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Lake Divide Farm Newsletter: Part-time work available + Hauling in the good stuff!

9/26/2018

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Picture
Fall plantings are on line and in line!
Picture
Caught this beautiful sky when a big storm slid by our southern border

​Well, if you were dreaming of participating in the farmwork at Lake Divide Farm, wait no longer! We are currently looking for a part-time worker to help fill in with the fall haul. It involves lifting heavy things, some harvest, some construction, some weeding, and a lot of positive attitude. If you think this is something that you could be interested in and that you are ready for the physical challenge, send us an email and we can talk details. Additionally, if you know someone that could be up to the task, don't hesitate to pass along our information.
With that out of the way, let me say, all the cover crop we seeded a few weeks back came up! It came up before the rain of last Thursday! I was anxious about seeding it because at the time there was no rain forecasted for a week. And it was true, not a drop fell. But it was foggy so there was some moisture deposition. And the soil was moist. The words of a friend echoed in my mind reassuring me: Better to plant into moist soil with no rain forecast than dry soil before a heavy rain. Of course this leaves out all the other weather variations a possibilities but small comforts offer great ease. And then of course, there is the fact that it worked. I am going to wait until it is a little more manifested before posting a picture but it bodes well for the coming year.
This rain that we have been having is great for our greens. I was left with an amount of greens after markets came and went last week and decided to indulge. I made a massive batch of Saag! A common dish from "the Indian subcontinent" , it is one of the easiest and tastiest cook greens dishes that can be made. Minced onions and garlic, spices (ginger, cumin, turmeric, corriander, salt- really any of the spices that you like), some fat (oil, butter, etc), finely chopped greens of any type (mustard, tokyo bekana, tatsoi, mizuna, and/or arugula are all great choices). Heat the oil, add the onions and spices and cook until fragrant and soft. Add the greens, stirring as they soften. You may need to add a little water but I have found the greens release plenty of water to keep things from sticking. After the greens have cooked down, simmer for at least ten minutes. You can pulse the mixture in a food processor or a blender to smooth it a little. It can be eaten with bread, cheese, meat, etc. This is how I was taught to make it at market, like most things I learn to cook. I love it because it it easy and delicious and healthy. We have almost all the things you need to make it.
On the farm we are working on winter preparations. We are pulling summer crops from hoop houses so we can get those winter plantings in. These decreased daylight hours mean less time for work for us, but also for the plants. A week late planting now could mean a month or two late harvesting in the winter, unlike the lax summer months. But the good news is, although we have to keep our hustle up, we are on track!
We are also working on pulling our sweet potatoes from the ground. They are looking great! We planted three varieties this year. Garnet with red skin and orange flesh, best described as succulent. Murasaki, a Japanese variety with purple skin and white flesh, has dry meat and a nutty flavor. And our old favorite Orleans, with its rose skin and bright orange flesh. I know this variety well and it is sweet and wonderful. The others, I have yet to try and as usual, I will be looking for feedback from you! So, come try them at market. They aren't ready yet though. Before they become the sweet candy vegetable that we know and love, they must cure for 7-10 days in a warm, humid environment. How inconvenient for a fall harvest right? Just more proof that this is a Southern plant with warmer preferences than our Mitten usually offers. Even so, we have done what we can to make them feel at home and you should start looking for them at market in two weeks time!

And with that, we're off! See you in the future!
 See you at market!
Jim writing for the Lake Dviders 


Fresh From the Field!

Greens:Arugula
Mizuna
Mustard
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekana- Bok Choi lettuce!
Kale: flat leaf, green curly, and red curly
Microgreens: Spicy and mild. 
Salad mix!!!
Shoots: Sunflower and pea!
Swiss Chard- limited while it reaches capacity
Herbs: 
Cilantro and Dill
Mint
Oregano
Parsley: The stems of the curly parsley are incredibly sweet!
Sage
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets!
Beet Greens!
Cabbage
Celery
Eggplant: Roast, stirfry, sandwich
Fennel: Fresh licorice-y fronds with crispy bulbs.
Garlic
Ground Cherries: Little lanterns of deliciousness. Word on the street is that they are great raosted!
Kohlrabi- big and little
Onions: petite and pungent.
Purple Fingerling potatoes?
Peppers: Bells and friars
Hot peppers: Hungarian hot wax, cayenne, jalepeno, serrano, and poblano
Shishito peppers: Toss in hot oil with the lid on while the pop, remove from heat and toss in salt, then eat the whole thing minus the stem!
Radish Classic
Watermelon radishes: Spicy and sweet! 
Tomatoes: Hierlooms, slicers, beefsteaks- all tasty!
Cherry Tomatoes!! 
​
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 market is located at 195 Main St, Northville, MI 48167 and it runs May thru October, 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: Tis the Season!

