Ahoy!

This email is a little later than usual. But here it is! Gravel spread about. The tractors are coming tomorrow. The shipping container will be here soon. We are planting and prepping. Hoop House 2 is almost ready to be planted. We are on a roll. Rolling rolling rolling. 

To note:
Saturday Ann Arbor Customers! Ahoy! We will likely be in the sand lot again! We will set up our orange-legged tents and put up our sign. PLEASE LOOK FOR US! I promise, we are there :) If you can't find us, ask in the office! 

Eggs or Milk? Customers of Chelsea and Stockbridge (or other folks that live close to Munith)! We have a friend and neighbor that has cows and chickens! They can provide you with eggs ($2.50/dozen) and milk ($5.00 gallon- can be purchased in half gallons). If more than one of you are interested, I can make connections and you can take turns picking the items up. I would consider doing some kind of pick up and market delivery if there are some interested parties in a more distal market. They are wonderful people. Their kids do most of the work for the animals. The animals live in paradise and are extremely well taken care of and loved. All proceeds go into the children's college funds. Email me to let me know if you are interested and we will take it from there. Here is a link to their facebook page so you can check them out.

Tomatoes: There is still time for sauce! A brief respite from the impending cool is upon us. The sale continues! See below:

Delightful firsts! 
If you get over 5 pounds, the price is $2.50/pound (three bursting quarts for $13-$14).
If you go over 10 pounds, the price is $2.00/pound (about six quarts!). 

We also have seconds for sale, any amount for $2.00.
You could score a whole tray of delicious heirloom tomatoes for just $20! Get more than 2 trays, that price goes down to just $15/tray.

Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor
Thursday: Northville
Friday: Stockbridge
Saturday: Eastern Market, Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, Chelsea

Recipe: 
Simple simple doesn't mean not the best. Radish and butter sandwich with salt.

Radish and Butter sandwich with salt:INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil, butter, mayo, other fatty substance (I have even used peanut butter!)
• Delicious bread- White lotus Levain if you head to Ann Arbor or Eastern! Every market we go to has delicious bread!
• Any radish, thinly sliced! (my current favorite is the purple daikon)
• salt, pepper to taste 

INSTRUCTIONS

• I don't think you really need me to tell you what to do. I love to toast the bread so it is warm. I slice the radishes with a mandoline so they are delightfully thin. I often eat the sandwich open-face. The warm bread, with the cool radishes is just a dream. 
• ENJOY!

Food for thought: 
It is officially fall. The fall equinox, the official switch to predominant darkness, was Monday. The daylight hours are growing shorter, the dusky and dark hours are lengthening. I am sure you are all noticing it on your morning commutes or during your evening activities. 
For the farm this means a couple things. We are starting just a touch later- at 7:30 rather than 7:00 am. We just couldn't see! Soon that start time will slink back to around 8:00 and then possibly even later. It also means the plants are growing increasingly more slowly. We timed our crops, to the best or our ability, to accommodate decline, so hopefully it will go well. It also means the weed pressure is decreasing. There are sometimes even fall crops that we don't have to weed at all!
It also means that things are getting a little chillier here! We are preparing to cover our crops with blankets to keep them safe and well come the first frost. We should start betting on when that will be. A new annual pool. 
Lots to do!
See ya at market! 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers: Jim, Lizz, Janet, Malcolm, Mattie, Cody, Sean, Alic, Doug, Kathryn, and Shana! 

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.

• 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:
Arugula
Bok Choy!
Collard Greens- Still loving this recipe 
Kale
Microgreens- may be limited or not present this week
Mustard!
Spinach
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekana! Loose leave bok choy lettuce
Pea Shoots
Swiss Chard

All manner of deliciousness:
Broccoli- limited but another round is on the way
Cabbage
Napa cabbage- big luscious heads are back!
Celeriac
Eggplant
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
GREEN TOMATOES! So good fried or pickled!
Ground Cherries! Nature's candies wrapped in a husk. You tell us what they taste like!
Kohlrabi- Economy-sized!
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Potatoes- may be limited this week
Fingerling potatoes- May be limited this week
Peppers- friers and bells!
Hot peppers: Hungarian hot wax, Jalepenos, and Poblanos
Shishito Peppers: Delicious Japanese friers
Snack peppers!
Scallions
Daikon Radish! Green and purple!
Watermelon Radish! They're back!
Sweet Turnips! Limited but not for long!
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes!!!!! 
Wintersquash! Not just for winter- Delicata, dumpling, and acorn!
Zucchini: Green and Yellow- get them while they last!

