crooked tail cat prowls the streets. 

What happened this week? It is a blur. We made more room in our greenhouse in anticipation of the hundreds of thousands of plants that will pass through there this year, many of them enjoying a stay between April and May. We mulched the aisles of our garlic. We cleaned up some of the tunnels so they are ready to plant in the near future. And did our regular seeding of microgreens and shoots, along with some farm seeding and thinning of transplants. 

Last week, I was lucky enough to get some mental space to make a schedule for myself. Before that, it was a free-for-all unfinished sentences, toy cars, misplaced lists, and foraging for snacks. I came into parenthood thinking I would be able to do at least part of my job while caring for my child. It turns out, while it isn't altogether impossible, it is not satisfying for me or Wiley. As Wiley's sleep has become more predictable (praise all that is good on this earth), I have found regular time during his sleep to work. And as mentioned in the caption of Wiley's picture, we also connected with an awesome caretaker, Caroline. I couldn't do what I am doing without her. Office work with my child is possible but not fluid. Field work with my child is either unsafe or so interrupted that it feels futile and is demoralizing. Caroline is great in so many ways. She listens to Wiley, communicates clearly with all of us, loves books, and is super fun. My favorite thing is, she happily treks all over the farm with Wiley to visit me where I am. I am getting the best of both worlds. I get to work and focus AND I get to see Wiley interact and explore in the world. I am saying this partly because before Wiley, I was unsure of whether it would be possible for me to work while caring for a child. I thought maybe. I was told it would be possible by many. That isn't true for me or the job that I have to do. There are pictures of Wiley in the field with me. Either I am casually picking at work and primarily hanging with Wiley, or someone else is fully engaged in caring for him. I suppose I am saying this for the other working parents, so they know what this is and don't feel like I sometimes do, like I should be able to do it all without help. That has never been true for any large endeavor, and this is no different.

Yesterday, Jim finished work early and came out to the field to weed with me and Tyler. Caroline and Wiley came out in the field and joined in. It was so nice to be all together, working and laughing. We finished our list a bit early, and unlike high summer, when we tack on something else, we wrapped it up. Caroline was still around and went inside to get Wiley sorted out, Tyler went home, and Jim and I snuck into the field across the road for beer in the in the icy rain. It was so nice to chat and be outside and watch the still woods together. Just fifteen minutes made the difference for us. A new version of speed dating.

Quick notes after all this personal drivel:
We are still interviewing. We are still waiting to hear back from one person we offered the job to. I don't know about you, but the suspense is killing me!

Thank you so much to everyone who has renewed or signed up fresh for our farm membership. The positive effect of a sign up this time of year ripples through the whole season. We really appreciate it!

To snowy days and towards sunny ones! See you at market!

Helen

I will leave these lean times support suggestions here...
Ways to support us through these lean times? 

• Become a farm member through our CSA!
  • Here is a link to information about it.
  • Here is a link to the sign up sheet
  • You balance will stay on the books until the end of the 2023 season.
• Come buy our vegetables at market! Make going to the farmers' market part of your weekly routine. We love to see you and we love our vegetables being part of your meals.
• Invite your friends to come to market with you or introduce them to our vegetables!
• Share our hiring ad! If you know someone that is a farmer or is considering farming, send them our way! 
  • Here is a link to our hiring page.

 
In this email:

• Winter market schedule:
  • As of now we are planning on attending Eastern and Royal Oak every week. If anything changes, we will note it here. 
• Generally important notes
  • We are inside at Eastern Market, in Shed 3, stalls 367 and 369. You can find us on the left if you enter Shed 3 from Russell st.
  • Farm Members! Accepting sign-ups for the 2023 Season. Please ask for a sign-up sheet at market or print one (here) and bring it!
  • Here is link to our Social Justice page on our website. It is a list of resources to keep active in effecting positive social change.  
• Fresh from the Field
• Recipe: Lemon Garlic Sauteed Cabbage
• Market Details: Royal Oak and Eastern (shed 3, 367 and 369)!

Fresh From the Field- 
Greens:
Microgreens: Various.
Pea Shoots
Sunflower shoots!

