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Lake Divide Farm Newsletter: Summer solstice brings us light! Garlic scapes bring us joy!

6/25/2019

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Picture
Check out the roasting trio! Beets, kohlrabi and fennel have arrived from the field, roast em' all together for a real happy meal!
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This rare photo of Jim was captured in the greenhouse. It is difficult to capture him on camera as he is just as he has no native habitat. Sometime he can be found in desert regions, but he is just as likely to be spotted in hardware store regions. Ever elusive, ever productive...
Picture
The wintersquash is looking good and is ready to get planted out!
Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

Woah summer, woah! The blend of green and earth, cloudy skies and evening breezes, is all braiding together in my mind, washing over me as the season grows on. The summer solstice just slipped past us. I can't believe the days are getting shorter again. It will be a while before we really notice though. With the way I sleep, I barely see the darkness! We finally got our last tomato planting in the ground. This week, we will stake them and put some trellis line.

To note:
While we have had some luck (hopefully), we may still be hiring! Want to work on the farm part-time? We have one 20-30 hour/week position open.
What about full-time? We have one 40-45 hour per week position open!
Send us an email if you are interested! Or, if not you, send our information to someone you know that might be interested! Help us cast a wide net!

Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor! 
Thursday: Northville
Friday: Stockbridge
Saturday: Eastern Market, Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, White Lotus Farm Cart, Chelsea
Recipe: 
May I say garlic scapes again?! This ephemeral flavor only graces our palates this time of year, which I feel merits a second spotlight. If you missed last weeks garlic scape pesto recipe, never fear, you can still find it on our website here. But what about the simplest form of garlic scape enjoyment? They go great raw in a salad or in potato salad or tuna salad or any noodle salad. On their own, I love them sauteed and then sprinkled with sea salt.

Sauteed Garlic Scapes!
  • Garlic scapes (you are going to want lots)
  • Oil of choice (olive, butter etc)
  • Salt
  • A squeeze of lemon (optional)
Heat oil in a pan while you snap or cut the scapes into 1-2" pieces. You can eat the entire scape, although sometimes the ends past the flower bud can be a little tough. Toss the scapes in the pan and cook until tender. You can cook any amount of time. I like mine when they pass the bright the bright green and head to the dark green and dimpled stage.  spritz of lemon and a dash of salt and you will be snacking your way into flavor town.
From Serious Eats
Food for thought: 
We FINALLY got the rest of our tomato, eggplant, and peppers into the ground. They are growing well and adapting fairly rapidly to their new homes. They were scheduled to be planted all the way back at the beginning of June, and hear they are, finally getting in at the end of June. That's okay. I looked at the master document "PlantingSchedule2019" to see if we would get any fruit. I fiddled with the numbers and came up with first harvest for this round in the beginning of September. This should keep us in tomatoes all the way up to the frost, unless there is a major derailment (which is always, always possible).
This week we are hoping to push the boulder even further up the hill-- planting more, preparing more ground for our fall crops, turning in some of the cover crops, and preparing more ground for additional cover crops to rejuvenate the land. 
All the while, we will harvest. Harvesting all the crops and getting them ready for market has become the ever-engaging activity around here. For instance, last week we harvested and brought to market 268 bunches of kale, 339 bunches of turnips, 151 bunches of basil, and 153 bunches of chard, among other things. These are some of the biggest numbers we have ever faced at Lake Divide Farm. They didn't turn up unexpectedly, afterall, we are the ones that made the plans, so we are as ready as we can be. But no matter how ya slice it, it takes time. Suppose each bunch takes but a minute and a half, just the act of bunching all these items takes one person at little over 10 hours! That doesn't even count all the work that we have to do before and after harvest- collecting harvest supplies, washing the crops, dividing them up for the different markets and tucking them safely into the cooler! And this is only a fraction of our crops. Last week we brought more than 30 items to market! This week, it could be more.  It is amazing to me how the little things, like a bunch of kale or a bag of lettuce, add up to the big things like attending a market with an abundance of crops, feeding lots of people, making a living. 
When you come to market this week, join me in marveling in the amazing path our food has taken. 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. 
(Notice our new catch phrase? We call it the trifecta of sustainability. It sounds a little cheesy but we mean it from the heart. Good for the earth: Taking care of the natural world is a important, after all, it takes care of us; Good for the farmer: We believe farmers should have livable hours and livable wages; Good for the people: We believe in food equality and bringing our produce to market at an affordable price and keeping it accessible is important to us.)
  • Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
  • We are hiring! We have 2 positions open for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
  • We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 
​

