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Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:  Lots to do to keep this cabbage rolling!

6/26/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
Here is Helen planting melon seedlings in the new caterpillar tunnel. You always have to be mindful of your shutter speed if you intend to get a non-blurry picture of Helen planting. 7th try is a charm!
Planning for fall harvest in the height of summer always gives me pause. It seems so strange to prioritize planting more at a time of bounty. In the spring, well that makes sense. We are starved for greens, for fruit, for sunlight. There isn't much to do other than pine over our plans, perfecting our trajectory in our mind's eye. Now? We are living in the high times of summer. We are up to our ears in greens. Cabbage just rolled in the door (that's right!) We know those peppers and tomatoes are coming. The melon! All the fruit! And yet, if we aren't mindful now, come fall, we will be hungry again.  

We haven't even started harvesting our spring carrots (all those sweet, sweet baby carrots were from a late winter planting) and yet here we are hustling to prep ground and seed our first round of fall carrots. Welcome to the beginning of the busy times, when everything has to get done at the same time. July, August, and now that we do more winter production, September, are like this. Full swing harvest, full swing planting, full swing care, and full swing market keep us on our toes, bouncing from one task to the next. 
Here is a window into our to do list for this week:
  • Finish preparing ground for fall carrot and beet plantings and put those seeds in the ground!
  • Plant additional rounds of fennel, basil, head lettuce, and the remainder of brussel sprouts
  • Prepare ground for fall cabbage plantings
  • Put shade cloth on greenhouse to keep our seedlings out of the heat
  • Keep up with greenhouse seeding, including microgreens and sprouts
  • Weeding galore- finish weeding the onions, celery, and celery root (lovingly called "Oniontown" and "Celerytown", weed round two of cilantro and dill. Tractor cultivate fall Brussel sprouts and more recent plantings
  • Stake and trellis final tomato planting
  • Begin preparations for fall ground by mowing and discing
  • Continue preparing next spring's ground by plowing down the cover crop we grew there
  • Jim's equipment list includes adjusting the mount for the cultivation bars so they don't wiggle, building a table for our three-point hitch transplanter, and fixing the things I have broken, which are many. 
Of course while all this is going on, we will keep harvesting and heading to market. These days, everyday is a harvest day and it is no longer just an a.m. affair. We don't mind! Bring on the vegetables!

In other news, as prophesied, we mowed the thistle in the field lovingly known as thistle town. I hate a big mowing. It is like a giant nature eviction. I worry. And after I walk the field hoping to find creatures well. I found baby pheasants, a giant toad, birds nests, and come evening, the lightening bugs still rose. I felt okay. And I was glad to know that another million thistle seeds won't be added to our seed bank.

Stay cool in the heat and hope to see you this week!
Picture
​See you at market!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers


Fresh From the Field!

Cut greens:Salad mix!
Greens:
Head lettuce: Butterhead, green leaf, red leaf, summer crisp, and romaine!
Kale: flat leaf, green curly, and red curly
Microgreens: Spicy and mild. I had some on spaghetti this week and it was one of the best decisions I made that day
Shoots: May be limited toward the beginning of the week and more bountiful as the week goes on.
Swiss Chard
Herbs: 
Basil
Cilantro
Dill
Mint
Oregano
Parsley-basically good in anything and very nutrient dense
Sage
Thyme
Roots: 
Baby carrots by the bunch- Limited- There are only enough for the beginning of the week. But never fear, that was from the winter planting! We have the whole spring planting yet to come in!
Radishes
All manner of deliciousness:
Cucumbers- just coming in. Expect them towards the end of the week in limited quantities.
Cabbage! It's baaaack! I love cabbage! Regular and we have the delicious caraflex (cone-shaped) type too!
Garlic scapes- pesto, pickles, stirfry, roasted, is there anything these delightful flowering stalks can't make deliciously?
Baby Fennel
Kohlrabi: Delicious, juicy, and crispy! The only vegetable apple. Great raw or roasted. These delectable varieties can be eating with the skin on when cooked. 
Peas: snow and snap!
Radish Whippers- spicy seed pods from the radish plant!
Summer squash- yellow, green and striped zucchini, plus patty pan and yellow summer squash

​Markets, always rain or shine!Wednesday: Ann Arbor
The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.

Thursday: Jackson
The Jackson Green Market at Allegiance Health is located at East Michigan Avenue and Waterloo Street. It runs from May through October 9 am to 2 pm

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

Saturday: Ann Arbor and Chelsea

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

The Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the lower library lot along Park St. It runs May thru October from 8 am to 1 pm.

