Well, have you noticed the darker days? Are you waking up in the the dark now, when it seems only last week the sun shone through your eyelids? Have you seen less twinkling lightening bugs at night? Have you heard the chorus of crickets? The only constant is change and the seasons do it so well. Paving a gradient from hot summer days to dewy mornings to cool autumn afternoons. The insect world has spoken, we are on the other side of the slope. But don't worry, we have some symphonious warm evenings ahead of us. 
 
In this email:

• Generally important notes: Tomato sale!
• Notes from the farm
• Fresh From the Field- What are we bringing to market this week!
• Staying active and engaged with social change: Readings, tools, and contributions. (2 resources added: MSU's Music for Social Justice + Detroit Will Breathe link)
• Market Details-
  • Find our vegetables and other local goods in Stockbridge at Plane Food Market! 
• Ordering with Local Line: register and troubleshoot
• CSA members- what to do if your account is low

Generally Important Notes:
TOMATO SALE! It's that time again! 
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!). 
A whole tray of firsts- $25 dollars!

We also have seconds for sale, by the pound $2.00, a whole tray for $20!
You could score a whole tray of delicious heirloom tomatoes for just $20! 

Please wear face coverings when shopping with us at market. We are trying to protect our families and coworkers. With our workload, we cannot afford long absences due to illness and with the potential for long term physical ailments after the the virus, we don't want our farm members, workers, or families to get this virus. We encounter a lot of people as market vendors and a face covering worn by us and our customers is a simple way to reduce our exposure to the virus. Please help us stay safe and continue providing fresh, nutritious food for you. If you are unsure why simple cloth face coverings help, here is a great video from PBS. 

There is a small pre-ordering window for Ann Arbor Wednesday. Ordering opens now and goes until midnight tonight (Tuesday 7/14)

If you signed up as a Farm Member online, please note, you can also use your account at market. Pre-ordering is not required!

If you had trouble ordering, please scroll down our "Ordering With Local Line" section.

Notes from the Farm:

Let me tell you why I love crickets. It isn't just that at the end of the day when my mind is filled with the flurry of the days activities, I can close my eyes and letting the chirping replace the echos. They eat weed seeds! One cricket can eat over a hundred seeds in a day! Still interested? Here is a fun article about how insects play a role in managing weeds. Here is an more practicle article that includes practices that can reduce the current year's weed seed input.

What are we doing other than listening to crickets and lazing about? Everything! We are stoking the fire to blast into fall. It is the time of year where we feel the pressure to get our last crops of the season seeded and planted. If we wait too long, its loose leaf cabbage for us all for the winter! (Cabbage is in the ground by now, I think we made it in time for the real ones but it depends how quickly they adapt to their new lives in the field.)

We are also thinking about next year. Where will we plant next years onions? What about the other spring crops? How can we prepare and support that land and soil now so that it is ready in the spring? 

And we are harvesting tomatoes galore! Hence the tomato sale. It is time to can them up for winter. Dehydrate some cherry tomatoes. Pickle some peppers and squash. Make some relish. It is the time of plenty that we use to fill the time of few in the winter. 

Here's to rising up and making it happen!

The Lake Dividers

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!

Quick note: You may notice that the crop list in the email does not always match the crop list in our online store. Items not found online may have sold out or we may not have posted them online. We sometimes do not post crops online that have not come into abundance yet because we don't always know how much (or how little) of a crop will be harvestable by the end of the week so we can't offer it for sale on Tuesday. These items go to market in small quantities. When they come fully into season, we will list them online. This is the best way we have come up with to manage these crops.

That said, you can always add to your order when you pick up at market.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we troubleshoot a whole new (to us) way of doing things.

Greens:
Microgreens! Mustard Mix, Just Arugula & Watercress
Pea Shoots 
Swiss Chard- limited- It is aces I tells ya! Aces!

All manner of deliciousness: 
Cabbage- Round Green (back in quantity!)
Celery!
Cucumbers (limited)
Eggplant- Italian and Asian varieties! (limited)
Garlic! Uncured, fresh, juicy, delicious
Onions- Fresh sweet onions for salads and cooking
Kohlrabi- green and purple "snack" class vegetables that make a great raw snack!
Melon!
Peppers- green bells, purple and white too
Hot Peppers- Jalapeno, Hot Hungarian and Poblano
Potatoes! New! Skins so thin they melt right off! These juicy potatoes make any meal gourmet!
Scallions
Summer Squash- Golden and Green Zucchini plus some classic yellow squash and patty pans
Tomatoes- Cherry tomatoes
Tomatoes! Round slicers and paste tomatoes
Snack Peppers!
Carrots?

Herbs:
Basil
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Sage
Thyme

Coming Soon:
Napa Cabbage
Watermelon
Cantaloupe

Staying Active: Something to keep the gears of progress engaged:
We are taking a short hiatus from curating weekly lists and paths. I have included below a couple links to readings and some ideas on how to work towards racial equity within your community. Also included are two links to some places where dollars can make a difference.


In the meantime, keep learning, listening, speaking up, and showing up. We have to continue providing energy for change. There is much to be done. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. 

If you come across resources, readings, or movements that you feel are powerful, please send them our way so we can share them.

To read: This list is my no means whatsoever all inclusive.
Essays and articles (links to arcles):
The Case For Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Uses of Anger by Audre Lorde

Books (links to authors website):
How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Here is a link to an excellent interview with Ibram X. Kendi discussing the concepts in his book.  


The New Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness by Michelle Alexander. This website also has some guides to study and organize 

So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

White Fragility: Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism by Robin DiAngelo. 
Here is an interview with Robin DiAngelo about thebook and the concept of white fragility.


To Listen and Watch:
MSU launched a "Music for Social Justice Series". Artists who are faculty members in the MSU College of Music speak out on issues of inequality, blending performance with commentary about the impact artists and music can have on today’s social issues. Nine episodes will begin the series, premiering on the College of Music YouTube channel August 12 through December 2, 2020. 


Something to do:
Organize a reading group. There are lots of guides out there that can help organize and approach difficult and uncomfortable topics. I am hoping to use this toolkit that is geared towards farming communities. Although some of the reading is agriculture-specific, the tips and approaches for keeping the conversation constructive are broadly applicable.

Although not fully vetted, this site: Racial Equity Tools seems to have a lot of resources to get organized around.

Discover your implicit bias: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

Show up! Detroit Will Breathe has been marching for Justice daily since March. https://detroitwillbreathe.info/

If you come across a good community organizing tool kit, please send it our way so we can share it. 

To contribute:
We The People Community Farm: We have included this link for the past several weeks. Their fundraising campaign is to"fundraising campaign to help us grow more food, grow our impact, and grow the relationships we're forging with people coming home after being incarcerated. " They are still fundraising and are in our Ypsilanti, so offer opportunity to get directly involved.