Picture
The sweet potatoes have taken root and are looking wonderful! We're hoping to have a bumper crop this year!
Fresh From the Field!

Greens:
Mizuna (limited)
Mustard (limited)
Tatsoi (limited)
Tokyo Bekana (may be limited)
Salad Mix! (UN-limited!)
Baby Bok Choy
Microgreens: Arugula and Spicy-Wonder Mix (only at Saturday markets this week-excluding White Lotus)
Pea Shoots!
Chard: big 'ol beautiful bunches!
Head Lettuce
Kale: Beautiful bunches

All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Cabbage: Round green heads and conical sweet wonders!
Cucumbers: Green slicers! SO tasty!
Fennel: the first tender, delicious harvest has arrived! Welcome to flavor country!
Garlic Scapes! In full force! Get ready for the most delicious pesto of the year!
Kohlrabi
Napa Cabbage! Try out our quick kimchee recipe!
Snap Peas
Radish (maybe?)
Scallions
Summer Squash: Green and Yellow Zucchini! Dense and delicious
Sweet Turnips

Herbs:
Basil
Cilantro
Dill
Mint
Parsley
Thyme
Oregano

Coming Soon:
Carrots​

​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.

Thursday: Northville

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

Friday: Stockbridge


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

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

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

The Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the Palmer Commons at 304 S. Main St.. It runs May thru October (then moves inside thru December!) from 8 am - 1 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm

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

The Royal Oak Market is an indoor market located at 316 E Eleven Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067. It runs year round from 7am - 1pm.
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Lake Divide Farm Newsletter: Lots to do! Want to work at Lake Divide?!

6/18/2019

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Picture
The first round of beets has arrived! As for the look on Helen's face: a combination of exhaustion, surprise and beet joy
Picture
We're part of the Mid-Michigan farmer group, and once a month we get together and tour each other's farms. We volunteered to host for the June meetup, it felt nice to get it out of the way before things got any crazier! It is always hard to make the time, but it is usually worth it! It's a great opportunity to learn from one another, and I have to admit to some shameful joy when I see someone else's field and get reminded that we're not the only ones with weeds, wet fields or pest pressure. It really makes me feel like part of the team, and what team it is! Thanks to everyone who made the time to swing by!
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This is our first year trellising our cucumbers, there is still some more to do, but it's really starting to look like something.
Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

Well, we clobbered most of our list this past week. So much planted, so much tended, so much harvested. It was a brief lift, followed by the next succession of urgent tasks. That is farming.
But this time of year is so rewarding. Our crop list is growing every week. We are entering the time of abundance when every time you turn around, another crop is entering its harvest window. Just a couple things that are new this week? Cucumbers and summer squash! YES!

To note:
We are  still hiring! Want to work on the farm part-time? We have one 20-30 hour/week position open.
What about full-time? We have one 40-45 hour per week position open!
Send us an email if you are interested! Or, if not you, send our information to someone you know that might be interested! Help us cast a wide net!

Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor! 
Thursday: Northville
Friday: Stockbridge
Saturday: Eastern Market, Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, White Lotus Farm Cart, Chelsea
Recipe: 
Garlic Scapes! Have you heard of the these delightfully coiled delicacies?  They are the flowering stalk garlic that emerges from the top of the plant in the early summer. It coils like a suspension spring and then, when ready to bloom, straightens up. We pick them before that happens so we get the tenderest scapes and our garlic plants can put all the energy they would have put into the flower and fruit, into forming a wonderful garlic bulb. If you haven't had them yet and you love garlic, get ready for a world of wonder! They are great grilled, in a stirfry, simply sauteed, or my favorite way-- made into pesto

Garlic Scape Pesto!
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts- toasted if desired (or almonds)
  • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes
  • Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • A few generous grinds of black pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Combine the scapes, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse about 20 times, until fairly well combined. Pour in the olive oil slowly through the feed tube while the motor is running. When the oil is incorporated, transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese. If you plan to freeze the pesto, wait to add the cheese until after you've defrosted it.

