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Lake Divide Farm Newsletter: Breaking things, the saga continues, plus, dry, plus insight into August for a vegetable farmer.

7/25/2018

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Picture
Helen in the Case posing for a pic right after the tie rod tired of being a team player. It stuck it out pretty good.
It is hard to believe, but the last chance to plant for 2018 yields happens for several crops over the next couple weeks, among them carrots, cabbage, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. We are hustling to get them in the ground. Some of them, from transplants, others seeded directly into the earth. One thing that has tripped our hustle, adding to the saga of everything breaking, the tie rod on our Case 695, the big tractor, broke, leaving us without the ability to steer and preventing us from carrying out the final ground preparation required for planting. It was a break that was a long time coming but it certainly did pick an inconvenient time to do it. Jim has already ordered the replacement part, which didn't set us back too badly and has done the required reading to carry out the repair.
We count on our 695 for plowing, discing, incorporating nutrients and seeds, pulling the transplanter, pulling the wagon, and some cultivation. Just before the tie rod broke, we had spread the sudan grass that we talked about last week. We did it with the hand spinners because the farmall has been having issues with its hydraulics. More on that later. But for spreading seed, Lizz and I marched around the field like drummers in band. From a distance, I caught a glimpse of Lizz, and realized it really isn't apparent what is being done. Get closer and you hear the sound of the seed hitting the spinner, the whirring of it as it spins, and the sound of the seed being flung out 15 feet to either side. With the seed spread, I set out on the Case with the disc attached, to incorporate it. That was when the tie rod broke. So, our seed is laying on top of rough soil when it wants to be 1 to 2 inches in the soil and it is vulnerable. A giant flock of blackbirds has been frequenting the field, devouring seed as though we laid a feast out before them. I hate to think about the rate of consumption. I find myself wishing for a hard rain, something a vegetable farmer rarely wishes for, just so the water could wash the seed into the soil. Or no rain, another uncommon wish when it is so dry, just so the seed doesn't germinate on the surface and struggle to thrive. It looks like we are getting the no rain pseudo wish which doesn't really feel great. 
Throughout the week, Jim has been diligently working away at learning and making repairs. In the last week, he has moved forward the hydraulic issue with the farmall to a place where the tractor is usable; repaired a small hydraulic leak in the Case; replaced the hydraulic hoses on the disc, where an unfortunate crunching had befallen some of the fittings, making them high risk for future abrupt failure; read about and ordered the parts to repair the Case's tie rod and prepared himself to carry out the replacement when the part comes in; and fixed the tail lights and rust on the market van. All this in addition to carrying out his routine farmbligations- payroll, greenhouse, farmers markets and more. 
It starts to feel personal when everything keeps breaking on me. Admittedly some of it is a learning curve but most of it is that we are putting old equipment to hard use. I am so grateful that Lake Divide has a dedicated repair person and rapidly leveling up mechanic- Jim. It means that I can keep pushing the field work forward and stay focused on production while he gets our equipment back online. Being on his team helps me take things in stride, but it is still stressful. With the planting deadlines for fall crops fast approaching, the lack of water, and other minor breaks in addition to the big ones, it is easy to feel mired in the work before you work. Here is a reminder to future Helen and anyone that knows a vegetable farmer: July is hard. August is a little harder. Nothing ever happens just how it is supposed to and everything needs to happen at the same time. And because nothing happens just right and everything needs to happen at the same time, that means that everything thing is happening just a little off kilter all at once. There are lots of event paths that need slight navigational adjustments, which takes time, attention, and energy. It is hectic. It is okay to feel tired. Hopefully, once this rash of breakdowns subsides, we will feel a little less overwhelmed, but even without them, this time of year is a real challenge. I am reminding myself, it is only about six weeks to get through. By the time the second week of September rolls around, things will slow and we can ease up a little too. 
 
And a market note! We are trying out the Northville market this Thursday. It runs from 8 am to 3 pm and has lots and lots of amazing vendors. There is fruit, meat, cheese, arts, vegetables, flowers, and even a knife sharpener! The address is 195 Main St, Northville, MI 48167. Feel free to come check it out with us.

Farm on, farm positive! Even in all this, I can't think of anything I would rather be doing. Because I am too tired to think, you say? NO! Because I love what I do! See you at markets.
Picture
Jim installed new hydraulic lines for the disc. After we discovered a minor leak on one of the fittings, we decided it would be best to avoid certain inconveniences and possible injury by going ahead and replacing the lines.
Picture
Things break and we try to roll with it. Here is a picture of the tie rod hanging loose from the tire. You really can't steer without that! We were just grateful it didn't happen in the dippy field but instead on the shores of the great cultivation.
​See you at market!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers


Fresh From the Field!