All Manner of Deliciousness
Apples (Al Mar Orchard, certified organic, at Eastern and Royal Oak)
Beets! (certified organic from Stutzman Family Farm)
Cabbage: Savoy Leaf Cabbage, Classic, and Red (Some is ours and some is Certified organic and from Stutzman Family Farm)
Garlic (certified organic from Cinzori!)
Napa Cabbage- baby and delectable
Kohlrabi 
Onions: Yellow and Red (certified organic from Cinzori!)
Potatoes: Red and white
Daikon (Purple, Red (grown with organic methods by Tantre) and White)
Watermelon radishes (certified organic from Cinzori!)
Rutabaga
Purple top turnips

Recipe: Lemon Garlic Sauteed Cabbage

From Inspired Taste

This easy, healthy recipe for sauteed cabbage is delicious. As the cabbage cooks in the pan, it wilts, turns tender, and becomes sweet. Cabbage may sound like a boring side, but this is one of our favorite side dishes to make. White cabbage is our favorite for this, but other cabbage varieties will work. Keep in mind, though, that Napa cabbage will release more moisture and won’t brown as nicely in the pan.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds white cabbage, core removed and shredded (10 cups)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or more to taste
• Half of a lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, garlic, red pepper flakes, and the salt. It might seem like too much cabbage for the pan, but as it cooks, the cabbage will wilt down.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally until the cabbage is tender and some of the cabbage begins to turn a light brown; 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Squeeze the juice from 2 lemon wedges over the cabbage. Taste then adjust with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed.

Tips

• To shred the cabbage, quarter the cabbage through the core, and then cut out the core. Cut each quarter crosswise in half and finely shred. Rinse and spin or pat very dry.
• This cabbage recipe is excellent with onions, add them to the pan at the same time as the cabbage.

Market Details: We are at market this week
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market- Back in May
Eastern Market, Shed 3, stalls 367 and 369 (on the right when you enter shed 3 Russell St.), Saturday with Helen! 6 am to 2:30 pm
Royal Oak, Saturday with Peter, and Lisa! 7 am to 1 pm

Ahoy!

​The growing season has officially kicked off! This past week we got the greenhouse cleaned up and started the first big round of crops of 2023: Onions, shallots, and scallions! With pinched fingers and good posture, we tapped almost 40,000 seeds into 1/2 square cells. We are faster and faster at the task, but even so it takes time. Mechanized seeders are one of the things on our equipment dream list. Until then we'll use our lo-tech tappers (see picture).

Onions hold a special place for me. They are one of the first plants we start in the greenhouse and are potentially one of the last that we pull from storage. They are delicious and start almost every meal. The smell of cooking onions feels like home. On top of that, they are beautiful. But! They do require a lot of work. They don't compete well with weeds which means we weed the entire planting by hand twice. We have implements on tractors that can do the broad strokes but the tight spaces in row between the plants require more finesse. This year between the onions, shallots, and this first round of scallions, we are planting 1/4 of an acre (about the size of 60 parking spaces.) Good timing and the right weather will determine the challenge level. Regardless, we are up to the task!

In the more immediate future, we are carrying on seeding shoots and micros, cleaning up, making repairs, laying the groundwork for upcoming plans, and interviewing potential crew. We have had a few excellent applicants and it looks like one new crew member, but we still have to wait and see. This has gotten my hopes up. We count on each other out here in the field. We need teamwork to get the plants in the ground, care for them as they grow, bring in the harvest, and then bring it to you! We need teamwork to share the work of monitoring the many details and variables that effect production so we can adapt to the living system that we are working within. And we need teamwork to laugh, marvel at beauty of the world around us, and offer support. Without a team, the type of plans we are making are impossible to execute. So join me in gratitude that it seems there is a team destined to be Lake Divider's this year and hopefully beyond.

Our coffers are emptying and hold only a couple weeks of most crops. We still have a lot of turnips and a lot of potatoes. We will continue bringing produce from our wonderful neighbor farmers. We will also continue producing microgreens and shoots which will be a lot easier now that the greenhouse is opened up. Even so, times will be tight for us until mid-may.  If you are considering signing up for our CSA, this is a great time to do it. It will fortify our path through the season. If you have any questions about how it works or special considerations, please don't hesitate to email me. 

On that note, I head farmward for the tail end of Wiley's nap!
Cheers,
Helen

I will leave these lean times support suggestions here...
Ways to support us through these lean times? 