Sunday: Howell
The Howell Farmers' market can be found in the heart of Howell at State st and Clinton st, adjacent to the historic Livingston County Courthouse. It runs May thru October, 9 am to 2 pm.
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Lake Divide Farm Newsletter! Weeds, Solstice, And Vegetables!

6/20/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Some of the crimson clover seeded last fall putting out flowers. This photo was taken a couple weeks ago and the most of the flowers have come and gone, adding crimson clover seeds to our seed bank. Photo by Jenny Smith at Rook's Roost Photography
High noon of the year is fast approaching and all the plants are growing like mad. Summer solstice is when the tables turn and daylight hours decrease. I love the ebb and flow of daylight on the shores of our farm. As the hours increase, I find myself lost in the world of getting things done. And as they withdraw, I am relieved to gather back into myself. I am grateful that it isn't an abrupt change however, because with out there is still so much to do. 
All this daylight, and these daily rains, have the plants going wild. New to market in full force we have swiss chard, fennel, kohlrabi, garlic scapes and a slue of herbs. And to top it off, it looks like cucumbers are going to have their first touchdown at the end of the week. I have a mind to chop some peas and mint and toss them together with a little lettuce and lemon juice! Hooray for the season of vegetables!
And if our vegetables are going wild, our weeds are going wilder. It feels like this is the time of year that I always mention weeds. But they are undeniable. The thistle that we are battling now, we will likely battle for years to come. It is now as tall as me and ready to flower. This is the perfect time to mow it down, reducing the strength of its indomitable underground root and rhizome network. Another solid contender for most vicious weed is curly dock. Now this plant, we are leaving standing, watching sadly as it produces a disgusting number of weed seeds to add to the seed bank. Why do we wait? For the nesting birds. I can't and shouldn't help it. I was so worried that when our birds, redwing blackbirds, song sparrows, robins, blue birds, gold finches, and warblers to name a few, came back, they wouldn't like what we had done with the place. After all, they have been carrying out their lives here longer than we. Luckily, they appear not to mind what we have done with the place. Honestly, I would have loved to have turned over curly dock city before all the birds settled in, but it was so wet, the ground was untouchable. We also have a killdeer family again. Three young ones guarded by their never faltering parents. I love seeing them skittering across our cultivated land. And there is  certainly pheasant out there. Although not native, they aren't considered invasive, and have a welcome spot on our farm. I love to see them run in a line. 
Along with all this farming, we are still learning to farm and have been enjoying visiting other vegetable growers around our area to pick up some tips. Two weeks ago we visited Black Oak Farm. It was extremely informative. Most of their vegetables go to wholesale, in stark contrast with our primarily direct (to you!) market sales. Because of this, our crop lists differ greatly- we grow many crops and many varieties, while they focus on fewer, simplifying management and allowing the potential for more efficient production. The farmer also offered up an insightful way to look at irrigation. He invited us to visualize a crops overall water requirements as a cup with the size of the cup defined by the rooting depth and how much water that crop needs (evapotranspiration rate). Now place a cup under each plant with your mind. For each crop, there is a water level of the cup at which the plant will begin to suffer, so the cup must be kept at least that full for optimal production. Of course, weather, practicality, and soil type all play a role, but this analogy gave me a wonderful visual to go along side my continuing irrigation education. 
This week, we went by Titus farm, one of our farm neighbors. They grow diversified vegetables primarily for CSA sale, although they do a few markets as well. We got to see their awesome winter storage, as well as their beautiful, flowing farm. They have buried shipping containers for their winter storage. The temperatures stays around 35 degrees and they don't have to turn on a heater, even in our bitter cold Michigan winters. This really impressed me. They also have a magical mushroom forest that has been going steady and producing amazing mushrooms for eight years now. It really has me thinking...
We have already visited two previous farms this season and will be visiting several more after a hiatus for, you know, the height of the vegetable season, no big deal. One of the biggest lessons of visiting all these farms though, is that every farm is as unique as a fingerprint. We all start out with circumstances, reasons, various resources and goals, and we work within these variables to build our local foodshed together. I am so glad we are getting to know our partners in local food production.

Farmward and farmward ;)

​
Picture
Our extension agent Marissa Shulman came out and walked our fields with us, taking stock and sharing information. She, along with the other extension agents and university workers, are a big part of our ongoing education. The better we get a growing vegetables, the more accessible we can make the food. This team of folks, established and establishing farmers included, is what is bringing us closer to our goal. Photo by Jenny Smith with Rook's Roost Photography.
​See you at market!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers


Fresh From the Field!