From Serious Eats
Food for thought: 
What has happened on the farm. These are the days that it starts to blur. We had a farm tour! Farmers from the area came to our farm and we walked and talked about 
I don't have a lot of time for this weeks email. We have a lengthy list of future accomplishments, much of it planting. We will be planting the last round of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and ground cherries. We will be planting another round of celery, celery root, lettuce, and salad mix. And all the while, harvest continues! With more and more crops on our list. There is so much to do, we have been pushed to a limit we didn't know existed. 
To mitigate the tension on the boundaries of our happy existence (good for the farmer), we are working on interviewing people. The end goal is to fill out our crew so that the team can work more reasonable hours. Interviewing takes a lot of time. It is a task we try to complete earlier in the year, when there is less field work going on. We don't get that luxury this year because of our ever expanding workload. It may be a planning fail, but it is a farming success, so I'll take it! With that in mind, consider if you know anyone that could be interested in working on a vegetable farm in Stockbridge. If so, tell them about us. 
Okay, I am off to the field! Wish us dexterity and speed.
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. 
(Notice our new catch phrase? We call it the trifecta of sustainability. It sounds a little cheesy but we mean it from the heart. Good for the earth: Taking care of the natural world is a important, after all, it takes care of us; Good for the farmer: We believe farmers should have livable hours and livable wages; Good for the people: We believe in food equality and bringing our produce to market at an affordable price and keeping it accessible is important to us.)
  • Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
  • We are hiring! We have 2 positions open for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
  • We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 
​Fresh From the Field!

Greens:
Arugula
Mizuna
Mustard
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekana
Salad Mix!
Baby Bok Choy
Baby Beet Greens
Microgreens: Arugula and Spicy-Wonder Mix (only at Satuday markets this week-excluding White Lotus)
Pea Shoots:  Back next week
Chard: big 'ol beautiful bunches!
Head Lettuce
Kale: Beautiful bunches

All manner of deliciousness:
Beets- loose roots
Cabbage: Round green heads 
Cucumbers: Green slicers! SO tasty!
Garlic Scapes! Just coming in. Get ready for the most delicious pesto of the year!
Kohlrabi
Napa Cabbage! Try out our quick kimchee recipe!
Snap Peas
Radish
Scallions
Summer Squash: Green and Yellow Zucchini! Dense and delicious
Sweet Turnips

Herbs:
Basil
Cilantro- maybe
Dill-maybe
Mint
Parsley
Thyme
Oregano

Coming Soon:
Carrots
Fennel

​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.

Thursday: Northville

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

Friday: Stockbridge


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

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

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

The Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the Palmer Commons at 304 S. Main St.. It runs May thru October (then moves inside thru December!) from 8 am - 1 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm

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

The Royal Oak Market is an indoor market located at 316 E Eleven Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067. It runs year round from 7am - 1pm.
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Lake Divide Farm Newsletter: Crop list increasing and skill sets too!

6/11/2019

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Picture
Here we all are for the first Lake Divide Farm 2019 staff photo! You can find this picture on our on our website too, as well as bios on the new crew!
Picture
Malcolm and Mattie were really hoping to make the cover photo of the email this week with this excellent "hangin' tough" photo. They would have made it any other week too, but a full crew photo is pretty darn rare! Sorry guys, next time! I think Lizz only added to the fun by dashing half way across the field to photo bomb them haha!
Picture
The squash in the hoophouse is really going for it! We got our first harvest of squash yesterday, more to come... lots more!
Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

Well, we clobbered most of our list this past week. So much planted, so much tended, so much harvested. It was a brief lift, followed by the next succession of urgent tasks. That is farming.
But this time of year is so rewarding. Our crop list is growing every week. We are entering the time of abundance when every time you turn around, another crop is entering its harvest window. Just a couple things that are new this week? Cucumbers and summer squash! YES!