Herbs:
Mint
Oregano
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Parsley 

Coming Soon:
Cilantro and Dill
Butternut squash
Fennel
Lettuce

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 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.

​Even on the hustle train, I managed to watch a group of ants busily working away. I made no shareable observations, but enjoyed myself. But hustle time it is and hustling we are. 

To note:
Saturday Ann Arbor Customers! Ahoy! We will likely be in the sand lot again! We will set up our orange-legged tents and put up our sign. PLEASE LOOK FOR US! I promise, we are there :) If you can't find us, ask in the office! 

Tomatoes: There is still time for sauce! A brief respite from the impending cool is upon us. The sale continues! See below:

Delightful firsts! 
If you get over 5 pounds, the price is $2.50/pound (three bursting quarts for $13-$14).
If you go over 10 pounds, the price is $2.00/pound (about six quarts!). 

We also have seconds for sale, any amount for $2.00.
You could score a whole tray of delicious heirloom tomatoes for just $20! Get more than 2 trays, that price goes down to just $15/tray.

Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor
Thursday: Northville
Friday: Stockbridge
Saturday: Eastern Market, Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, Chelsea

Recipe: 
With roasted squash, you can't go wrong. Our squash this year is FABULOUS, smooth and flavorful! Eating it is one of the easiest and nicest things you can do for yourself this week. Although the recipe below calls out Delicata, acorn, dumpling squash. this recipe can be the kick off to many a wintersquash recipe. 

Roasted Delicata, Acorn, or Dumpling Squash:
​INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil or oil of choice
• 1 or 2 squash
• salt, pepper to taste (you can add butter, honey, ginger, whatever you like really!)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cut the Squash in half.
• Heat the oven to 350
• Cut the squash in half and coat it in oil, leaving the seeds in
• Place it, cut side down on a pan and put the pan in the oven
• Roast until fork tender (about 45 minutes)
• Flip the squash over, scoop out the seeds, add toppings or fillings (butter, honey, and salt for me - or - black beans and rice!)
• ENJOY!

Did you know that you can eat the seeds of any type of squash, not just pumpkins? If you are in the mood, try roasting those up too in the end! They are extremely nutritious and wildly delicious! Here is some information on how to enjoy squash seeds.

Food for thought: 
Ask and you shall receive was true in this case. We got a substantial amount of rain and it has everything growing nicely. And what are we getting into this week? A little more seeding, a little more , a little more deconstruction, a little more construction. All on the path. 
In big exciting news, one of the new tools we got this year- the basket weeder- is a real hero. It is 2 sets of  3 wheel shaped baskets mounted on a frame with a rotating axle going through them, one in front of the other. It is attached underneath the tractor and can be raised and lowered. When they are lowered to the ground, they rotate, with their basket wires cutting just underneath the soil, flipping weeds to their doom. It allows us to weed between our four rows of crops with ease and a little terror- in a bump, you could just as easily destroy your crop. However, it is worth the risk! It can do the weeding of a human at six times the speed! Check out our instagram for a video of its success. You may wonder if we are now concerned that the machines are going to steal our jobs. Nope, there is plenty of work to go around. 
See ya at market! 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers: Jim, Lizz, Janet, Malcolm, Mattie, Cody, Sean, Alic, Doug, Kathryn, and Shana! 

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.

• 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:
Collard Greens- That recipe from last week was fantastic!
Kale- from our new fall planting!
Microgreens
Mustard- Back before you know it!
Pea Shoots
Swiss Chard

All manner of deliciousness:
Broccoli
Cabbage
Napa cabbage
Celery
Celeriac
Cucumbers- limited
Eggplant
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Ground Cherries! Nature's candies wrapped in a husk. You tell us what they taste like!
Kohlrabi- Economy-sized and tender apple sized.
Onions- Cippolinis and tasty reds
Potatoes
Fingerling potatoes
Peppers- friers and bells!
Hot peppers: Hungarian hot wax, Jalepenos, and Poblanos
Shishito Peppers: Delicious Japanese friers. Great on the grill, great blistered in a pan, great roasted. Eat the whole thing but the stem!
Snack peppers! 
Scallions
Radishes: Just a few for this week!
Sweet Turnips! Back for the fall. This first returning round had some tough competition (weeds) so may not be as abundant as everyone would like, but we have a few more rounds coming!
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes!!!!! 
Wintersquash! Not just for winter- Delicata, dumpling, and acorn!
Zucchini: Green and Yellow

Herbs:
Mint
Oregano
Sage
Thyme
Parsley is back!Coming Soon:Rosemary
All those tasty greens- Arugula, choy, mustard, tokyo bekana! 
Lettuce
Winter radishes! I'm talking watermelon radishes, as well as green, purple, and white daikon!