9/19/2018

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Picture
It's a very colorful time of year!
Picture
I think I should have made a Left turn at Albuquerque
We had a few more surprises this week, and ended up backed into an email-punting corner. Our "new" market vehicle, a delightful 2004 Dodge Sprinter, is in the shop again. When we purchased it earlier this season with just under 200,000 miles, we anticipated that there would be a few mechanical hiccups with it this year. So far: new harmonic balancer, 1, no 2, wait, 4, yup 4 new brake lines, new pads and rotors on the rear as well as one caliper replaced. While that isn't the shortest list of repairs, it still felt like it was within our repair expectations for a used work vehicle with that many miles. The part of the situation that we're less jazzed about, is having to play musical market vehicles with such frequency! The brakes have been particularly problematic, as we repaired one damaged line, another line would spring a leak a few days later. It led to a roller coaster ride of, "Hey the vans fixed", "Oh wait maybe not", "Alright, now it's definitely fixed!", "Maybe I should just stop making such declarative statements regarding the van". Each hill and loop of the roller coaster translated to a frantic change in plans and the shuffling of lake dividers between the weekly markets. Of course, this is what you have to accept when you don't have redundant vehicles, and honestly, despite the hiccups, we really love the "new" market vehicle. In a day or so it will have a new master brake cylinder, essentially leaving us with a wonderful older van with a brand new braking system. Until then, Ann Arbor is getting a double dose of Helen! That's right she'll be there Wednesday and Saturday this week, have a blast! Oh that reminds me! We wanted to mention to you that we get shuffled around week to week in Ann Arbor, so we're not always able to set up in the same spot, but I can GUARANTEE you that we are there. If you ever have trouble finding us or any other vendor at the Ann Arbor market, we're likely there, but in a different spot. The good folks in the main office can tell you where to find us, or any of your other favorite vendors. Well guys I have to cut it short, so that I send this email out at a quasi-reasonable time. Don't forget to take advantage of the season of abundance! We have plenty of delicious tomatoes still (full trays and sale prices still available), lots of greens, soup vegetables, peppers, garlic, herbs. Tis the season to east fresh! Have a great weekSee you at market!
Jim writing for the Lake Dviders 


Fresh From the Field!

Greens:Arugula
Mizuna
Mustard
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekana- Bok Choi lettuce!
Kale: flat leaf, green curly, and red curly
Microgreens: Spicy and mild. 
Salad mix?
Shoots: Sunflower and pea!
Swiss Chard- limited while it reaches capacity
Herbs: 
Cilantro and Dill- coming back shortly
Mint
Oregano
Parsley: The stems of the curly parsley are incredibly sweet!
Sage
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets!
Broccoli
Carrots- perhaps
Cabbage
Celery
Eggplant: Roast, stirfry, sandwich
Fennel: Fresh licorice-y fronds with crispy bulbs.
Garlic
Ground Cherries: Little lanterns of deliciousness. Word on the street is that they are great raosted!
Kohlrabi- big and little
Onions: petite and pungent.
Potatoes- thin, thin skin- you barely have to cook these delights!
Fingerling potatoes?
Peppers: Bells and friars
Hot peppers: Hungarian hot wax, cayenne, jalepeno, serrano, and poblano
Shishito peppers: Toss in hot oil with the lid on while the pop, remove from heat and toss in salt, then eat the whole thing minus the stem!
Radish Classic
Watermelon radishes: Spicy and sweet! 
Tomatoes: Hierlooms, slicers, beefsteaks- all tasty!
Cherry Tomatoes!! 

