It is hot.
We got wild rain. More than 5"!
I can't believe it is July. Whizzing whizzing whizzing by.
Fourth of July this weekend. Celebrate our country! Support growth! Support Change! Support each other!
Take note- there is no Eastern Market This week! Here is the reasoning behind it: "There are two reasons for this decision:
First, our front-line personnel deserve a proper break after months of continuous effort to keep the market open and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our staff members have continued to operate the Saturday Market while staffing new options including a drive-thru market on Tuesdays and curbside pickup options for Saturdays and Flower Season. In addition, Eastern Market staff is now packing 2,300 boxes of fresh produce every week for free distribution through a variety of social service organizations. The pace has been hectic and a break to recharge ourselves for the coming months is necessary.
Second, on the occasion of celebrating the Declaration of Independence, we encourage all to take some time from busy schedules to consider how we as citizens might work together to forge a better nation."
Makes sense to me! If you are needing vegetables and usually head to Eastern, consider going to Royal Oak where Kathryn and Annie have the the bounty!
In this email:
- Generally important notes.
- Market Details-
- No Eastern this weekend
- Get your order for Ann Arbor Wednesday in today!
- Curbside pick-ups in AA must be retrieved by Noon on market day.
- Notes from the farm and an opportunity to contribute to the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund!
- Fresh From the Field- What are we bringing to market this week?
- Ordering: How to register with Local Line
Generally Important Notes:
- There is a small pre-ordering window for Ann Arbor Wednesday. Ordering opens now and goes until midnight tonight (Tuesday 6/30)
- FARM MEMBERS! I love you.
- If you see that there are no dates available to order and it is not between Tuesday PM after the email and Thursday at midnight, that is because ordering is not open. Don't be alarmed! It will be open during those times.
- If you know that you are going to be shopping with us this season and are not yet a farm member, I encourage you to consider signing up for our Farm Membership. It is low risk (your balance won't expire) and it has a great effect on our farm, especially in this labor intensive time of year while the crops are slowly ramping up. Find more information about that here. I also want to thank all the people that have already joined our farm-ly. You are knitting together a strange spring and keeping us u[lifted.
Market Details: Pick-up locations and times. Only Change this week is online ordering for Ann Arbor Wednesday. On site vegetable sales for all markets.
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Wednesday with Lizz! 7 am to 3 pm, Pre-ordering, curbside pick-up, On site vegetables sales! Pre-ordering from Tuesday afternoon until Tuesday midnight.
All orders must be picked up by 1 pm. All curbside orders must be picked up by 12 pm.
The market runs until 3 pm but we may leave early so it is important that you pick up your order by 1 pm.
For curbside pick-up: Email us to let us know. On market day, pull up and park along Detroit street and tell a volunteer your name and that you are picking up an order from Lake Divide.
Check out the A2 website for information on what to expect.
Northville, Thursday with Kathryn! 8 am- 3 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, on site vegetables!
Ordering will be open from Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday at 3:30 pm
If you would like curbside pick-up, please include a note with your order indicating so. We will email you with a phone number to text (call if needed, text preferred) when you arrive to pick-up your order.
Stockbridge, Friday with Malcolm! 4 pm- 7 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, on site vegetables!
We will be at the market with your orders from 4 pm to 7 pm!
We may have some produce available for direct purchase.
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Saturday with Alyssa: 7 am to 3 pm, pre-order walk-up or curbside pick-up, on site vegetables!. All orders must be picked up by 1 pm.
The market runs until 3 pm but we may leave early so it is important that you pick up your order by 1 pm.
All orders must be picked up by 1 pm. All curbside orders must be picked up by 12 pm.
For curbside pick-up: Email us to let us know. On market day, pull up and park along Detroit street and tell a volunteer your name and that you are picking up an order from Lake Divide.
Check out the A2 website for information on what to expect.
Eastern, Saturday- NO EASTERN MARKET THIS SATURDAY!