• Become a farm member through our CSA!
  • Here is a link to information about it.
  • Here is a link to the sign up sheet
  • You balance will stay on the books until the end of the 2023 season.
• Come buy our vegetables at market! Make going to the farmers' market part of your weekly routine. We love to see you and we love our vegetables being part of your meals.
• Invite your friends to come to market with you or introduce them to our vegetables!
• Share our hiring ad! If you know someone that is a farmer or is considering farming, send them our way! 
  • Here is a link to our hiring page.

 
In this email:

• Winter market schedule:
  • As of now we are planning on attending Eastern and Royal Oak every week. If anything changes, we will note it here. 
• Generally important notes
  • We are inside at Eastern Market, in Shed 3, stalls 367 and 369. You can find us on the left if you enter Shed 3 from Russell st.
  • Farm Members! Accepting sign-ups for the 2023 Season. Please ask for a sign-up sheet at market or print one (here) and bring it!
  • Here is link to our Social Justice page on our website. It is a list of resources to keep active in effecting positive social change.  
• Fresh from the Field
• Recipe: Sunflower Shoot Salad! (Repeat cause it so delicious!)
• Market Details: Royal Oak and Eastern (shed 3, 367 and 369)!

​
Fresh From the Field- 
Greens:
Microgreens: Various.
Pea Shoots
Sunflower shoots!

All Manner of Deliciousness
Apples (Al Mar Orchard, certified organic, at Eastern and Royal Oak)
Cabbage: Savoy Leaf Cabbage, Classic, and Red
Garlic (certified organic from Cinzori!)
Napa Cabbage- baby and delectable
Kohlrabi 
Onions: Yellow Cinzori's (certified organic!)
Potatoes: Red and white
Daikon (Purple, Red (from Tantre) and White)
Watermelon radishes- From Tantre (grown with practices we trust but not certified organic)
Rutabaga
Purple top turnips

Recipe: Sunflower Shoot Salad

From West Coast Seeds

Sprout some sun with this Sunflower Sprout Salad recipe. This salad combines stored root vegetables with fresh and delicious microgreens.
• 375 mL (1 1/2 cups) of sunflower shoots
• 62 mL (1/4 cup) pistachios
• 250 mL (1 cup) grated carrot
• 30 mL (1/8 cup) red onion (or yellow)
• 125 mL (1/2 cup) chevre
• 125 mL (1/2 cup) avocado
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Sea salt to taste

When your first step in a recipe is growing the ingredients, you know that you’re working with fresh, local food. At least a week before you want to create your salad, plant your sunflower seeds in a high quality potting soil under indoor lights. When the two seed leaves push up and out of the soil and you can see a long sprout below, they’re ready to eat. Harvest them using scissors, and wash them carefully. Sunflower seed microgreens taste nutty, and they’re full of protein – the perfect choice for a savory salad.

Chop the red onions very fine, and grate the carrots. Toss, and add pistachios and crumbled chevre. If you’d prefer a milder salad, omit the onions and add more chevre for its tart taste.

To create the dressing, blend half an avocado with a tablespoon of lemon juice, and add sea salt to taste. This salad is best eaten very fresh, so add the dressing and toss the salad immediately before you eat. It serves two as a side salad, or it can be lunch for one.

Market Details: We are at market this week
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market- Back in May

Eastern Market, Shed 3, stalls 367 and 369 (on the right when you enter shed 3 Russell St.), Saturday with Helen! 6 am to 2:30 pm

Royal Oak, Saturday with Peter, and Lisa! 7 am to 1 pm

Ahoy!
​Happy Groundhog's Day! I don't think any groundhogs came out to check yesterday, although it was actually the warmest day of the week.
Most of the story is in the pictures, all tales of snow and freezing temperatures, hopes and dreams.

The quick version of the farm? We are moving winter projects forward and getting ready to start seeds for the main season. Our soil test came back and we are working on a functional plan to improve soil health. More applications are coming in, which is giving me hope that we will be able to accomplish what we hope. The little plants we are growing for our dangerously early planting in mid February are determined! The spinach and kale are looking best of the  bunch, go figure.