​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 market is located at 195 Main St, Northville, MI 48167 and it runs May thru October, 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: Feasting on Tomatoes while planning for next year

9/12/2018

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Picture
Looks like folks are gonna have to fight Brianna for these sunflower sprouts!
Picture
We found this excellent looking puffball mushroom while adventuring yesterday
Despite the cooler weather and the shorter days, we are still in the depths of harvest. The tomato heaven continues. We have 2-3 weeks left of intense tomato eating, then a drop off, then an absence altogether. If you are considering canning, please send us an email or talk to us at market for information on bulk deals. Don't forget to revel in the glory of the summer! We managed to haul in all the onions last week. We also  got our seed garlic ordered to supplement the garlic from our own harvest that we will be planting. We planted out the last of the field lettuce. All remaining plantings, barring one of scallions, will be under cover of temporary or permanent hoop houses. There is still a lot of work laid out before us but we are rising to the challenge. 
By the end of the week, if all goes well, the first big round of cover crops will be in. Cover crops are the plants that we grow to take care of our soil. We don't harvest or sell them, we just grow them and for that, they offer all kinds of rewards. They hold the soil in place, store nutrients for later use, increase soil organic matter, thus increasing our soils capacity to hold water and nutrients, suppress weeds, improve tilth, feed our soil microbes, and offer a place for beneficial insects and other creatures to live and eat. We love the look of a nice full swatch of cover crop. 
This year, the soil has been given a chance to be rid of one flush of weeds and is is nice and moist, ready and awaiting seeds. Cover crops can be used in many combinations for different benefits. We are keeping it simple while we learn how to best utilize them. Oats and peas for ground that will be planted early in the spring. Oats and spring peas typically put on some good growth in the fall but don't survive the winter, leaving an easily workable field in the early spring. We will use winter peas for land that will be planted later in the spring or in the early summer. Like the oats and spring peas, they can put on a lot of growth in the fall but unlike the oats and peas, they will likely survive the winter and keep offering cover in the spring. For the ground that is planting and being harvested from until November, will seed winter rye and medium red clover, both hardy crops. Although the rye may not get a chance to put on growth this winter, the seed will survive and rise up in the spring, likewise, so will the clover. We are using this same combination for all land that is going on sabbatical for 2019. The hope is that the clover with close cover, protecting our soil and feeding our microbes so that when we revisit the land in 2020, it will be refreshed and more powerful than ever. 
A cool thing that we are trying out this coming year is rolling our cover crops to be used as a mulch. This will minimize tillage while reducing weed pressure. They way it works? We seed our cover crop at a high rate, creating a dense planting. In the spring, we pull a crop roller over it. There are all kinds of crop rollers, but the idea is that crop is laid flat in a thick mat prevent weeds from breaking through, and the stem of the plant is crushed but not broken, reducing the likelihood of regrowth. The crops can then be planted into this mat and because the cover crop isn't all chopped up, like it would be from mowing, it will take longer to decompose. There are some other tweaks to this plan and it depends on a few things to make it work. We need to find something that will work as a crop roller. I think the chances of this working out are high. There are various farm attachments that can be used to this effect. Our cover crop (we are planning on doing this with the winter peas) must survive the winter and put on some good growth in the spring. We must figure out how to make the mat plantable and how to add any needed soil amendments. Our approach to this is some early tillage over the field (strip tillage) clearing a narrow area of cover crop put leaving the rest of the crop unscathed. And perhaps most importantly, when we roll the crop, it has to make a thick enough mat that the weeds won't instantly peak their way through.  As usual, there are a lot of moving parts. You will know how it works out next year, as will we. For now, the first step-- seeding the cover! 
It is going to warm back up but for now I encourage all of you to eat some soup while the temperatures are low. Celery, fennel, onions, broccoli, potatoes, yes!!
Picture
Lizz and Tony spreading oat and pea cover crops
​See you at market!
Helen writing for the Lake Dviders (Jim's punt makes my punt look meager.)


Fresh From the Field!

Greens:Arugula
Mizuna
Mustard
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekana- Bok Choi lettuce!
Kale: flat leaf, green curly, and red curly
Microgreens: Spicy and mild. 
Salad mix?
Shoots: Sunflower and pea!
Swiss Chard- limited while it reaches capacity
Herbs: 
Cilantro and Dill- coming back shortly
Mint
Oregano
Parsley: The stems of the curly parsley are incredibly sweet!
Sage
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
Broccoli!
Carrots- perhaps
Cabbage
Celery!
Eggplant: Roast, stirfry, sandwich
Fennel: Fresh licorice-y fronds with crispy bulbs.
Garlic
Ground Cherries: Little lanterns of deliciousness. Word on the street is that they are great raosted!
Kohlrabi- big and little
Onions: petite and pungent.
Potatoes- thin, thin skin- you barely have to cook these delights!
Fingerling potatoes?
Peppers: Bells and friars
Hot peppers: Hungarian hot wax, cayenne, jalepeno, serrano, and poblano
Shishito peppers: Toss in hot oil with the lid on while the pop, remove from heat and toss in salt, then eat the whole thing minus the stem!
Radish Classic
Watermelon radishes: Spicy and sweet! 
Tomatoes: Hierlooms, slicers, beefsteaks- all tasty!
Cherry Tomatoes!! 