To note:
We are  still hiring! Want to work on the farm part-time? We have 30 hour/week positions open. Send us an email if you are interested!

Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor! 
Thursday: Northville
Friday: Stockbridge
Saturday: Eastern Market, Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, White Lotus Farm Cart, Chelsea
​
Recipe: 
Swiss Chard! The spinach of the summer. With its bright and colorful leaves, silky texture, and rich flavor, Swiss chard is on the top of my favorite vegetable list. It is easy to make it delicious because that is the way it comes. It can be prepared simply, or with more flair, but no matter what, it comes out tops. 

Simple Swiss Chard: This is a recipe for Falling in Love with Swiss Chard!
I make this for stand-alone consumption, however, it mixes wonderfully with grains, beans, meat, or other vegetables.

Ingredients
  • 1 bunch chard
  • Olive Oil
  • garlic
  • onions
  • salt and pepper
Heat oil in a skillet. Rip the chard leaves from the stems and rip them into bite sized pieces. Chop the stems as well as some onion and some garlic, and toss in the oil until soft. This is a great time to add spices (ie oregano, hot pepper, salt). Add the leaves and allow them to cook down. You may want to add more liquid and cover to steam the greens faster. You can use water, or if you want to adda zippy zest to the dish, you could use wine, lemon juice, or your favorite vinegar. When complete, it is ready to eat! Toss it with some pickled beets and feta! Put it on some toast! Poach an egg! ! Eat it just how it is!

Getting fancy: If I am eating them with beans I will toss in a can in when I am adding the liquid. If I am including a grain (like bulgar) I will toss that in with the appropriate amount of liquid and allow the grain to cook with the chard. 

Food for thought: 
I don't know if you saw the picture of our team in our social media post, so we are including it in this email. We are so proud of them and glad to be working with them. They each have unique interests in farming and bring their individual skill sets and experiences to the farm, making the farm a better place. You can find out more about them on our website's Lake Divide Farm Team page.
There is so much to know on any farm. Its funny how many different ways there are to do every task- from bunching kale (bunch size, technique, post-harvest handling), to weeding (which tool to use, how many weeds to pull, how fast to go). And at every farm, these tasks are done differently. And because we work with living systems things are constantly changing. There is a lot of gray area on the farm that requires interpreting the data and making a decision based on what is there rather than what would be ideal. Given this, I am sure it is not a leap to imagine that there is a lot of training involved in order to level up farm workers to the point of being able to complete tasks without oversight.
This represents a lot of work on the managers end- stating information clearly, working alongside and watching, offering corrections and advice, recognizing struggles and miscommunications and so on. But the harder job, in my opinion, is taking all that information in and making something out of it. It is not possible to remember everything off the bat. Absorbing so much, while remaining open to corrections and not taking them personally, striving to do better, asking for help, all while your body adapts to the challenges of physically intense work in sometimes less than ideal conditions is an extreme undertaking. Our crew is working really hard to learn our farm and they are succeeding. They are leveling up fast and we couldn't be happier. Give them a big thank you when you see them at market because this farm just wouldn't run without them.