Cut greens:Salad mix!
Greens:
Head lettuce: Butterhead, green leaf, red leaf, summer crisp, and romaine!
Kale: flat leaf, green curly, and red curly
Microgreens: Spicy and mild!
Shoots: Sunflower (bountiful) and Pea (limited)
Swiss Chard
Herbs: 
Basil
Cilantro
Dill
Mint
Oregano
Parsley-basically good in anything and very nutrient dense
Sage
Thyme
Roots: 
Baby carrots by the bunch- I still can't believe how sweet they are.
Radishes
All manner of deliciousness:
Cucumbers- just coming in. Expect them towards the end of the week in limited quantities.
Garlic scapes- just coming in but boy oh boy!
Baby Fennel
Kohlrabi: IT'S BACK! Delicious, juicy, and crispy! The only vegetable apple. Great raw or roasted. These delectable varieties can be eating with the skin on when cooked. 
Peas: snow and snap!
Summer squash- yellow, green and striped zucchini, plus patty pan and yellow summer squash

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

Thursday: Jackson
The Jackson Green Market at Allegiance Health is located at East Michigan Avenue and Waterloo Street. It runs from May through October 9 am to 2 pm

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

Saturday: Ann Arbor and Chelsea

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

The Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the lower library lot along Park St. It runs May thru October from 8 am to 1 pm.

Sunday: Howell
The Howell Farmers' market can be found in the heart of Howell at State st and Clinton st, adjacent to the historic Livingston County Courthouse. It runs May thru October, 9 am to 2 pm.
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Lake Divide Farm Newsletter: What the middle-of-June?! PSA the fireflies are back!

6/13/2018

2 Comments

 
Picture
Our crop list is growing and it feels great. Although some of the items are only just beginning to trickle in, they are coming and we couldn't be happier. We finally had our first zucchini harvest yesterday after watching them freeze in time, staying forever the exact same size. We also had our first pea and garlic scape harvest yesterday. All of these crops are coming in gently but in a moments notice, we will be buried in them, so get ready! The herbs are coming in too: basil, cilantro, dill what!. Flavor! Crispiness! And our head lettuce is still abundant and as delicious as ever. We also have our first round of sunflower and pea shoots. They ares so delicious. Those sunflower shoots in particular, I don't know how I lived without them! They have a nutty flavor and a very satisfying texture.

I don't want to jinx it but so far our crops are looking good this year. A little (a lot) weedy because with all the water we missed some early weeding opportunities, but still growing nicely. Some of the crops coming in, and some of those still thriving in the field, are crops that struggled or even failed last year due to the perfect storm of variables. We hardly brought herbs to market, no peas, no onions, no spring carrots, almost no head lettuce to speak of, our pepper plants and eggplant plants at this time were struggling like a giant stone toad was sitting upon them. I have been holding handfuls of vegetables up to Jim and saying "See, we do still know how to farm!" I can tell you, the stone toad is climbing off of my heart. 

What is the difference, you say? There are so many factors that changed, it is impossible to pin point: we improved our potting mix and greenhouse procedures, we have a full time staff, this is our second year here so we understand the land a little better, the seed maggots didn't eat all of our carrots. One of the biggest things is, we were able to get our feet under us a little this winter. I will admit I am tired but I am experiencing nothing like the depletion of crash landing here and sprinting out of the smoldering embers.

Let's see, what is going on this week. Weeding, big time. We are slowly chipping away at the weed populations in our carrots, onions, celery, and celeriac. Bed by bed they are being cleared. Of course we are still planting. Hopefully this week we get those Brussels sprouts in, our last round of tomatoes go in this week, our second and last bout of melon and cucumbers, along with more successions of the greens we all love and depend on. And harvesting is picking up. 

You may note we are light on salad mix. We are struggling with some deer and lettuce is their FAVORITE (among sweet potato leaves, carrot tops, and of course anything else when those aren't available.) Our electric fence was malfunctioning and I fear that baiting it just drew a couple in. It is repaired and functioning now but it is a little late. Because the fence depends on training the deer and these deer have already learned it is safe to come through, our choices are limited. I have been going on late late night drives around the farm, weeding at dusk in areas close to where we have seen damage and tracks, and rebaiting the fence but it feels like a waiting game in which we most certainly lose our lettuce in the end. We are hoping to get an off-season permit so we can defend our livelihood. Of course, venison is never turned away either. Wish us all luck!
Onward and upward, spiraling into the future!
Of course look for us first at all of our markets (see listed below) but if you miss us at market, be sure to look for our gigantic head lettuce at Argus Farmstop in Ann Arbor See you at market!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers


Fresh From the Field!