Greens:Baby Head lettuce: LIMITED- Butterhead, green leaf, red leaf, summer crisp, and romaine, mixed and bunched
Kale: flat leaf, green curly, and red curly
Microgreens: Spicy and mild. 
Shoots: Lite in the beginning of the week and heavier toward the end of the week. We are admittedly still working out the kinks.
Salad Mix: Still LIMITED but showing improvements. We should be back in full salad by next week.
Swiss Chard
Herbs: 
Basil- it is pesto time!!
Cilantro
Dill and dill flowers
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Sage- Have you tried fried sage? Heat up some olive oil and flash fry those big flat leaves. Toss them in some salt- SAGE CHIPS!!
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
Broccoli: LIMITED
Carrots!
Cabbage and Napa cabbage. Have you ever made a stir-fry with napa cabbage? I really recommend it.
Garlic nice and fresh
Eggplant: LIMITED- Still coming to its full potential.
Fennel
Kohlrabi
Onions? This could be the week we bring some tasty tiny onions to market.
Peppers: LIMITED- Green bell peppers, a touch of hot peppers, and maybe a few shishitos!
Tomatoes: Really coming into their own this week. Tomato sale season will be upon us before we know it!
Summer squash- get ta grillin!
Sunflowers!

​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: Northville
The Northville farmers market is located at 195 Main St, Northville, MI 48167. The market runs from May thru October from 8 am to 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 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: Helen breaks things, Jim fixes them

7/18/2018

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Picture
Break a plow, buy a plow, break that plow, fix it, break the repaired plow, fix the plow etc
Plowing was a real ordeal this last week. That's what I get for acting like I had it figured out. Honestly, I don't even want to get into it. Broke original plow on a rock, purchase a new old plow (and went to pick it up), broke an integral part, fixed said integral part, broke the part again, made work around, over heated the tractor- causing worry but no damage. Bottom line? We got it done and running fine now and took the opportunity to get a lot of ground ready to accept seeds and plants. What better to carry out our intricate cover cropping plan for the fall. It will hopefully leave our spring ground in ideal planting condition and the ground that will not be worked in lush green.
What else are we doing this week? Playing catch up! The plow incident of 2018 took several days of our time and some of our morale. To top it off, there was one sprained ankle and one crew member on a well planned excursion. Even so, we brought in all our garlic which is now curing in the barn, and carried on with harvest, irrigating, and planting.
So this week, we hope to whip our weeds into shape, put up the caterpillar tunnel for our cucumbers, seed some sudan grass cover crop, and get another big round of fall crops in the ground. On that list, another round of kale, chard, cabbage, roots, carrots, salad mix and more! It is kind of terrifying to put any new plants out there in to the dry, dry world. The challenge of irrigating what we already has is like trying to evenly fill ten cups with holes in the bottoms, while juggling and eating spaghetti. We could use some rain. All of the raucous thunderstorms of Monday swung North and South, past our farm. We got one spray from the bottle -- a dust settler -- , which made plowing more bearable (dust storm doesn't feel good in the heart or the eyes), but didn't give our plants and soil the deep drink they really need. 
As far as markets go, we regrettably inform you that we will not be attending the Jackson market any longer. There was not enough business to keep the balance even. That being said, we are in the market for a market. It is a strange time of year to do that. Most markets already have their vendors picked out. We will keep you updated.
Farming into the future! And enjoying the lightening bugs as we go!
Picture
Helen plowing the buckwheat into the delicious soil
Picture
Field complete! Sundan grass will be seeded here. It produces extensive biomass. We will mow it several times and then allow it to grow tall before winter. When winter arrives, it will perish in the cold and we will lay it flat on the ground. The plan is that we will have created a mulch thick enough that in the spring we can plant right into it without a worry of weeds. We shall see...
See you at market!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers


Fresh From the Field!