Black Land Collective Fund:  The history of U.S. agriculture is inseparable from the history of U.S. racism. Indigenous land dispossession, slavery, the ongoing exclusion of racial minorities from federal agricultural programs and support systems, present day exploitation enabled by lack of labor protections for agricultural workers, and disempowering immigration policies are all examples of the ways in which racism has been woven into agriculture on every level since this land was colonized (to learn more about these histories, please see the study guide section, and the bibliography of additional resources). Examples of racism in agricultural contexts exacerbate inequity and injustice throughout the food system and society more broadly, contributing to community food insecurity, labor exploitation, and  other forms of racialized oppression. Dismantling racism in our society must involve deep change in our agricultural systems. It is crucial that farmers, organizations that work on agricultural issues, and people involved in food systems at every level directly address racism, the myth of white supremacy, structural inequity, and the ways they manifest as ongoing violence and dispossession in relation to land, food, climate, and labor.

Market Details:  

The Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Wednesday with Amy (new on the scene)! 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 Kyla! 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 and Amy: 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 with Helen subbing in for Kyla! 7 am to 2:30 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, onsite purchases. 

We will be set up in Shed 2, close to the center and on the East side of the aisle that heads towards Shed 3. Look for our sign and for Shana!*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. 

Royal Oak, Saturday with Jim and Shana! 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 Annie! 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. 

If you are a CSA member and your account balance is low:

• If you want to continue on as one of our members and your balance does not cover your current order
  • Order what you want
  • Add money into your account either by
    • Putting a check or cash in your trunk/backseat Saturday for pick-up and emailing to let me know
    • Mailing a check
    • Using the online store
• If you just want to add more to your account, go for it! Use any of the methods listed above.
• If you no longer want to be a farm member
  • We ask that you do not go over your balance.  

 : 

Ordering: How to Register with Local Line
If you have already registered with Local Line, just log in and use your account to order. If you haven't already done it, please make sure your account name is in the format Lastname.First as in Chandler.Helen or Neumann.Jim. This isn't required but it helps us when we are entering data, packing, and handling pick ups. 

Trouble shooting:If you have filled your cart but your order isn't going through: If the answer to one of these questions is yes, that is the cause of your problem.

• Is your total less than $10? We have a $10 minimum to help us deal with the extra cost of packing orders.
• Is it between Friday morning and Tuesday afternoon? Ordering is open from sometime Tuesday afternoon until Thursday at midnight

Are you a CSA member but your order receipt says balance due in 30 days?

• Don't worry about this. We had to set up a work around to get Local Line to fit the needs for our business. 

You have made an account but can't log in:

• Did you verify your email address? After you create your username and password, Local Line sends a confirmation email. You can find it by searching your inbox for and email from localline.ca and the exact phrase "please verify your email address"  

If you still need to register with Local Line, follow these instructions. To avoid difficulty, PLEASE READ THROUGH THESE INSTRUCTIONS:
How to create a Local Line Account:

1. Head to the link at the bottom of these steps.
2. Register using the green button to the right.
3. You will be asked to enter a bunch of information and there are a two things that are very important
   1. Be sure to use the email address that this email went to. If you don't, you may be asked to pay using a credit card.
   2. Please use the Lastname.First for the Account name. (Your last name follow by a period followed by your first name, with no spaces. For example Chandler.Helen)
4. You will then need to verify your email address by going to your email inbox and responding to the email that comes from Local Line.
5. At last! You can order!
6. Here is the link to use to create your Local Line account: https://www.localline.ca/lakedividefarm

Fresh From the Field!

Greens:
Microgreens! Mustard Mix, Just Arugula & Watercress
Pea Shoots 
Swiss Chard- limited- It is aces I tells ya! Aces!

All manner of deliciousness: 
Cabbage- Round Green (back in quantity!)
Celery!
Cucumbers
Eggplant- Italian and Asian varieties!
Fennel- Licorice and crunchy dice
Garlic! Uncured, fresh, juicy, delicious
Onions- Fresh sweet onions for salads and cooking
Kohlrabi- green and purple "snack" class vegetables that make a great raw snack!
Peppers- green bells, purple and white too
Hot Peppers- Jalapeno, Hot Hungarian and Poblano
Potatoes! New! Skins so thin they melt right off! These juicy potatoes make any meal gourmet!
Scallions
Summer Squash- Golden and Green Zucchini plus some classic yellow squash and patty pans
Tomatoes- Cherry tomatoes
Tomatoes! Round slicers and paste tomatoes
Snack Peppers!
Eggplant- Italian and Asian varieties (limited for now)
Carrots?!

Herbs:
Basil
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Sage
Thyme

Coming Soon:
​Napa Cabbage
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
: 
Staying Active: Something to keep the gears of progress engaged:
We are taking a short hiatus from curating weekly lists and paths. I have included below a couple links to readings and some ideas on how to work towards racial equity within your community. Also included are two links to some places where dollars can make a difference.


In the meantime, keep learning, listening, speaking up, and showing up. We have to continue providing energy for change. There is much to be done. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. 

If you come across resources, readings, or movements that you feel are powerful, please send them our way so we can share them.

To read: This list is my no means whatsoever all inclusive.
Essays and articles (links to arcles):
The Case For Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Uses of Anger by Audre Lorde

Books (links to authors website):
How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Here is a link to an excellent interview with Ibram X. Kendi discussing the concepts in his book.  


The New Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness by Michelle Alexander. This website also has some guides to study and organize 

So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

White Fragility: Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism by Robin DiAngelo. 
Here is an interview with Robin DiAngelo about thebook and the concept of white fragility.


Something to do:
Organize a reading group. There are lots of guides out there that can help organize and approach difficult and uncomfortable topics. I am hoping to use this toolkit that is geared towards farming communities. Although some of the reading is agriculture-specific, the tips and approaches for keeping the conversation constructive are broadly applicable.

Although not fully vetted, this site: Racial Equity Tools seems to have a lot of resources to get organized around.

Discover your implicit bias: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

If you come across a good community organizing tool kit, please send it our way so we can share it. 

To contribute:
We The People Community Farm: We have included this link for the past several weeks. Their fundraising campaign is to"fundraising campaign to help us grow more food, grow our impact, and grow the relationships we're forging with people coming home after being incarcerated. " They are still fundraising and are in our Ypsilanti, so offer opportunity to get directly involved.

Black Land Collective Fund:  The history of U.S. agriculture is inseparable from the history of U.S. racism. Indigenous land dispossession, slavery, the ongoing exclusion of racial minorities from federal agricultural programs and support systems, present day exploitation enabled by lack of labor protections for agricultural workers, and disempowering immigration policies are all examples of the ways in which racism has been woven into agriculture on every level since this land was colonized (to learn more about these histories, please see the study guide section, and the bibliography of additional resources). Examples of racism in agricultural contexts exacerbate inequity and injustice throughout the food system and society more broadly, contributing to community food insecurity, labor exploitation, and  other forms of racialized oppression. Dismantling racism in our society must involve deep change in our agricultural systems. It is crucial that farmers, organizations that work on agricultural issues, and people involved in food systems at every level directly address racism, the myth of white supremacy, structural inequity, and the ways they manifest as ongoing violence and dispossession in relation to land, food, climate, and labor.