Royal Oak, Saturday with Kathryn and Annie! 7 am to 1 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, onsite purchases.
Find us inside in our usual spot.
*If you feel strongly or need to have a trunk pick-up because you are high risk, please email me and I can arrange to have your order dropped at your car. I will email you the instructions Friday after all orders are in.
Farmington, Saturday with Helen! 9 am to 2 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, onsite purchases.
Thanks for the warm welcome at Farmington! We appreciate it. Even with the strange COVID year, we can tell that the Farmington Market Community is one to be happy to belong to.
Notes from the Farm:
We are still hustling and bustling. That was a boat load of rain we got on Friday. We knew a storm a was brewing but geez, 5.5" of rain is quite a lot at once. What does it mean for the farm? With that much rain, the soil becomes saturated. It affects the plants ability to take up the things it needs to grow. It affects is air exchange.
Bare soil is also vulnerable to a rain like that. The water collects and swooshes the soil away! That is why we always do our best to keep our soil covered and safe. We have fields of rye- going to seed! and rows of uncultivated plants holding the ground in place.
That is one reason that rain wasn't devastating. The soil was covered and we really needed the water. Looking ahead, I see an endless line up of hot hot sunny days. That should be sufficient to soak up the water and get things back to balanced. Perhaps we should consider it a recharge.
On another note, have you ever heard of a food desert: "an urban area in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food." One of our goals (Good for the People) is to make sure that good food is accessible and affordable across socio-economic boundaries. One way that we do this is by (trying to reach a scale)/growing at a scale that allows us to keep our prices reasonable. But it takes many hands to make a community. Even better than bringing products in from the outside is to remove barriers, support, and empower folks to grow (continue growing) the food themselves.
In 2018, there were 19 areas the Michigan Department of Agriculture labeled as food deserts. Here is an interesting article on the subject. There are quite a few urban farms in Detroit actively working on this problem. This Fund Raiser is geared towards giving these farmers tenure so they can continue growing food and providing food security for their communities.
Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund
Background info from their site:
Black farmers in Detroit face increased barriers to land ownership. We see this in our day to day interactions with black growers who are unable to purchase the property they are growing on. This is land where black farmers and gardeners grow produce to serve neighbors, families, and the community as a whole. Oftentimes, the funding to buy the land is the only barrier. We have to change this, and we believe now is the time. With an increase in development in the city, we seek to support these growers with the capital they need to become land secure. We are reaching out to our community to support this effort in a show of cooperative economics and collective responsibility.
In collaboration, the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN), Oakland Avenue Urban Farm, and Keep Growing Detroit have created the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund.
Even if you don't contribute to the gofund me for the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund, learning about and sharing information food deserts an barriers for Black Farmers is a good way to contribute.
All the best to you and your family.
Helen and the team.
Lake Divide Farm: 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.
Fresh From the Field!
Greens:
Cabbage- just starting to come in! Round Green and a touch of the wondrous cone cabbage!
Cabbage- Napa
Head Lettuce- Cute romaines of red and green
Kale- Green Curly, Red Curly, Red Russian, Siber Frills
Microgreens! Mustard Mix & Just Arugula
Pea Shoots
Salad Mix- Delicious mix of loose leaf lettuces!
Swiss Chard- It is aces I tells ya! Aces!
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets at long last! With luscious greens
Baby Carrots- sweet and petite! Bring joy and health to your hearts!
Kohlrabi- Round, cruchy, sweet, juicy.
Garlic Scapes
Scallions
Summer Squash- just coming in. This will be the last week it is limited.
Sweet Salad Turnips! These turnips are to die for and the greens are out of this world.
Herbs:
Basil!
Mint
Oregano
Parlsey
Sage
Thyme
Coming Soon:
Cucumbers are going to lumber into our path sooner than later
Cherry tomatoes
Green Peppers
Green Garlic