Greens:Baby Head lettuce: Butterhead, green leaf, red leaf, summer crisp, and romaine, mixed and bunched
Kale: flat leaf, green curly, and red curly
Microgreens: Spicy and mild. 
Shoots: Lite in the beginning of the week and heavier toward the end of the week. We are admittedly still working out the kinks.
Salad Mix: LIMITED - This dry weather in combination with deer pressure has our previous salad mix planting screaming uncle. Luckily, the following planting isn't so concerned. Give us a wee or two and we will be flush with mixed lettuce once again! 
Swiss Chard
Herbs: 
Basil- it is pesto time!!
Cilantro
Dill
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Sage- Have you tried fried sage? Heat up some olive oil and flash fry those big flat leaves. Toss them in some salt- SAGE CHIPS!!
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
Broccoli: LIMITED
NEW: Carrots! Well, they are back anyway!
Cucumbers
Cabbage
Garlic nice and fresh
Eggplant: LIMITED- Still coming to its full potential.
Fennel
Kohlrabi
Peppers: LIMITED- Green bell peppers, a touch of hot peppers, and maybe a few shishitos!
Tomatoes: A handful of slicers and cherry tomatoes. LIMITED, but not for a limited time! 
Summer squash- Go squash crazy now folks! The season is upon us!
Sunflowers!
​
​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.

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: Dry as a desert, garlic coming in, and plowing...

7/11/2018

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Picture
Lizz and Brianna Hangin out with the freshly harvested garlic in little barn
We are entering what I am coming to know as the dry season. It has been almost two week since we received any rain and it is quite apparent. The farm drives between fields are loose sand and we have been diligently moving irrigation lines around doing our best to provide adequate moisture for our plants. It was a lot harder to do when the temperature were in the nineties every day. At least this coming week the highs are in the eighties and the drop to the sixties at night, keeping evaporation rates lower. 

The dry weather is good for something though: harvesting and curing garlic! You know your garlic is ready to come in when the bottom three to five leaves dry out completely. Almost all of the varieties we are growing this year are exhibiting those signs. Our hope is that this week we will pull all of the garlic that is ready and get it curing in in the barn, protected from sun and rain. In ideal temperature, humidity, airflow conditions, it takes approximately two weeks but it is important for the bulbs to dry completely for ultimate storage potential! While the garlic cures, it continues to take nutrients and oils from the leaves while the roots pull out moisture. Once cured, we trim them up and tuck them away to be enjoyed for as long as our supplies last. Even better news is that we don't have to wait for our garlic to cure to eat it. This week at market we will have uncured garlic, the juiciest and most poignant garlic you will ever taste. Sometimes I cut off the top, pour a little olive oil in and roast the heads whole! When they are finished, I spread the resulting smooth garlic over bread and enjoy a fully decadent snack. 

Garlic harvest is a sure sign that summer is upon us. It goes with so many of the things that we have already. A garlicky gazpacho with cucumbers and mint. Cabbage, light tossed in a hot pan with garlic, peanuts and a shredded apple. Zucchini sliced and stir-fried with minced garlic. Uhm, everything? Basil pesto. Roasted garlic eggplant. We are all about to increase the decadence of our plates. 
We are also in the process of plowing down the buckwheat that we seeded about a month ago. It really is a fast cover crop. I am excited to do it because I recently had my most successful plow event yet and feel that I am finally getting the hang of the implement. There are a lot of adjustments to make to the plow when using it. It needs to be positioned behind the tractor just right, with the right angle so the shares bite into the earth just right but not too much, and the right tilt so both shares go into the ground evenly, regardless of the cockeyed angle of the tractor due to the fact that both tires on one side of the tractor have to sit in the trench just dug by the plow. It is also important to go at the right speed allowing the earth to flip over just right, leaving the underside facing up and the upside facing down. And there is the real gold of the situation. We will be taking our cover crop, plowing it as it stands and all that plant material that has captured carbon and nutrients, will then provide food for our soil microbes, our plants, and increase the organic matter content of our soil which will increase water retention (to help in dry times such as these) and nutrient holding capacity. Anyway, I think I finally got the adjustment right. When I looked back at the fields I plowed last week, rather than looking like cardboard waves from an old theater set, the ground is relatively smooth topped. The ride finalizing the preparations won't be nearly as bumpy as the last time when a seatbelt was required to keep me at least partly in the driver's seat.

You can look forward to lots of summery goodness in the coming weeks. Our tomatoes are coming into season. So are peppers and hot peppers plus a feast for our eyes: sunflowers!
Picture
Buckwheat hard at work in the field
See you at market!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers


Fresh From the Field!