Market Details: Northville back to ending at 3 pm 

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-  2 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 with Kyla! 7 am to 2:30 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, onsite purchases. Shana is on a bike trip and will be back in July. In the meantime, Kyla will be at market to divie up the goods!

We will be set up in Shed 2, close to the center and on the East side of the aisle that heads towards Shed 3. Look for our sign and for Kyla!*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. 

Royal Oak, Saturday with Kathryn and Jim! 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. 

If you are a CSA member and your account balance is low:

• If you want to continue on as one of our members and your balance does not cover your current order
  • Order what you want
  • Add money into your account either by
    • Putting a check or cash in your trunk/backseat Saturday for pick-up and emailing to let me know
    • Mailing a check
    • Using the online store
• If you just want to add more to your account, go for it! Use any of the methods listed above.
• If you no longer want to be a farm member
  • We ask that you do not go over your balance.  

 : 

Ordering: How to Register with Local Line
If you have already registered with Local Line, just log in and use your account to order. If you haven't already done it, please make sure your account name is in the format Lastname.First as in Chandler.Helen or Neumann.Jim. This isn't required but it helps us when we are entering data, packing, and handling pick ups. 

If you still need to register with Local Line, follow these instructions. To avoid difficulty, PLEASE READ THROUGH THESE INSTRUCTIONS:
How to create a Local Line Account

1. Head to the link at the bottom of these steps.
2. Register using the green button to the right.
3. You will be asked to enter a bunch of information and there are a two things that are very important
   1. Be sure to use the email address that this email went to. If you don't, you may be asked to pay using a credit card.
   2. Please use the Lastname.First for the Account name. (Your last name follow by a period followed by your first name, with no spaces. For example Chandler.Helen)
4. You will then need to verify your email address by going to your email inbox and responding to the email that comes from Local Line.
5. At last! You can order!
6. Here is the link to use to create your Local Line account: https://www.localline.ca/lakedividefarm

In this email:

• Generally important notes.
• Notes from the farm
• Fresh From the Field- What are we bringing to market this week!
• Staying active and engaged with social change: Readings, tools, and contributions.
• Market Details-
  • Northville Market is back to its usual end time of 3 pm!
  • Find our vegetables and other local goods in Stockbridge at Plane Food Market! 
• Ordering: How to register with Local Line
• CSA members- what to do if your account is low

Generally Important Notes:

• Please wear face coverings when shopping with us at market. We are trying to protect our families and coworkers. With our workload, we cannot afford long absences due to illness and with the potential for long term physical ailments after the the virus, we don't want our farm members, workers, or families to get this virus. We encounter a lot of people as market vendors and a face covering worn by us and our customers is a simple way to reduce our exposure to the virus. Please help us stay safe and continue providing fresh, nutritious food for you. If you are unsure why simple cloth face coverings help, here is a great video from PBS. 
• There is a small pre-ordering window for Ann Arbor Wednesday. Ordering opens now and goes until midnight tonight (Tuesday 7/14)
• If you signed up as a Farm Member online, please note, you can also use your account at market. Pre-ordering is not required!
• 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. 

Notes from the Farm:
- Tomatoes are here, same for peps and eggplant
- Fall fields are getting seeded as promised! 
- Irrigation has been run to the Fall fields just in the nick of time
- We're working like crazy trying to get all the garlic out of the field
- Wash station expansion on hold while we secure Fall crops

All the best to you and your family.
Jim 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:
Kale- limited-  Green Curly, Red Curly, Red Russian, Siber Frills
Microgreens! Mustard Mix & Just Arugula (may be limited this week)
Pea Shoots (may be limited this week, but back in force soon!)
Swiss Chard- limtied- It is aces I tells ya! Aces!
Beet Greens

All manner of deliciousness:
 Beets Loose - Limited
Cabbage- Round Green
Celery!
Cucumbers
Eggplant- Italian and Asian varieties!
Fennel- Licorice and crunchy dice
Garlic! Uncured, fresh, juicy, delicious
Onions- Fresh sweet onions for salads and cooking
Peppers- green bells, purple and white too
Hot Peppers- Jalapeno, Hot Hungarian and Poblano
Potatoes! New! Skins so thin they melt right off! These juicy potatoes make any meal gourmet!
Scallions
Summer Squash- Golden and Green Zucchini plus some classic yellow squash and patty pans
Tomatoes- Cherry tomatoes
Tomatoes! Round slicers and paste tomatoes
Ground Cherries! Golden globes wrapped in paper lanterns that taste like a pineapple ate a tomato!?

Herbs:
Basil
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Sage
Thyme

Coming Soon:
Snack Peppers!
THE FUTURE!

​

Staying Active: Something to keep the gears of progress engaged:
We are taking a short hiatus from curating weekly lists and paths. I have included below a couple links to readings and some ideas on how to work towards racial equity within your community. Also included are two links to some places where dollars can make a difference.


In the meantime, keep learning, listening, speaking up, and showing up. We have to continue providing energy for change. There is much to be done. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. 

If you come across resources, readings, or movements that you feel are powerful, please send them our way so we can share them.

To read: This list is my no means whatsoever all inclusive.
Essays and articles (links to arcles):
The Case For Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Uses of Anger by Audre Lorde

Books (links to authors website):
How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Here is a link to an excellent interview with Ibram X. Kendi discussing the concepts in his book.  


The New Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness by Michelle Alexander. This website also has some guides to study and organize 

So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

White Fragility: Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism by Robin DiAngelo. 
Here is an interview with Robin DiAngelo about thebook and the concept of white fragility.


Something to do:
Organize a reading group. There are lots of guides out there that can help organize and approach difficult and uncomfortable topics. I am hoping to use this toolkit that is geared towards farming communities. Although some of the reading is agriculture-specific, the tips and approaches for keeping the conversation constructive are broadly applicable.

Although not fully vetted, this site: Racial Equity Tools seems to have a lot of resources to get organized around.

Discover your implicit bias: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

If you come across a good community organizing tool kit, please send it our way so we can share it. 

To contribute:
We The People Community Farm: We have included this link for the past several weeks. Their fundraising campaign is to"fundraising campaign to help us grow more food, grow our impact, and grow the relationships we're forging with people coming home after being incarcerated. " They are still fundraising and are in our Ypsilanti, so offer opportunity to get directly involved.

Black Land Collective Fund:  The history of U.S. agriculture is inseparable from the history of U.S. racism. Indigenous land dispossession, slavery, the ongoing exclusion of racial minorities from federal agricultural programs and support systems, present day exploitation enabled by lack of labor protections for agricultural workers, and disempowering immigration policies are all examples of the ways in which racism has been woven into agriculture on every level since this land was colonized (to learn more about these histories, please see the study guide section, and the bibliography of additional resources). Examples of racism in agricultural contexts exacerbate inequity and injustice throughout the food system and society more broadly, contributing to community food insecurity, labor exploitation, and  other forms of racialized oppression. Dismantling racism in our society must involve deep change in our agricultural systems. It is crucial that farmers, organizations that work on agricultural issues, and people involved in food systems at every level directly address racism, the myth of white supremacy, structural inequity, and the ways they manifest as ongoing violence and dispossession in relation to land, food, climate, and labor.