We will see you at market this week with all the bounty we have gathered!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. 
(Notice our new catch phrase? We call it the trifecta of sustainability. It sounds a little cheesy but we mean it from the heart. Good for the earth: Taking care of the natural world is a important, after all, it takes care of us; Good for the farmer: We believe farmers should have livable hours and livable wages; Good for the people: We believe in food equality and bringing our produce to market at an affordable price and keeping it accessible is important to us.)
  • Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
  • We are hiring! We have 2 part-time position open for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
  • We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 
Picture
Our snap peas are making their first appearance this week
Picture
This is the planting that has been producing all the cut green that we have been bringing to market the past few weeks. As you can see, they have all gone to flower, it's pretty glorious really! This is natural part of the plants life cycle and signifies the plant reaching maturity. When they get to this stage their flavor and leaf production changes dramatically. Plants can race to maturity early, sometimes even before we've had a chance to harvest their delicious leaves. This is caused primarily by day length increases, heat and water stresses are also significant contributing factors. At this point we'll move on from this planting, the organic matter will be disked in, and cover crop will be seeded. Farewell BG1 (Brassica Greens Planting #1)
Picture
Thanks to Cody and Sean's tireless efforts, Brassica Greens Planting #2 is ready to step up to the plate!
Picture
Scallions Have arrived and Lizz couldn't be happier! There has been a rumor going around the farm that people in NJ call scallions, scrallions. I grew up in NJ, and I can honestly say I've never had a scrallion. Have to admit though, we've all taken a shine to scrallions, it's just kinda fun to say... Scrrrrralions. Makes us feel a little bit like pirates ;)
Fresh From the Field!
There are a lot of vegetables just around the corner. Get ready for the avalanche! 

Transplants!
Peppers (Later in the week)
Tomatoes
Herbs

Greens:
Arugula
Mizuna
Mustard
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekana
Salad Mix!
Baby Bok Choy
Baby Beet Greens
Microgreens: Arugula and Spicy-Wonder Mix (only at Satuday markets this week-excluding White Lotus)
Pea Shoots:  (At all markets excluding White Lotus)
Chard: big 'ol beautiful bunches!
Head Lettuce
Kale: Beautiful bunches

All manner of deliciousness:
Cucumbers: Green slicers! SO tasty!
Kohlrabi:! This first harvest falls on a Eastern Market customers birthday! Come on out for it friend!
Peas! Snap Snap Snap peas are Back Back Back!
Radish! Oh boy do I have some good radish recipes. Not just for salads, y'all.
Scallions
Summer Squash: Green and Yellow Zucchini! Dense and delicious
Sweet Turnips- may be limited as our next planting comes in.

Herbs:Chives with blossoms
Mint
Thyme
Oregano

Coming Soon:Cilantro
Dill
Parsley
Beets
Fennel
Garlic Scapes- It won't be long now until those tasty, twisty, wild flavors re-enter our lives!
Napa Cabbage

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.

Thursday: Northville

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

Friday: Stockbridge


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

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

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

The Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the Palmer Commons at 304 S. Main St.. It runs May thru October (then moves inside thru December!) from 8 am - 1 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm

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

The Royal Oak Market is an indoor market located at 316 E Eleven Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067. It runs year round from 7am - 1pm.
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Lake Divide Farm Newsletter: All 8 markets this week! The rain has us running behind, but boy are we running!

6/4/2019

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Picture
Mattie and Janet are doing the first harvest of baby swiss chard! Special "shout out" to Sean and Cody who weeded all the chard yesterday, great work guys!
Picture
The summer armada is on its way! There is still a lot of planting to do to finish this grouping of fields, but the rain has made it difficult to get things planted out on schedule. We've got high hopes for today though!
Picture
Head-Let-us have a good time eating some head lettuce
Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

Well, after this Tuesday storm, it looks like we won't be seeing any rain until the end of July! Just joking, but in all seriousness, isn't that how it works? But with the schedule mostly cleared of rain, we are hoping to whip around the curve this week, look over our shoulder and see those daunting tasks  becoming distant in our dust. 
These aggressive amounts of water and cooler temperatures are pushing planting dates later into the season for farmers across the Midwest. I would say that our farm has been lucky so far. We are nowhere near as inundated as some of the farms that have been hit by more storms and have lower lying fields. Please remember to be kind to any farmers you see. This is a very intense and stressful time of year for most farmers, being at the mercy of the whims of the weather. This extreme and unusual weather has done nothing to help the situation. . 

To note:
We are  still hiring! Want to work on the farm part-time? We have 30 hour/week positions open. Send us an email if you are interested!