Cut greens all limited:Arugula
Mizuna
Mustard
Tatsoi
Tokyo bekana
Salad mix!
Herbs: 
Basil
Cilantro
Dill
Parsley-basically good in anything and very nutrient dense
Roots: 
Baby carrots by the bunch- I still can't believe how sweet they are.
Radishes
Greens:
Head lettuce: Butterhead, green leaf, red leaf, summer crisp, and romaine!
Kale: flat leaf, green curly, and red curly
Turnip greens
All manner of deliciousness:
Garlic scapes- just coming in but boy oh boy!
Peas: snow and snap!
Shoots: 
Sunflower
Pea
Summer squash- yellow, green and striped zucchini and yellow summer squash
Although we don't have them early in the week, microgreens may be returning to the table by the end of the week or the beginning of next week. We needed a minute to recalibrate. 

​Markets, always rain or shine!Wednesday: Ann Arbor
The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.

Thursday: Jackson
The Jackson Green Market at Allegiance Health is located at East Michigan Avenue and Waterloo Street. It runs from May through October 9 am to 2 pm

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

Saturday: Ann Arbor and Chelsea

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

The Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the lower library lot along Park St. It runs May thru October from 8 am to 1 pm.

Sunday: Howell
The Howell Farmers' market can be found in the heart of Howell at State st and Clinton st, adjacent to the historic Livingston County Courthouse. It runs May thru October, 9 am to 2 pm.
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Lake Divide Farm Newsletter: It Is June!

6/6/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
The garlic is coming in nicely, with the necks of some varieties thicker than my two thumbs. This year we are hoping to rebuild our seed garlic supply and eventually start selling seed garlic as well! But something to look forward to sooner than that? SCAPES! Expect to see them at market in a couple weeks!
I would say that the weather is being generally more cooperative. The temperatures are a little cold at night but delightful during the day. And last week, believe it or not, and this may be the only time I ever say this, we got just about the perfect amount of rain at the perfect time! It is easier to say this because we managed to get most of the important field work done before it hit too hard. The cover crop that we worked so hard to get in before the rain last week has germinated and sprouted. I am so looking forward to the waving fields of buckwheat. Cover crops always look so nice when we get a good stand, which we are hoping to get. 

Yesterday we planted our final pepper and eggplant out. Jim lovingly tended the from March until now, and they looked great! I think they will settle in just fine. In the meantime, the peppers we planted out at the beginning of the month are looking like they have adjusted to life in the real world, with dark green leaves and roots extending out into the surrounding soil. We have a couple direct seedings to accomplish this week, as well as the getting the brussel sprouts out into the world. It seems so early but this is the time we plant those long season buds for fall harvest. I am looking forward to them.

And with any luck the sweet potatoes will arrive today, just as we are finishing their beds. This year we are growing three different types and we have more than tripled the size of our planting. We buy them as slips- little stems with a leaf or two- and we get them from a certified organic family farm in North Carolina. The slips are crammed into boxes and shipped here in a truck. When they get here (hopefully in an hour or two) we will get them out of the box and into the ground as quickly as possible. We will run the irrigation daily, despite the fact that it is already wet, so that the rootless stems of the sweet potato slips will have no trouble getting going.  I have high hopes that we will be enjoying their sweet flavor in stews well into the winter.

That really is a funny thing about farming. The grower really does have to be continuously living in multiple times and realities. We are planting now for what we will eat in the winter, and in the winter we planned for what we would eat now. We have to remember how much we like sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts now so that we can enjoy them later. And we must straddle optimism and pessimism. We have to hope that all factors will coalesce in our favor- weather, market attendance, health- but be prepared for at least some of the swinging variables to land poorly - the field to flood, all manner of vermin, rainy market days. It leaves us floating around in a soup of reality and daydreams but it really is the only way to be prepared. 
​
Picture
Tony's all set up in Ann Arbor RIGHT NOW! Go to market, visit with a farmer and get some delicious food! New crops are coming in: look for parsley and kale starting at the beginning of the week and peas and squash towards the end!
Produce List:
Arugula
Mizuna (limited)
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekanna (limited)
Mustard: Ruby Streaks (limited)
Head Lettuce (delicious and giant)
Radish
Salad Mix (first cut from the new planting!)
Kale
Microgreens: Spicy
Microgreens: Mild


Of course look for us first at all of our markets (see listed below) but if you miss us at market, be sure to look for our gigantic head lettuce at Argus Farmstop in Ann Arbor
​
See you at market!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers


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

Thursday: Jackson
The Jackson Green Market at Allegiance Health is located at East Michigan Avenue and Waterloo Street. It runs from May through October 9 am to 2 pm

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

Saturday: Ann Arbor and Chelsea

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

The Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the lower library lot along Park St. It runs May thru October from 8 am to 1 pm.

Sunday: Howell
The Howell Farmers' market can be found in the heart of Howell at State st and Clinton st, adjacent to the historic Livingston County Courthouse. It runs May thru October, 9 am to 2 pm.




​
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