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 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.

But seriously, did you see that goldenrod Monarch picture?! And monarchs are just the one we know. There were lots of lovely insects and creatures, feasting in the patch. Bees of all kinds, other butterflies, beetles! I love them all. It is nice to go out to the flowers on a sunny day, close my eyes and listen to the hum. 

To note:
Saturday Ann Arbor Customers! We were in the sandlot last week- no longer sand. We may be there again. We plan to still set up our orange-legged tents and put up our sign. PLEASE LOOK FOR US! I promise, we are there :) If you can't find us, ask in the office! 

Tomatoes: Get 'em while they're hot, or while the weather is at least! A brief respite from the impending cool is upon us. The sale continues! See below:

Delightful firsts! 
If you get over 5 pounds, the price is $2.50/pound (three bursting quarts for $13-$14).
If you go over 10 pounds, the price is $2.00/pound (about six quarts!). 

We also have seconds for sale, any amount for $2.00.
You could score a whole tray of delicious heirloom tomatoes for just $20! Get more than 2 trays, that price goes down to just $15/tray.

Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor
Thursday: Northville
Friday: Stockbridge
Saturday: Eastern Market, Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, Chelsea

Recipe: 
A fall breakfast salad of kohlrabi and carrots and apples. One of my very favorites. I discovered it deep in the winter when all you do is crave something summer. But this recipe is so good, it stuck with me year round. I like to make a batch and have scoopful in the mornings. It is also great any time of day. And if I take a bite in the afternoon when I am hungry? Well you best know, there will be no breakfast salad the next morning- devoured.

Kohlrabi breakfast saladINGREDIENTS

• Olive oil or oil of choice
• 2 Apples
• 1 big Kohlrabi
• 8 big carrots
• salt, pepper to taste (you can add ginger, caraway seed, lemon juice, whatever floats your boat!)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Peel the big kohlrabi. I don't peel anything else.
• Shred everything with a grater.
• Toss it together and let it sit if you can wait!  

Food for thought: 
Unlike this spring, we are hoping for some rain now. We discovered a leak from the underground piping of our hydrant and while we work on fixing it, it is nice to not have to run it! A little bit of rain goes a long way this time of year and it would be nice to get a chance to work on the leak unhindered. This afternoon looks promising. And all those crops that we seeded last week, those ones that are now breaking the crust of earth that is forming over them. They would love a splash to wet their whistle. 
On the docket this week? Preparation! We need to ready the tunnels for crops. This means bending the hoops and cutting the metal for 4 new temporary hoop houses,  deconstructing 3 and reconstructing three additional tunnels, bringing one of our 30' x 96' tunnels back into production but taking down the greenery and putting plastic back on it, and evicting the clinging crop of cucumbers and squash from our other 30' x 96' tunnel! That is certainly more than a weeks worth of work and will absolutely keep us busy. Especially since it is dotted in, between all of our other tasks.
The other exciting preparation we are making- getting more winter storage! That's right folks! We are adding another insulated shipping container to the collection of outbuildings. We chose a location, after an absurd amount of debate, and now we will prepare the site- leveling it and compacting gravel. Oh yeah, and we also still have to find one! 
And one more notable note! Our acorn squash is so fantastic! I roasted one face down with the seeds in at 350. When I could stab it with a fork, I flipped it, scooped out the seeds, added a scoop of honey to each, along with a pat of butter and some salt, and put them right back in the oven for another 5 minutes. I ended up eating them for breakfast, cold! Who would have thought!
 
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers: Jim, Lizz, Janet, Malcolm, Mattie, Cody, Sean, Alic, Doug, Kathryn, and Shana! 

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.