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: Lite in the beginning of the week and heavier toward the end of the week. We are admittedly still working out the kinks.
Salad Mix
Swiss Chard
Herbs: 
Basil- it is pesto time!!
Cilantro
Dill
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Sage- Have you tried fried sage? Heat up some olive oil and flash fry those big flat leaves. Toss them in some salt- SAGE CHIPS!!
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
NEW: Beans? We shall see
Broccoli- LIMITED
Cucumbers- Gazpacho anyone? Here is a link to a recipe. Not vetted thoroughly so if you know a better one, please share!
Cabbage
NEW: Garlic!!! Oh my gosh GARLIC!! Yay!!
Eggplant: LIMITED- Still coming to its full potential.
Fennel
Kohlrabi
NEW: Peppers: Green bell peppers, a touch of hot peppers, and maybe a few shishitos!
Tomatoes: A handful of slicers and cherry tomatoes. LIMITED, but not for a limited time! 
Summer squash- Go squash crazy now folks! The season is upon us!
NEW: Sunflowers! Make your life lively with the proven joy-bringing power of a sunflower

​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: Irrigate, hot hot hot, and a trickle of tomatoes!

7/3/2018

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Picture
Exie the dog agreed to pose for a picture but refused to joyously gallop through the sprinklers. I can't really blame her!

It was hot! So very hot! We are glad it has cooled down a touch but most of our plants would still call it hot. It is also dry. We have been irrigating like clockwork, rotating through your future crops trying to keep them well watered. This means moving lines, moving sprinklers, adjusting valves, keeping track, connecting lines, connecting sprinklers, enjoying the sprinklers, making sure the are sprinkling the right spots (us when we are lucky or unlucky as the case may be.)

It is a good thing we figured out that we need to run irrigation on freshly seeded carrots and beets. Believe it or not, the carrots we seeded last week, the same varieties that take up to four weeks to germinate in the cooler months, were up in under a week! So fast!

What else have we been doing? We put the shade cloth on the greenhouse. In the winter we love how the sun transforms our greenhouse in to a tropical oasis in the midst of a frigid landscape. Now? We bead up with sweat just thinking about heading in there. And our plants don't feel too great about it either! Now that we pulled this netting over the house, some of the sunlight is filtered out and it is cooler for our germinating seeds that prefer not to experience 100 plus degrees.

We have been tending our impending solanaceous crops: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. I have a great feeling about them this year. And I don't want to get you too excited but we have a trickle of tomatoes rolling into market this week. Not a lot. Just enough to let you know what is coming. 

And as promised, we are now neck deep in squash and cucumbers. We have so many they are going on sale.
 
Cucumbers: Buy 2 pounds or more and the price drops to $1.75 per pound. More than 5 pounds? The price plummets to just $1.50 per pound! Pickle them, make yogurt, dill, cucumber salads, put them in your water, put them on your eyes. Eat them! 

Squash: Buy 2 pounds or more and the price drops to $1.75 per pound. More than 5 pounds? The price plummets to just $1.50 per pound! Make fritters or put them on the grill, make a stylin sandwich or shred them and freeze them for a taste of summer later. Saute them with some basil. Get a big one and make a zucchini boat and sail to taste bud bliss. It is summer my friend!
Either way, we are into the good times now! Make sure to include us in your independence day celebrations! Come to market and get some of our vegetables to show off to your friends! I know they would be impressed and refreshed by a cucumber salad and a zucchini boat!

We will be at all our regular haunts this week with the exception of the Jackson Green Market, which we are sorry to say is cancelled for the holiday. Hope to see you at market!

Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

Picture
Here is the greenhouse adorned in a shade cloth. Keeping cool greenhouse workers and plants alike! I always feel like we are on a ship once the cover is on.
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: Sunflower shoots early in the week and both sunflower and pea shoots towards the end!
Swiss Chard
Herbs: 
Basil
Cilantro
Dill
Mint
Oregano
Parsley-basically good in anything and very nutrient dense
Sage
Thyme
Roots: 
Radishes- limited
All manner of deliciousness:
Cucumbers- Build an edible and refreshing log cabin from our delectable cucumbers!
Cabbage
Garlic scapes- pesto, pickles, stirfry, roasted, is there anything these delightful flowering stalks can't make deliciously?
NEW: EGGPLANT! We can't believe it either! It is coming in now and there will be more and more and more!
Baby Fennel
Kohlrabi
Peas: Limited
NEW: Tomatoes: A handful of slicers and cherry tomatoes. LIMITED, but not for a limited time! This is just the beginning of what we hope to be a long and bountiful tomato season!
Summer squash- Go squash crazy now folks! The season is upon us!

​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- Cancelled July 5th and will resume the following week
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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