​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 market is located at 195 Main St, Northville, MI 48167 and it runs May thru October, 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: Vacation in September! Broccoli and Celery!

9/5/2018

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Picture
Vacation is a state of mind!
Hey all! So, last week Helen had to punt on the email. We really don't like doing it, because we value the opportunity to speak with you, and tell you about all the adventures down on the farm. So, generally it's something we only do when we're really inundated with work, and it's something we try to never do twice in a row. Unfortunately, this week is proving to be even more jam packed than last week! Helen came to me and said "there's just no time to write the email, there's not even enough time to keep up with the weeding. I can't punt on the email again, I just did that last week!" So, at about 10:30 last night, I replied to my exhausted wife "You're right, you can't punt on the email... I'll have to do it. I haven't used my punt for 2018 yet". Does it really count as two punts in row by Lake Divide? Or is more a case of two independent punts that just so happen to be sequential? I hope you'll join me in embracing the latter perspective! 
Email punting aside, we are very busy this time of year. I usually refer to September as the third wall. You hit this wall particularly hard. Harvest is in full swing, as is weeding and planting but the key difference when dealing with said third wall is that you've already used a lot energy earlier in the season to break through the first two walls (April and July). We expect lots of different tasks to fight for our attention this time of year, and we expect some unexpected tasks to deflect us from our plans (the exploded faucet in the camper comes to mind). In years past we've dealt with this in various ways: 
  1. Soldiering on, ignoring the exhaustion
  2. Turning on each other and fighting well into the night
  3. Email punting (this one hardly counts)
This year we're adopting a new strategy. We've decided to take vacation, at least mentally! Helen and I invited the rest of the Lake Dividers to join us, and it ended up being a group vacation! Our destination: A beautiful Organic farm in Stockbridge called Lake Divide. It's been wonderful, we get to do all the things that we enjoy doing, but in a low stakes vacation setting. Whenever things get a little too hard, we loudly exclaim "WE'RE ON VACATION!" and the frustration and exhaustion just rolls right off (at least momentarily). It's been great taking a break from the grind, really restorative. I just wish we had figured this out years ago: Vacation is a state of mind. 
Helen decided to use some of her "vacation" time to attend the Ann Arbor Wednesday Market with the newly repaired van! That's right! Ann Arbor is getting a double dose of Helen this week, and double Helen = Double the fun! I know what you're thinking, she should be at the farm working in the field! Well, yeah that's true, but it's vacation rules right now, anything goes! Well guys, I best get back to vacationing: I'm planning on taking a super fun trip to the gas station to get fuel for our various vehicles! Who knows what fun "vacation" adventures I might get into along the way?! Have a great week and please feel free to join us in our vacation state of mind! 
 See you at market!
Jim punting for the Lake Dividers


Fresh From the Field!

Greens:Arugula
Mizuna
Kale: flat leaf, green curly, and red curly- Our first harvest from the fall planting. 
Microgreens: Spicy and mild. 
Shoots: Sunflower and pea!
Swiss Chard
Herbs: 
Cilantro and Dill- coming back shortly
Mint
Oregano
Parsley: The stems of the curly parsley are incredibly sweet!
Sage
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
Broccoli!
Carrots
Cabbage
Celery!
Eggplant: Roast, stirfry, sandwich
Fennel: Fresh licorice-y fronds!
Garlic
Ground Cherries: Little lanterns of deliciousness. Word on the street is that they are great raosted!
Kohlrabi- big and little
Onions: petite and pungent.
New Potatoes- thin, thin skin- you barely have to cook these delights!
Peppers: Bells and friars
Hot peppers: Hungarian hot wax, cayenne, jalepeno, serrano, and poblano
Shishito peppers: Toss in hot oil with the lid on while the pop, remove from heat and toss in salt, then eat the whole thing minus the stem!
Watermelon radishes: Spicy and sweet! Classics coming back next week.
Tomatoes: Hierlooms, slicers, beefsteaks- all tasty!
Cherry Tomatoes!!

​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 market is located at 195 Main St, Northville, MI 48167 and it runs May thru October, 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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