These plants are Helen approved!
Here is our "new" potato hiller. This angle really makes it look like a spaceship. The top is facing towards us and the leading edge is facing up. Jim is doing a great job working with what we have to make what we have work. This is a great example. Here he devised a way to lay out where the potatoes will be planted so that they will be well enough aligned with the hiller (reduced potato death by human error hopefully.) He used some random (and useful!) pieces of metal that were passed on to us by friend farmers last year.
Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.
Wait, no, that was the last snow of the spring of 2019! If I keep saying it, will it unjinx it? Either way, the red maple flowers are giving the forest a blush. Leaves are emerging. The killdeer eggs are gone. Some birds remove egg shells from the next after hatching. Some eat the eggshells. Some don't do any of this. I am not sure if the killdeer does this, but that is my hope. Hopefully they hatched and are precociously running about now. Almost immediately after hatching, their parents lead them to a feeding area and watch after them until they can fly. I expect, if they are about, we will see them soon.
To note:
Eastern Market and Ann Arbor this week:
At Eastern, look for us in the middle of Shed 4, in the same place we were last week. (The space between the two indoor sheds)
This weeks Ann Arbor market doubles as a CSA fair! If you have been considering becoming a farm member at any of the farms that attend the Ann Arbor market, this is a great week to gather your questions and head out to meet your growers and show them some support. We will be there, along with an abundance of other fabulous growers that we are proud to know.
Recipe:
We are rolling recipe free this week. However, check out our recipes page on our website! (here) If we ever share a recipe in an email and you want to see it again, look for it there!
Recipe Page
Food for thought:
There are adorable baby plants everywhere! In the greenhouse, in the field, hardening off just outside the greenhouse on our well loved farm wagon. We planted out the first round of cabbage. It sent my mind spinning to the time when we had all the cabbage we could want. That time is coming back around! Thank goodness for that!
We also transplanted peas into the field. Many people seed their peas directly into the ground. We have done that in the past. We have also used this method. It is a little more labor to get the peas started inside, however, I think the plants appreciate the warm, well cared for upbringing.
We put out some scallions and boy do they look good!
And some transplanted beets, to go along with those that we seeded a week or so ago.
And some kale.
And some beautiful lettuce. This year we are growing baby lettuce heads. They are harvested smaller and let you mix up your salad by selecting different types. We are just trying it out. I will let you know when we start bringing them to market so you can let us know what you think.
Now we can feel our work in our bones and as our heads hit the pillow. I can feel it in my mind now in fact. Maybe that is what makes a list style email.
A few questions are lingering for me:
How much is it going to rain over the next few days?
Will it be dry enough to use equipment in the field next week?
How well will our new raised bed former work? (I am officially having dreams about it)
When will these baby plants be big enough to harvest. I'm talking to you, you March-seeded salad mix, arugula, radishes, and spinach.
This weeks to-do list was too long to complete. Downright unreasonable. We are all looking forward to the addition of new crew members next week. That being said, I have been enjoying the staggered start. It gives me a moment to adapt to the role of making sure everyone knows what they are doing. All winter, I talk to myself in code, make lists out of geometric symbols rather than words, and move between tasks as feels easy. Let me take a moment here to say, thanks for your patience Jim, and thanks learning my code! Anyway, as the people come back, so must I. It is good to be back! Hope to see you at market!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers
Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People
A window into the production path of your food.
Wait, no, that was the last snow of the spring of 2019! If I keep saying it, will it unjinx it? Either way, the red maple flowers are giving the forest a blush. Leaves are emerging. The killdeer eggs are gone. Some birds remove egg shells from the next after hatching. Some eat the eggshells. Some don't do any of this. I am not sure if the killdeer does this, but that is my hope. Hopefully they hatched and are precociously running about now. Almost immediately after hatching, their parents lead them to a feeding area and watch after them until they can fly. I expect, if they are about, we will see them soon.
To note:
Eastern Market and Ann Arbor this week:
At Eastern, look for us in the middle of Shed 4, in the same place we were last week. (The space between the two indoor sheds)
This weeks Ann Arbor market doubles as a CSA fair! If you have been considering becoming a farm member at any of the farms that attend the Ann Arbor market, this is a great week to gather your questions and head out to meet your growers and show them some support. We will be there, along with an abundance of other fabulous growers that we are proud to know.
Recipe:
We are rolling recipe free this week. However, check out our recipes page on our website! (here) If we ever share a recipe in an email and you want to see it again, look for it there!
Recipe Page
Food for thought:
There are adorable baby plants everywhere! In the greenhouse, in the field, hardening off just outside the greenhouse on our well loved farm wagon. We planted out the first round of cabbage. It sent my mind spinning to the time when we had all the cabbage we could want. That time is coming back around! Thank goodness for that!
We also transplanted peas into the field. Many people seed their peas directly into the ground. We have done that in the past. We have also used this method. It is a little more labor to get the peas started inside, however, I think the plants appreciate the warm, well cared for upbringing.
We put out some scallions and boy do they look good!
And some transplanted beets, to go along with those that we seeded a week or so ago.
And some kale.
And some beautiful lettuce. This year we are growing baby lettuce heads. They are harvested smaller and let you mix up your salad by selecting different types. We are just trying it out. I will let you know when we start bringing them to market so you can let us know what you think.
Now we can feel our work in our bones and as our heads hit the pillow. I can feel it in my mind now in fact. Maybe that is what makes a list style email.
A few questions are lingering for me:
How much is it going to rain over the next few days?
Will it be dry enough to use equipment in the field next week?
How well will our new raised bed former work? (I am officially having dreams about it)
When will these baby plants be big enough to harvest. I'm talking to you, you March-seeded salad mix, arugula, radishes, and spinach.
This weeks to-do list was too long to complete. Downright unreasonable. We are all looking forward to the addition of new crew members next week. That being said, I have been enjoying the staggered start. It gives me a moment to adapt to the role of making sure everyone knows what they are doing. All winter, I talk to myself in code, make lists out of geometric symbols rather than words, and move between tasks as feels easy. Let me take a moment here to say, thanks for your patience Jim, and thanks learning my code! Anyway, as the people come back, so must I. It is good to be back! Hope to see you at market!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers
Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People
- Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask.
- We are hiring! We have 1 part-time position open for the 2019 season. You can find details about the jobs on our website here. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please send us an email or pass along the information.
- We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details.
Carefully covered crops. We hope this warmth brings them sprinting out of the ground and into our harvest bins! Last week there was a picture of one of our tarps, neatly weighted down in this slot. Well.... that didn't go so well in the big wind. Let us call it a learning curve.
Fresh From the Field!
Greens: (Limited):
Kale Rapini
Microgreens: Spicy and Mild Mix
Pea Shoots
All manner of deliciousness:
Scallions
Sweet potatoes! Orange fleshed
Potentially a few surprises. We will see what harvest brings!
This weeks Markets
Saturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market
The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.
The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from 6am – 4pm
Greens: (Limited):
Kale Rapini
Microgreens: Spicy and Mild Mix
Pea Shoots
All manner of deliciousness:
Scallions
Sweet potatoes! Orange fleshed
Potentially a few surprises. We will see what harvest brings!
This weeks Markets
Saturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market
The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.
The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from 6am – 4pm
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