Find us at the following markets from now on:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor! WE will be THERE! Go visit Jim tomorrow!
Thursday: Northville
Friday: Stockbridge
Saturday: Eastern Market, Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, White Lotus Farm Cart, Chelsea
Recipe: 
Fresh herbs have potency of flavor, antioxidants, and nutrients. But what to do with them? My go to is to hang them to dry and then crunch the bunch to add them when I am cooking. This is pretty easy. All you have to do is loosen the rubber band, if needed and spread the stems out so they have a little room, then hang it on something. Boom. That's it. 
I also love the intensity of flavor when added to a salad. Oregano is a favorite of mine. I mince it and mix it in when I add the olive oil.
Dressings are another really common application and they are so easy to make. Below is a recipe I found online, but honestly, a fresh herb, an oil, an acid, plus some salt = dressing to die for.

Fresh Oregano Dressing
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced shallot
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
In a bowl, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, honey, salt, thyme leaves, garlic, and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil, then stir in oregano leaves. Let dressing sit at least 10 minutes for flavors to blend. Mix one more time before using (dressing won't be completely blended).
From My Recipes

Food for thought: 
We are making choices. With so much to do and limited time and resources, you always have to make choices. What is the most important? What won't offer a return? What is easy enough to get the ball rolling?
This week I will feel happy if we :
Harvest and attend all of our markets.
Put the finishing touches on some beds that will be planted this week.
Set up the irrigation running to all the areas that we will plant within the next few days.
Plant the sweet potatoes (yay! now just another 3.5 months and we can eat them again!)
Finish planting round 2 of peppers.
Plant the ginger! It is looking great and I can't wait to put it in the ground.
Direct seed bunch of succession crops- radishes and lettuce mostly
Plant the wintersquash.
Move the ground preparation forward while the goings good so that we can put final round of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and ground cherries in the ground. 
There are some finer points in there, but at this point, some broad stroke accomplishments are what will make us feel okay. 
That is a looming list.  And there are more things that I want to put on it. But matching expectations with reality is one of the keys to happiness. So here we make a choice too. We choose to be happy. We will accept what we are able to do. Know that we are doing our very best to tackle a colossal undertaking and work. 
Every steep forward is movement. 
By the time  we make it to our Saturday markets, we will be able to say how it went. Root for us and come see us there. 
 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. 
(Notice our new catch phrase? We call it the trifecta of sustainability. It sounds a little cheesy but we mean it from the heart. Good for the earth: Taking care of the natural world is a important, after all, it takes care of us; Good for the farmer: We believe farmers should have livable hours and livable wages; Good for the people: We believe in food equality and bringing our produce to market at an affordable price and keeping it accessible is important to us.)
  • Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 
  • We are hiring! We have 2 part-time position open for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information. 
  • We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details.

Picture
Helen is here tending our "hardening off" area. Once plants have grown large enough to leave the greenhouse, we move them to this area just beside the greenhouse where they can adjust to the environment, while still being in hose distance of their old home.
Picture
The squash is squashing, brace for deliciousness
Picture
I didn't get it right away, maybe you will? Apparently Lizz's new field hat has inspired a serious of Washington crossing the Delaware re-enactments on harvest days
Fresh From the Field!
There are a lot of vegetables just around the corner. Get ready for the avalanche! 

Transplants!
Peppers (Later in the week)
Herbs
Cabbage
Squash!

Greens:
Microgreens: Spicy-Wonder Mix (At all markets excluding White Lotus)
Pea Shoots:  (At all markets excluding White Lotus)
Chard: tender baby leaves for braising and enjoying. 
Head Lettuce
Kale: Beautiful bunches
Mizuna: Limited
Mustard: Limited
Tokyo Bekana
Salad Mix!

All manner of deliciousness:
Maybe Cucumbers: Green slicers on the verge of pickable.
Radish: They will be back next week, if not this one.
Maybe Summer Squash: Green and Yellow Zucchini is just starting to consider being ready.
Sweet Turnips!!!

Herbs:
Mint
Thyme
Oregano

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.

Thursday: Northville

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

Friday: Stockbridge


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

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

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

The Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the Palmer Commons at 304 S. Main St.. It runs May thru October (then moves inside thru December!) from 8 am - 1 pm.

The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from  6am – 4pm

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

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