It is cold, cold, cold, but all the animals are still out there. Many mammals snoozing away the less hospitable days. But the birds, man, they really ride out the exposure. Bare feet in the snow, what an adaptation. While I was thawing the hydrant to water the greenhouse earlier in the week, a flock of bluebirds surrounded me momentarily. The crows are looking fluffy and a coopers hawk swept past my window. The sparrows are still using the little nest they built above our kitchen window. My little bird is babbling and running in circles laughing, obsessed with cats and cars, and giving our dogs "gentle pats."
 
Tyler will be at Eastern Market and and Peter, Lisa, and I will be at Royal Oak tomorrow, so come out and get some vegetables and enjoy some chit chat and community. 

Cheers,
Helen

I will leave these lean times support suggestions here...
Ways to support us through these lean times? 

• Become a farm member through our CSA!
  • Here is a link to information about it.
  • Here is a link to the sign up sheet
  • You balance will stay on the books until the end of the 2023 season.
• Come buy our vegetables at market! Make going to the farmers' market part of your weekly routine. We love to see you and we love our vegetables being part of your meals.
• Invite your friends to come to market with you or introduce them to our vegetables!
• Share our hiring ad! If you know someone that is a farmer or is considering farming, send them our way! 
  • Here is a link to our hiring page.

 
In this email:

• Winter market schedule:
  • As of now we are planning on attending Eastern and Royal Oak every week. If anything changes, we will note it here. 
• Generally important notes
  • We are inside at Eastern Market, in Shed 3, stalls 367 and 369. You can find us on the left if you enter Shed 3 from Russell st.
  • Farm Members! Accepting sign-ups for the 2023 Season. Please ask for a sign-up sheet at market or print one (here) and bring it!
  • Here is link to our Social Justice page on our website. It is a list of resources to keep active in effecting positive social change.  
• Fresh from the Field
• Recipe: Sunflower Shoot Salad!
• Market Details: Royal Oak and Eastern (shed 3, 367 and 369)!

Fresh From the Field- 
Greens:
Microgreens: Various.
Sunflower shoots! The first batch finally made its way through the greenhouse! They are soooooo delicious!

All Manner of Deliciousness
Apples (Michigan grown, certified organic, only at Eastern)
Cabbage: Savoy Leaf Cabbage, Classic, and Red
Garlic (certified organic from Cinzori!)
Napa Cabbage- baby and delectable
Kohlrabi 
Onions: Yellow Cinzori's (certified organic!)
Potatoes: Red and white
Daikon (Purple, Red (from Tantre) and White)
Watermelon radishes- From Tantre (grown with practices we trust but not certified organic)
Rutabaga
Purple top turnips

Coming soon:
Pea Shoots

Recipe: Sunflower Shoot Salad

From West Coast Seeds

Sprout some sun with this Sunflower Sprout Salad recipe. This salad combines stored root vegetables with fresh and delicious microgreens.

• 375 mL (1 1/2 cups) of sunflower shoots
• 62 mL (1/4 cup) pistachios
• 250 mL (1 cup) grated carrot
• 30 mL (1/8 cup) red onion (or yellow)
• 125 mL (1/2 cup) chevre
• 125 mL (1/2 cup) avocado
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Sea salt to taste

When your first step in a recipe is growing the ingredients, you know that you’re working with fresh, local food. At least a week before you want to create your salad, plant your sunflower seeds in a high quality potting soil under indoor lights. When the two seed leaves push up and out of the soil and you can see a long sprout below, they’re ready to eat. Harvest them using scissors, and wash them carefully. Sunflower seed microgreens taste nutty, and they’re full of protein – the perfect choice for a savory salad.

Chop the red onions very fine, and grate the carrots. Toss, and add pistachios and crumbled chevre. If you’d prefer a milder salad, omit the onions and add more chevre for its tart taste.

To create the dressing, blend half an avocado with a tablespoon of lemon juice, and add sea salt to taste. This salad is best eaten very fresh, so add the dressing and toss the salad immediately before you eat. It serves two as a side salad, or it can be lunch for one.

Market Details: We are at market this week
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market- Back in May

Eastern Market, Shed 3, stalls 367 and 369 (on the right when you enter shed 3 Russell St.), Saturday with Tyler! 6 am to 2:30 pm

​Royal Oak, Saturday with Helen, Peter, and Lisa! 7 am to 1 pm