• 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:Brussel sprout tops! This may be the last week for these tasty treats.
Collard Greens- That recipe from last week was fantastic!
Kale- from our new fall planting!
Microgreens
Mizuna- great in a salad, great in a stirfry. Back for a week!
Mustard- spicy and sweet. Awesome on a sandwich. Back for a week!
Pea Shoots
Swiss ChardAll manner of deliciousness:Broccoli
Cabbage
Napa cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Celeriac
Cucumbers- limited
Eggplant
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Ground Cherries! Nature's candies wrapped in a husk. You tell us what they taste like!
Kohlrabi- Economy-sized and tender apple sized.
Onions- Cippolinis and tasty reds
Potatoes
Fingerling potatoes
Peppers- friers and bells!
Hot peppers: Hungarian hot wax, Jalepenos, and Poblanos
Shishito Peppers: Delicious Japanese friers. Great on the grill, great blistered in a pan, great roasted. Eat the whole thing but the stem!
Snack peppers! 
Scallions
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes!!!!! 
Wintersquash! Not just for winter- Delicata, dumpling, and acorn!
Zucchini: Green and Yellow
 Herbs:Mint
Oregano
Sage
Thyme
Parsley is back!Coming Soon:Rosemary
Sweet turnips! It won't be long now!


This weeks MarketsWednesday: 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 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.

While you will no longer find us at the White Lotus Farm Cart, you can still find our produce. Head out to the garden for doughnuts, pizza, and delicious vegetables!
 

And poof, like that, it is September. I am stunned. Every morning, it becomesmore likely that the sun won't rise before our 7 am start time. Daylight hours are being shed from the edges of our days. But regardless, fall is the new spring and there is never a dull moment! We are busy preparing for winter. Sowing storage crops, as well as the preliminary rounds of our winter greens, preparing to construct temporary tunnels to protect our winter crops, getting ground ready for garlic, and even getting ground ready for the spring of 2020! Last night, the crew stayed late seeding at late planting of kale and lettuce! We won't be eating that until February. Boggles the mind, this whole merry-go-round, boggles the mind. 

To note:
Saturday Ann Arbor Customers! We can't know for sure, but it looks like we are going to get moved from our spot on the sidewalk. We plan to still set up our orange-legged tents and put up our sign. PLEASE LOOK FOR US! I promise, we are there :)

Tomatoes: Get 'em while they're hot, or while the weather is at least! As expected, the tomato crop has slowed down enough from these symptoms of fall that we are no longer offering the bulk pre-order. However! The sale continues! See below:

Delightful firsts! 
If you get over 5 pounds, the price is $2.50/pound (three bursting quarts for $13-$14).
If you go over 10 pounds, the price is $2.00/pound (about six quarts!). 

We also have seconds for sale, any amount for $2.00.
You could score a whole tray of delicious heirloom tomatoes for just $20! Get more than 2 trays, that price goes down to just $15/tray.

Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor
Thursday: Northville
Friday: Stockbridge
Saturday: Eastern Market, Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, Chelsea
Recipe: 
Are you ready to get to know collard greens? They are a rich in flavor and packed with nutrients.  Ubiquitously found cooked with ham hocks or bacon, you may think this is the only way to eat them. NOT SO! They are stand alone deluxe. I love to make a big bowl of them for breakfast. Poach an egg, cut a thick slice of bread, and let the enjoyment ensue. Also great with beans! Or roasted hunks of delicata squash. A dish doesn't have to be complicated to be delicious and this recipe is true to that.

Here is a recepe from Cookie and Kate
Quick Collard Greens Brazilian styleINGREDIENTS

• Olive oil
• Garlic minced
• Collards
• chili flakes
• Lime, salt, pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cut the thick central ribs out of the collard greens, and stack the leaves on top of one another. Starting at one end, roll them up into a cigar-liked shape, then slice across the roll to make skinny rolls of collard strips. Use a sharp chef’s knife for this, and make your slices as thin as possible—ideally about 1/8-inch wide. Give the collards a few extra chops to break them apart.
• Warm a large, heavy-bottom skillet (cast iron is great but not required!) over medium-high heat. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil (the oil will later help your body absorb the nutrients in the greens). Then add the greens and some salt. Give the greens a good stir so they’re all lightly shimmering from the oil and turning darker green.
• Let the greens cook against the pan in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Thanks to the hot oil in the hot pan, some of the collards will eventually develop crisp, browned edges—these taste so good!
• Once you see a little browning action, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. I suggest adding the garlic at this point, rather than before, because otherwise it’ll burn by the time your collards are done.
• Transfer the collards to plates so they stop cooking. Serve with a wedge of lemon, and you’re done.
• Heat oil in pan and toss in onions and garlic, herb you like (oregano anyone?!) and hot pepper if using. Cook until onions are soft.
• Stir in water or broth and then toss in the tops! Cook with lid on until they are the texture that you like. Anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. 
• Toss with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. 