Market Details: Northville back to ending at 3 pm 

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-  2 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 with Kyla! 7 am to 2:30 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, onsite purchases. Shana is on a bike trip and will be back in July. In the meantime, Kyla will be at market to divie up the goods!

We will be set up in Shed 2, close to the center and on the East side of the aisle that heads towards Shed 3. Look for our sign and for Kyla!*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. 

Royal Oak, Saturday with Kathryn and Jim! 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. 

If you are a CSA member and your account balance is low:

• If you want to continue on as one of our members and your balance does not cover your current order
  • Order what you want
  • Add money into your account either by
    • Putting a check or cash in your trunk/backseat Saturday for pick-up and emailing to let me know
    • Mailing a check
    • Using the online store
• If you just want to add more to your account, go for it! Use any of the methods listed above.
• If you no longer want to be a farm member
  • We ask that you do not go over your balance.  

 : 

Ordering: How to Register with Local Line
If you have already registered with Local Line, just log in and use your account to order. If you haven't already done it, please make sure your account name is in the format Lastname.First as in Chandler.Helen or Neumann.Jim. This isn't required but it helps us when we are entering data, packing, and handling pick ups. 

If you still need to register with Local Line, follow these instructions. To avoid difficulty, PLEASE READ THROUGH THESE INSTRUCTIONS:
How to create a Local Line Account

1. Head to the link at the bottom of these steps.
2. Register using the green button to the right.
3. You will be asked to enter a bunch of information and there are a two things that are very important
   1. Be sure to use the email address that this email went to. If you don't, you may be asked to pay using a credit card.
   2. Please use the Lastname.First for the Account name. (Your last name follow by a period followed by your first name, with no spaces. For example Chandler.Helen)
4. You will then need to verify your email address by going to your email inbox and responding to the email that comes from Local Line.
5. At last! You can order!
6. Here is the link to use to create your Local Line account: https://www.localline.ca/lakedividefarm

In this email:

• Generally important notes.
• Notes from the farm
• Fresh From the Field- What are we bringing to market this week!
• Staying active and engaged with social change: A resource and an opportunity to contribute to the We The People Opportunity Farm!
• Market Details-
  • Northville Market is back to its usual end time of 3 pm!
  • Find our vegetables and other local goods in Stockbridge at Plane Food Market! 
• Ordering: How to register with Local Line
• CSA members- what to do if your account is low

Generally Important Notes:

• Please wear face coverings when shopping with us at market. We are trying to protect our families and coworkers. With our workload, we cannot afford long absences due to illness and with the potential for long term physical ailments after the the virus, we don't want our farm members, workers, or families to get this virus. We encounter a lot of people as market vendors and a face covering worn by us and our customers is a simple way to reduce our exposure to the virus. Please help us stay safe and continue providing fresh, nutritious food for you. If you are unsure why simple cloth face coverings help, here is a great video from PBS. 
• There is a small pre-ordering window for Ann Arbor Wednesday. Ordering opens now and goes until midnight tonight (Tuesday 7/14)
• If you signed up as a Farm Member online, please note, you can also use your account at market. Pre-ordering is not required!
• 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. 

Notes from the Farm:
This is Jim checking in! It's going to be a short email this week out of necessity. The whole team is out in the field right now working late and hard to get nutrients spread over the newly formed Fall beds. It's been mad push all this week to get those fields ready for transplants and direct seeding. As you may have noted in last weeks email, I have been having a monstrous time trying to recover from a surgery I underwent in the beginning of March. I want to send my thanks to all the people at market who sent warm wishes back to me and Helen via our market crews. It meant a lot. I'm going to be okay, shoot, I'll be better than ever before... not yet, but soon.  I miss you all, and I can barely wait to return to markets to talk nonsense with you ;) As I'm beginning to finally meet and engage with our new (to me) crew, I'm finding out just how fortunate we are to have each one of them here. It feels too good, like that trailing part of a good dream that carries a feeling of contentment and peace with it as you transition back into the waking world. Be well and do good.

I added in some extra photos this week to compensate for the lack of chit chat.
All the best to you and your family.
Jim 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:
Head Lettuce
Kale- limited-  Green Curly, Red Curly, Red Russian, Siber Frills
Microgreens! Mustard Mix & Just Arugula (may be limited this week)
Pea Shoots (may be limited this week, but back in force soon!)
Swiss Chard- limtied- It is aces I tells ya! Aces!

All manner of deliciousness: 
Beets - Limited
Cabbage- Round Green and a touch of the wondrous cone cabbage, plus savoy leaf
Celery!
Cucumbers
Fennel- Licorice and crunchy dice!
Garlic! Uncured, fresh, juicy, delicious!
Onions- Fresh sweet onions for salads and cooking!
Peppers- green bells, purple and white too
Potatoes! New! Skins so thin they melt right off! These juicy potatoes make any meal gourmet!
Scallions
Summer Squash- Golden and Green Zucchini plus some classic yellow squash and patty pans
Tomatoes- Cherry tomatoes just starting in 
Tomatoes! Round red slicers and paste tomatoes

Herbs:
Basil!
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Sage
Thyme

Coming Soon:
Ground Cherries
: 
Staying Active: Something to keep the gears of progress engaged.

To contribute: (I decided to leave this up for one more week. I really like these people and the work they are doing - Jim)
If you are interested in contributing time or money to a project, consider getting involved with the non-profit We The People Community Farm. I admire and respect the mission and values of this farm. 
Below is an excerpt from their website:
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to break the cycle of incarceration in Washtenaw County by investing in the employment and development of formerly incarcerated men and women through farming and community engagement.
OUR VALUES
​Radically Inclusive: Including everyone, especially accepting and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (due to their race, gender, sexuality, or ability). We honor different identities, ideas and experiences and invite everyone, especially those who have historically been excluded, into the pursuit of our mission.
Intentionally Collaborative: We cannot meet our mission without you. We invite you into our work. We value the power of collective thinking and impact, even when it is challenging.
Courageously Disruptive: In all that we do we will stretch ourselves and those we work alongside to challenge the Prison Industrial Complex.
Rooted in Justice: We work vigorously for freedom and justice for formerly incarcerated Black, Indigenous, Latinx, People of Color and, by extension, all incarcerated people.
Committed to Growth: We will steward all our resources with integrity, love, and respect for the earth. This in turn, fuels our belief that all living things when nurtured in good soil, given sun, and water will flourish

The summer squash mean business! They are here in full force. Crates upon crates. So get ready to make that summer squash curry, sauteed sage and squash, stuffed zucchini boats, veggie noodles, shredded zucchini with zesty lemon dressing- so many ideas. My absolute favorite is the squash fritter.

Also fresh in this week- NEW POTATOES!!! They are just so gosh darn delicious! Boiled and smashed then roasted with thyme, olive oil, and a little sea salt!
 
In this email:

• Generally important notes.
• Market Details-
  • Northville Market is going to end at 2pm again this week!
  • Find our vegetables and other local goods in Stockbridge at Plane Food Market! 
• Notes from the farm
• Fresh From the Field- What are we bringing to market this week!
• Staying active and engaged with social change: A resource and an opportunity to contribute to the We The People Opportunity Farm!
• Ordering: How to register with Local Line
• CSA members- what to do if your account is low

Generally Important Notes:

• Please wear face coverings when shopping with us at market. We are trying to protect our families and coworkers. With our workload, we cannot afford long absences due to illness and with the potential for long term physical ailments after the the virus, we don't want our farm members, workers, or families to get this virus. We encounter a lot of people as market vendors and a face covering worn by us and our customers is a simple way to reduce our exposure to the virus. Please help us stay safe and continue providing fresh, nutritious food for you. If you are unsure why simple cloth face coverings help, here is a great video from PBS. 
• There is a small pre-ordering window for Ann Arbor Wednesday. Ordering opens now and goes until midnight tonight (Tuesday 7/14)
• If you signed up as a Farm Member online, please note, you can also use your account at market. Pre-ordering is not required!
• 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. 

Market Details: Pick-up locations and times. Northville ends at 2 pm again. 

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-  2 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 with Kyla! 7 am to 2:30 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, onsite purchases. Shana is on a bike trip and will be back in July. In the meantime, Kyla will be at market to divie up the goods!

We will be set up in our usual summer location (from last season) in Shed 2, close to the center and on the East side of the aisle that heads towards Shed 3. Look for our sign and for Kyla!You will have to park and walk up to pick-up our order. Please wear a face covering (even just a cloth) and respect the social distancing guidelines and stay 6' from each other and us. 

*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. 
Royal Oak, Saturday with Kathryn and Jim! 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:
What am I normally writing about this time of year? I am writing about just beginning to do it all at once. All the field prep, seeding, planting, harvesting, caring, markets- all of it. Yet somehow, this year, it feels like we have been doing it all at once the whole time. Jim and I, in our personal lives, have been going through our own ordeal that has exhausted me to the core. I feel like while at this time of year I am usually just beginning to pick up speed flying down a hill that has no end, this year, I have been on the hill for ages. My life blurring past on either side. 
Luckily, the farm crew this year is like a safety net and they have caught us. They materialized almost abruptly, after months of looking for qualified, engaging people to farm with. They are diligently, enthusiastically helping to care for and create space for Jim and I to be humans in this world, while continuing to do the hard work that is farming- weeding for hours, harvesting for hours, working with intention and focus through 90 degree days, the only shade provided by the swarming mosquitoes. I am so honored and grateful to be working with this resilient, caring group. Because of them, we are healing up. 
Please read Jim's caption on the photo below. I feel like it really expresses what we have been experiencing. Onward and upward wonderful farm family! Love you guys. 

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:
Head Lettuce- Back in a few weeks
Kale- Green Curly, Red Curly, Red Russian, Siber Frills
Microgreens! Mustard Mix & Just Arugula (may be limited this week)
Pea Shoots (may be limited this week)
Swiss Chard- It is aces I tells ya! Aces!

All manner of deliciousness: 
Beets at long last! With luscious greens
Cabbage- Round Green and a touch of the wondrous cone cabbage!
Cabbage- Napa cabbage- some with flowering stalks, still delicious.
Celery!
Cucumbers (may be limited)
Kohlrabi- Round, cruchy, sweet, juicy. 
Garlic! Uncured, fresh, juicy, delicious!
Garlic Scapes- Last week to get that prime pesto ingredient for your winter vacations!
Onions- Fresh sweet onions for salads and cooking!
Peppers- green bells just starting to come in (maybe some purple ones too!)
Potatoes! New! Skins so thin they melt right off! These juicy potatoes make any meal gourmet!
Scallions
Summer Squash- Golden and Green Zucchini plus some classic yellow squash and patty pans
Sweet Salad Turnips (topless)
Tomatoes- Cherry tomatoes just starting in 
​
Herbs:
Basil!
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Sage
ThymeComing Soon:Carrots
Fennel
Ground Cherries
: 
Staying Active: Something to keep the gears of progress engaged.
To read:
In the quest to educate myself, I have recently been introduced to the Zinn Education Project. I have found myself hoping to better understand how we arrived where we are; hoping to connect to people across opinion; hoping to better communicate and share ideas; hoping to build together what we value- safety, happiness, fulfillment, respect- for everyone. Reading through articles from the Zinn Education Project is interesting and provides jumping off points for more learning and more discussion. I like their this day in history section. They also offer a slew of learning resources for a variety of topics. 
From their About section:
"For more than ten years, the Zinn Education Project has introduced students to a more accurate, complex, and engaging understanding of history than is found in traditional textbooks and curricula. With more than 110,000 people registered, and growing by more than 10,000 new registrants every year, the Zinn Education Project has become a leading resource for teachers and teacher educators." It is 

To contribute:
If you are interested in contributing time or money to a project, consider getting involved with the non-profit We The People Community Farm. I admire and respect the mission and values of this farm. 
Below is an excerpt from their website:
OUR MISSIONOur mission is to break the cycle of incarceration in Washtenaw County by investing in the employment and development of formerly incarcerated men and women through farming and community engagement.
OUR VALUESRadically Inclusive: Including everyone, especially accepting and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (due to their race, gender, sexuality, or ability). We honor different identities, ideas and experiences and invite everyone, especially those who have historically been excluded, into the pursuit of our mission.
Intentionally Collaborative: We cannot meet our mission without you. We invite you into our work. We value the power of collective thinking and impact, even when it is challenging.
Courageously Disruptive: In all that we do we will stretch ourselves and those we work alongside to challenge the Prison Industrial Complex.
Rooted in Justice: We work vigorously for freedom and justice for formerly incarcerated Black, Indigenous, Latinx, People of Color and, by extension, all incarcerated people.
Committed to Growth: We will steward all our resources with integrity, love, and respect for the earth. This in turn, fuels our belief that all living things when nurtured in good soil, given sun, and water will flourish

Sorry folks, have to punt on this email! Too much to do! We NEED to prepare ground for our fall plantings and we have to HUSTLE to get it done!!
Check out the pictures!
 
In this email:

• Generally important notes.
• Market Details-
  • Eastern Market is back!
  • 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 7/7)
• If you signed up with us online, please note, you can also use your account at market. Pre-ordering is not required!
• 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. 

Market Details: Pick-up locations and times. Northville ends at 2 pm, Eastern is back!

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-  2 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 Guest market attendant! 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 with Kyla! 7 am to 2:30 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, onsite purchases. Shana is on a bike trip and will be back in July. In the meantime, Kyla will be at market to divie up the goods!