Food for thought: 
The garlic is clipped and tucked in the barn. This marks the first year that we won't be buying in garlic seed. This means we grew enough to bring to market and set aside for next years crop. It is an exciting prospect! Not only does it save money (seed garlic can run up to $22/lb), it carries on the tradition of food independence. I am not able to to grow all our own seeds, that is an enterprise all its own (thank goodness for local seed companies like Nature Nurture Seeds, Ann Arbor Seed Company and Garden Hoard). However, saving garlic seed is so straightforward, we do it every year. This year we may have some extra seed garlic for your garden. If you are interested, send us an email and we will keep you posted. If you don't mind not having the most gigantic and perfect garlic, you can always just scoop some of our delicious bulbs up from market any time!
And on the heels of the garlic, the onions have moved into the greenhouse to cure. We were a little late getting them out of the field. They got rained on once while packed in their crates, waiting for space to lay down and dry out. I can thankfully say that after Malcolm carefully laid them out in the vacuum left  by the garlic in the greenhouse, they are going to be okay! This is the best onion crop we have had since 2013, my first year farming back in NJ. With the acquisition of our new tools, I only expect them to get better. 
The next storage crop to haul from the seas of the field to safety: WINTER SQUASH! Not just for winter anymore (well actually, never just for winter!) Slice one in half and roast it cut-face down. When you are scooping out delicious bites (with salt or honey or something fancier) relish the fact that you are indulging in one of the vegetables that originated in North America. This week you will see acorn, dumping, and delicata squash at market. Soon, a tidal wave of butternut, pumpkins and kobocha will crash upon your shores as well. 
And while the mega harvests continue, we are also seeding, prepping, working, humming with activity, "we are the ant". Yesterday Lizz and I (mostly Lizz) sliced 3/4 of an acre of seeds into the ground- storage radishes, spinach, greens, lettuce, turnips, all the good stuff. This is our last big outdoor planting besides garlic (we don't plant that until the end of October). The rest will get planted and seeded under the protection of tunnels. As we were seeding, I kept imagining what it was going to be like to harvest these crops. Last year, many of them were plucked from the field from under a blanket of snow! Only time will tell what this winter will bring. 
Honestly, I am nervous about our winter crops coming through. I surreptitiously look at the calendar and the count-down to our last 10 hour day- when most plant growth all but stops. I think we've got it. We are on schedule, but did I make the right schedule? I sure hope so. 
Either way, it will be clear in a matter of months.  
​
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers: Jim, Lizz, Janet, Malcolm, Mattie, Cody, Sean, Alic, Doug, Kathryn, and Shana! 

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.

• 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 accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:
Brussel sprout tops! See our recipe from last weeks email munching tips.
Collard Greens
Salad Mix!
Kale
Microgreens
Pea Shoots
Swiss Chard!

All manner of deliciousness:
Broccoli- coming in!
Cabbage
Napa cabbage is back!
Carrots
Celery- Honestly, try it in anything. I have been putting it in my standard greens sautee and it adds so much.
Celeriac
Cucumbers- limited but a new planting is on the cusp! 
Eggplant
Garlic
Ground Cherries! Nature's candies wrapped in a husk. You tell us what they taste like!
Kohlrabi- Economy-sized and tender apple sized.
Onions- Cippolinis and tasty reds
Potatoes
Fingerling potatoes
Peppers- friers and bells!
Hot peppers: Hungarian hot wax, Jalepenos, and Poblanos
Shishito Peppers: Delicious Japanese friers. Great on the grill, great blistered in a pan, great roasted. Eat the whole thing but the stem!
Snack peppers! 
Zucchini: Green and Yellow
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes!!!!! 
Wintersquash! Not just for winter- Delicata, dumpling, and acorn!

Herbs:
Mint
Oregano
Sage
Thyme

Coming Soon:
Rosemary
Sweet turnips! It won't be long now!
I didn't even get to put wintersquash and collards on here! They just jumped right onto the list!

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 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.