We will be set up in our usual summer location (from last season) in Shed 2, close to the center and on the East side of the aisle that heads towards Shed 3. Look for our sign and for Kyla!You will have to park and walk up to pick-up our order. Please wear a face covering (even just a cloth) and respect the social distancing guidelines and stay 6' from each other and us. 

*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. 

Royal Oak, Saturday with Kathryn and Jim! 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:
Prep prep ground! Sweat it out! Hot hot hot!
Baby birds, super cool caterpillars! Saving space for the creatures (unmowed fields and nooks and crannies).
Our pheasants have babies. 
Our kitchen barn swallow's babies hatched. 

Although this email is a flurry, I am remembering that it is Day 40 of the Detroit Will Breath marches downtown. They have been marching daily for police reform. If you are interested, you can support them, join them, read about them, read about what they want and need. Let's build community, not prisons. 

Helen

On that note, I am outta here! 
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:
Head Lettuce- Back in a few weeks
Kale- Green Curly, Red Curly, Red Russian, Siber Frills
Microgreens! Mustard Mix & Just Arugula (may be limited this week)
Pea Shoots (may be limited this week)
Swiss Chard- It is aces I tells ya! Aces!

All manner of deliciousness: 
Beets at long last! With luscious greens
Cabbage- Round Green and a touch of the wondrous cone cabbage!
Cabbage- Napa cabbage- some with flowering stalks, still delicious.
Cucumbers (may be limited)Kohlrabi- Round, cruchy, sweet, juicy. 
Garlic! Uncured, fresh, juicy, delicious!
Garlic Scapes
Onions- Fresh sweet onions for salads and cooking!
Peppers- green bells just starting to come in (maybe some purple ones too!)
Scallions
Summer Squash- Golden and Green Zucchini
Sweet Salad Turnips (topless)
Tomatoes- Cherry tomatoes just starting in 

Herbs:
Basil!
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Sage
Thyme

Coming Soon:
Ground Cherries
New potatoes- we decided to give them one more week in the ground​

A mini bucket of cherry tomatoes was collected this week. It won't be long before there's more than a handful for market. 
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. 

​On that note, I am outta here! 
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

​
I glanced over my email from last week and realized I sounded like a tired toddler. A bit of rambling. A few non sequitur statements. I am afraid this week won't be that much better. Let our pictures speak for us this time around. 
 
In this email:

• Generally important notes.
• Market Details- Pre-ordering is open for all markets. Get your order for Ann Arbor Wednesday in today!
• Ordering: How to register with Local Line
• Notes from the farm and a reminder about sustained action- Sign up to be informed about BLM's #WhatMatters2020 campaign
• Fresh From the Field- What are we bringing to market this week?

Generally Important Notes:

• There is a small preordering window for Ann Arbor Wednesday. Ordering opens now and goes until midnight tonight (Tuesday 6/23)
• FARM MEMBERS! Thank you for the leeway! Your balances have been updated. Additionally, if you are new member, thank you for your patience while we added you to our mailing list.
• We are less likely to sell out online. While we still encourage you to order online, it is likley that we will have all that you need at markets.
• 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.
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.

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 with Kyla! 7 am to 2:30 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, onsite purchases. NEW MARKET ATTENDANT: KYLA! Shana is on a bike trip and will be back in July. In the meantime, Kyla will be at market to divie up the goods!

We will be set up in our usual summer location (from last season) in Shed 2, close to the center and on the East side of the aisle that heads towards Shed 3. Look for our sign and for Kyla!You will have to park and walk up to pick-up our order. Please wear a face covering (even just a cloth) and respect the social distancing guidelines and stay 6' from each other and us. 

*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. 

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. 

Ordering: How to Register with Local Line
If you have already registered with Local Line, just log in and use your account to order. If you haven't already done it, please make sure your account name is in the format Lastname.First as in Chandler.Helen or Neumann.Jim. This isn't required but it helps us when we are entering data, packing, and handling pick ups. 

If you still need to register with Local Line, follow these instructions. To avoid difficulty, PLEASE READ THROUGH THESE INSTRUCTIONS:
How to create a Local Line Account

1. Head to the link at the bottom of these steps.
2. Register using the green button to the right.
3. You will be asked to enter a bunch of information and there are a two things that are very important
   1. Be sure to use the email address that this email went to. If you don't, you may be asked to pay using a credit card.
   2. Please use the Lastname.First for the Account name. (Your last name follow by a period followed by your first name, with no spaces. For example Chandler.Helen)
4. You will then need to verify your email address by going to your email inbox and responding to the email that comes from Local Line.
5. At last! You can order!
6. Here is the link to use to create your Local Line account: https://www.localline.ca/lakedividefarm

Notes from the Farm:
Lizz ate the farm's first cherry tomato of the year. It was one of the round, orange morsels that we all (mostly all) so love to stuff our faces with. I can't believe that it truly won't be long before we are in tomato heaven.

Last week we planted out our wintersquash, the last round of tomatoes and peppers, and we direct seeded another round of salad mix along with some other fan favorites (cilantro, dill, radishes). 

We passed a milestone this past weekend: The Summer Solstice! How did we get to the tippy top of the year's day already? There is no slowing down now. We are barreling down the hill with our feet off the pedals! We must take advantage of every last drop of daylight that we roll through. The biggest task on the list right now is preparing more ground. We need to acres more ready to plant in the next 3-4 weeks. We must mow, plow, disc, add nutrients, and create the beds. This takes time so we better get on it! 

And to maintain an active role in the push for racial justice, I signed up for updates about the 2020 election cycle from BLM’s #WhatMatters2020 campaign. Here is a link to more information about that. Below is information about the #WhatMatters2020 campaign. I encourage you to sign-up too.BLM’s #WhatMatters2020 is a campaign aimed to maximize the impact of the BLM movement by galvanizing BLM supporters and allies to the polls in the 2020 U.S Presidential Election to build collective power and ensure candidates are held accountable for the issues that systematically and disproportionately impact Black and under-served communities across the nation. 
BLM’s #WhatMatters2020 will focus on issues concerning racial injustice, police brutality, criminal justice reform, Black immigration, economic injustice, LGBTQIA+ and human rights, environmental injustice, access to healthcare, access to quality education, and voting rights and suppression.
This initiative will inspire and motivate people to ask themselves and their candidates are you really addressing What Matters in 2020?
Find out more about our campaign goals and focus.
I also encourage my fellow white people to stay outraged, stay focused, and stay in the uncomfortable place of awareness. It would be easy to let all the feelings that have risen up over the last month to sink back into the background. That is part of white privilege. That is something that people of color aren't able to do because they are faced with systemic racism every day. Don't succumb. Use those feelings of discomfort to take an action- one action towards positive change this week. Read something, have a conversation, sign a petition, show up to a protest.

And I am keeping Mariame Kaba's words below for at least one more week. It is in our hearts. We are taking measured moves to be sustainable contributors. We are in it for the long haul.

“Questions I regularly ask myself when I'm outraged about injustice:
1. What resources exist so I can better educate myself?
2. Who's already doing work around this injustice?
3. Do I have the capacity to offer concrete support & help to them?
4. How can I be constructive?”
-Mariame Kaba (@prisonculture)

Who she is in her own words: My name is Mariame Kaba. I’m an organizer, educator and curator. My work focuses on ending violence, dismantling the prison industrial complex, transformative justice and supporting youth leadership development. After over 20 years of living and organizing in Chicago, I moved back to my hometown of New York City in May 2016.

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- Napa
Head Lettuce- Red Ruffle Leaf, Green Ruffle Leaf, Green Romaine
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: 
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.
Sweet Snap Peas- Our peas at Ann Arbor, peas from our neighboring farm Tantre at Royal Oak, Eastern, and Farmington

Herbs:
Mint
Oregano
Parlsey
Sage
Thyme

Coming Soon:
Cabbage
Carrots

​In this email:

• Generally important notes.
• Market Details- We won't be at Northville this week (probably back next week)
• Ordering: How to register with Local Line
• Notes from the farm and some thoughts on how to take actions to combat systemic racism.
• Fresh From the Field- What are we bringing to market this week?

Generally Important Notes:

• We will miss Northville for one more week! I am sorry if this is a disappointment. Please understand that it won't be for long. Many Northville shoppers also peruse the Farmington market. I encourage you to place your order for pick-up there for this week (and come see me!) We will likely be back next week. 
• I predict ONE MORE WEEK TO GO of LIMITED SELECTION and then it is on.
• We may sell out online so please pre-order. We will bring what we can to market for direct sales but if it is important to you, please order ahead.
• If you see that there are no dates available to order and it is not between Tuesday afternoon-ish and Thursday at midnight, that is because ordering is not open. Don't be alarmed! It will be open during those times. 
• We plan to return to Ann Arbor's Wednesday market when we have more produce available. This could be as soon as one week 
• 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. No changes this week

Northville, Thursday: WE WILL MISS NORTHVILLE THIS WEEK. Many of you also shop at the Farmington Market. I encourage you to place your orders for pick-up there. We will be back in Northville as soon as we have a little bit more produce. 

Stockbridge, Friday: 4 pm-  7 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, limited onsite purchases.
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: 7 am to 12:00 pm, pre-order walk-up or curbside pick-up, limited onsite purchases.
We will be there for the entire market this time. It was great to see you last week. For curbside pick-up, please include a note with your email or email us. 

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: 7 am to 2:30 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, limited onsite purchases.
We will be set up in our usual summer location (from last season) in Shed 2, close to the center and on the East side of the aisle that heads towards Shed 3. Look for our sign and for Shana!You will have to park and walk up to pick-up our order. Please wear a face covering (even just a cloth) and respect the social distancing guidelines and stay 6' from each other and us. 

*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. 

Royal Oak, Saturday: 7 am to 1 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, limited onsite purchases.
We will be back inside in our usual spot this week. 

*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: 9 am to 2 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, limited 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. 

Ordering: How to Register with Local Line
If you have already registered with Local Line, just log in and use your account to order. If you haven't already done it, please make sure your account name is in the format Lastname.Firs as in Chandler.Hele or Neumann.Jim. This isn't required but it helps us when we are entering data, packing, and handling pick ups. 

If you still need to register with Local Line, follow these instructions. To avoid difficulty, PLEASE READ THROUGH THESE INSTRUCTIONS:
How to create a Local Line Account

1. Head to the link at the bottom of these steps.
2. Register using the green button to the right.
3. You will be asked to enter a bunch of information and there are a two things that are very important
   1. Be sure to use the email address that this email went to. If you don't, you may be asked to pay using a credit card.
   2. Please use the Lastname.Firs for the Account name. (Your last name follow by a period followed by the first four letters of your first name, with no spaces. For example Chandler.Hele)
4. You will then need to verify your email address by going to your email inbox and responding to the email that comes from Local Line.
5. At last! You can order!
6. Here is the link to use to create your Local Line account: https://www.localline.ca/lakedividefarm

If you have trouble with any of this, Jim will be available to help you all day Wednesday and Thursday. Please send an email and we will walk you through it, either via email or over the phone. We know this is strange and weird but it is what the world is asking of all of us right now. 

Notes from the Farm:

I do not have the most to say this week about the farm. I will say we are working hard and our hard work is paying off. Note the greens coming out of the field this week and the coming soon section of "fresh From the Field".

We want to lend our voice and support to the nationwide gatherings of people protesting systemic racism. Racism is not a new problem. The mistreatment of people of color by our justice system is not new. It is a huge injustice spanning many years and generations. It is unacceptable that people of color are mistreated, abused, and killed by the systems that are supposed to support and protect all of us. 

Do not allow the enormity of the problem to stop you from taking action.
No one can do everything but everyone can do something.

Find guidance from the strong people doing the work already. This set of questions put forward by activist Mariame Kaba, offer guidance on how to turn your rage, despair, disgust, into energy that can be used to create positive change. 

“Questions I regularly ask myself when I'm outraged about injustice:
1. What resources exist so I can better educate myself?
2. Who's already doing work around this injustice?
3. Do I have the capacity to offer concrete support & help to them?
4. How can I be constructive?”
-Mariame Kaba (@prisonculture)

Who she is in her own words: My name is Mariame Kaba. I’m an organizer, educator and curator. My work focuses on ending violence, dismantling the prison industrial complex, transformative justice and supporting youth leadership development. After over 20 years of living and organizing in Chicago, I moved back to my hometown of New York City in May 2016.

Here are some actions that you can take:
Educate yourself:
Read books. Here is a list of books that shed light on racism. The list was put together by Ibram X. Kendi, author of "How to be an Antiracist" 
Read policy. 
Listen to podcasts.

Support the people doing the work: There are a lot of admirable, courageous, smart, strong people working on these problems- support them.
Donate money
Sign petitions
Make Phone calls
Contribute your time and energy to the people that are already pushing this boulder up the hill.

Have the conversations.
With your families, your friends, your neighbors. Ask the questions. On the list posted below there are suggestions as to how to have a productive conversation on the topic. Don't be silent. 

For white people, read about how to be  a white ally. 
An old list, but a good one.

This past week, Barack  Obama wrote piece for the medium (How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change). I feel offers a good jumping off point for the actions above as does his website linked here: https://www.obama.org/anguish-and-action/

 I know that this is a fragmented call to action. I wish I could put more clarity into the collection of information above. I can't. My brain is mushed up by heat and exhaustion. I can encourage you to click the links, follow up with your own reading, and take the actions. Please.

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:
Arugula
Bok Choy- baby and delicious
Head Lettuce (limited)
Kale
Microgreens! Mustard Mix, Just Arugula, & Watercress
Mustard- Spicy and tasty. Excellent on a sandwich or cooked
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekana! Loose leaf bok choy lettuce
Pea Shoots
Swiss Chard- The first baby leaves. Bagged up and delicious

All manner of deliciousness: (okay not so many manners this week but soon!)
Radishes- fresh spring radishes!

Herbs:
Mint
Oregano
Sage
Thyme

Coming Soon:
Napa Cabbage
Cucumbers
Pease
Salad Mix
Scallions
Squash
Sweet Turnips
Parsley

Ahoy!
​
The ordering is going more smoothly. While the ordering platform has been a little buggy on occasion, I am generally satisfied with it. It has allowed us to continue doing the work we need to do to ensure that there will be vegetables available to you. 

Important Notes:

• Stockbridge- Pick-ups will be at market on Fridays during market hours (4 pm to 7 pm)  It will be so for all pick-ups moving forward. 
• Eastern- We may be in a new location at market this Saturday. Please check our website's homepage before heading to market to find out where we will be!
• We are now opening the ordering to both farm members and market customers on Tuesday evenings, instead of staggering order opening. We are doing this for a few important reasons:
  • It reduces the amount of computer work we have to do and allows us to dedicate our time to cultivating the vegetables. This will ensure that we have the vegetables for us to sell and you to eat, and that is really the important part. 
  • We haven't been selling out, except for the extremely limited items. That means, this is unlikely to effect whether your order is filled or not. 
  • Don't worry about not getting your favorites. Doing it this way will increase the availability of your favorites, not just for you but for everyone. 
  • This is similar to how we have always handled it at market. 
  • This will increase the window for sales for all our customers and increase the amount of overall sales. It is important, especially this time of year and under these strange circumstances that we sell as many of our vegetables as we can.
• If you haven't been able to order though Local Line please send us an email so we can help you get set up.

Ordering:
If you have already registered with Local Line, just log in and use your account to order. If you haven't already done it, please make sure your account name is in the format Lastname.Firs as in Chandler.Hele or Neumann.Jim. This isn't required but it helps us when we are entering data, packing, and handling pick ups. 

If you still need to register with Local Line, follow these instructions. To avoid difficulty, PLEASE READ THROUGH THESE INSTRUCTIONS:
How to create a Local Line Account

1. Head to the link at the bottom of these steps.
2. Register using the green button to the right.
3. You will be asked to enter a bunch of information and there are a two things that are very important
   1. Be sure to use the email address that this email went to. If you don't, you may be asked to pay using a credit card.
   2. Please use the Lastname.Firs for the Account name. (Your last name follow by a period followed by the first four letters of your first name, with no spaces. For example Chandler.Hele)
4. You will then need to verify your email address by going to your email inbox and responding to the email that comes from Local Line.
5. At last! You can order!
6. Here is the link to use to create your Local Line account: https://www.localline.ca/lakedividefarm

If you have trouble with any of this, Jim will be available to help you all day Wednesday and Thursday. Please send an email and we will walk you through it, either via email or over the phone. We know this is strange and weird but it is what the world is asking of all of us right now. 

Here find some notes on the farm. Below this, find some notes on pick-ups.

We have had a windfall of applicants to work on the farm. The crew is really filling out and I am so grateful. It has been a few years since I worked this many consecutive days in April. It is something I look forward to not doing again. 

Since I last wrote we have planted almost an acre of vegetables, hired 4 people, begun the process of flipping one of our hoop houses to summer vegetables, brought equipment out of hibernation, dusted off the irrigation and continued the ebb and flow of the greenhouse (seeding flats, taking flats out to be planted, seeding flats, harvesting flats...)

I don't have much more to say because, before the big rain over the next coupe days, I am hoping to get a little more tractor work done. This means I have to get out of the office and into the field. 

Best of the best,
Helen
: 



Notes on Pick-ups:
Important:

• Stockbridge- Pick-ups will be at market on Fridays during market hours (4 pm to 7 pm)  It will be so for all pick-ups moving forward. 
• Eastern- We may be in a new location this Saturday. Please keep an eye out for an email with pick-up locations. 
• We have left the windows broad but would appreciate it if you come as early as you can. 
• If you are picking up in Ann Arbor, Whitney Farmstead, Tiani Body Care, and Raterman Bread have a pre-order set-up going on as well. This is not included in your CSA but they have great products. https://whitneyfarmstead.square.site/ 

If your account balance is low:

• If you want to continue on as one of our members and your balance does not cover your current order
  • Order what you want
  • Add money into your account either by
    • Putting a check or cash in your trunk/backseat Saturday for pick-up and emailing to let me know
    • Mailing a check
    • Using the online store
• If you just want to add more to your account, go for it! Use any of the methods listed above.
• If you no longer want to be a farm member
  • We ask that you do not go over your balance.  

Pick-up locations and instructions:

Ann Arbor- Whitney Farmstead 11 am - 2 pm
PICK UP INSTRUCTIONS for Whitney Farmstead:
Bring a piece of paper with your first and last name written upon it.
Drive to 4165-3601 Farrell Rd, Dexter, MI 48130 (The farm drive is on the South side of Farrell between these two addresses.)
Turn down farm drive and Look for our van/sign. 
Pull into car line and stay in your car with your windows up.
When you are at the front the line Kyla will come to you. Hold up your paper or say your name.
Either pop your trunk/rear door/unlock your backdoor to allow Kyla to place your order in your backseat.

Note: We are being hosted by the lovely Whitney Farmstead. They have all of their amazing products (Maple Syrup, Eggs, Meats), along with the Tiani Body Care's Soaps, and Raterman's Breads. They have an online store for pre-ordering as well. 

Royal Oak- At the Market! 7 am - 11 am – We will be parked in the last spot before the circle. 
PICK UP INSTRUCTIONS for the Royal Oak Market
Bring a piece of paper with your first and last name written upon it.
Drive to the Royal Oak Farmers' Market. We will be on the East Side of the building.
Look for our sign, van, and me or Kathryn. We will be parked in the last spot along the building side, just before the circle
Upon arrival, get into the car line (we are hoping to use the circle for a car line) and stay in your car with your windows up.
When you are at the front the line we will come over. Hold up your paper or if you don't have a paper, say your Last name. Keep your windows up!
Either pop your trunk/rear door, or unlock your backseat door to allow Kathryn to place your order in your backseat.
If you are shopping at the market and would like to pick your order up on foot, please respect the 6’ social distancing measures.  


Eastern Market- Shed TBD -  7 am - 11:30 am 
PICK UP INSTRUCTIONS for Eastern Market
Please look for an email later this week with the pick-up details.

Stockbridge- FRIDAY at market (on the square at South Clinton St & West Main St) 4 pm to 7 pm

PICK UP INSTRUCTIONS:
You may choose to walk up to the the table 
--or--
Low contact option
Bring a piece of paper with your first and last name written on it. 
Pull up along close to our stand at market.
Give a beep 
Hold up your paper or say your name.
Either pop your trunk/rear door/unlock your backdoor
We will bring your order out and put it in your trunk.


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.