The rain that finally came brought all the mud we could want. Also pictured, dogs, because, you know, dogs are great.
We have our first Killdeer family of the year! The eggs are laid and we have noted their location as to carefully avoid it. I found this when looking for a little more information on Killdeer to share and I love the write up. Fun fact gleaned: The eggs only take 24-48 hours to incubate and the babies hatch precocial (ripened), meaning they can run about from the start. It is a a good thing to, given the unprotected nesting sites the parents have evolved to choose.
We officially got our last snow of 2019! (Wishful thinking maybe?) And with it came the wind! My goodness the wind! We are whirlwinding along with it, preparing for, or perhaps participating in the main planting season. If things go my way, we will transplant some lettuce by the end of the day.
To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: We will not have anymore pick-ups but expect us at the Stockbridge market beginning in May!
Just Eastern Market this week: Find us where we were last week, Outside in Shed 3 (between the two inside spaces)
Mark your calendars for the Ann Arbor CSA fair April 20th at the Kerrytown Market during market hours!
Still accepting Farm Memberships (CSAs)!
Recipe:
Onion top pesto! You can make pesto out of just about anything, but this is a spring specialty. Every year we cut the tops of our onions to sturdy them up before we put them in the field. The good news is, that means greens for us!
Onion Top Pesto:
In a blender combine 2 cups of onion tops, 1/3 cup walnuts (toasted if you dare), about a 1/3 cup olive oil, and blend until coarsely chopped. Then pulse in up to 1 cup of Parmesan cheese (optional), and a pinch of salt and pepper if you so desire. Done! Now, eat it on delicious toast, put it on pasta, toss some boiled potatoes in it, freeze it for later. No matter what you do ENJOY! It is fabulous!
Food for thought:
We have been taking advantage of the dry spell to get as much field preparation done as possible. Who knows what April will bring and this year, we are trying to be ready for it.
In that vein, we incorporated nutrients, bedformed, and tarped (almost complete) just under half and acre where our onion planting will go. Hopefully this will reduce the weed pressure on one of our least weed competitive crops. We also put row cover over our most recently seeded planting both to warm the soil and protect the plants from interested insects.
We have to hold down all these billowing cloths and tarps with something. SAND BAGS! So many sand bags. We moved over 3 tons of sand to make it happen. Filling bags, loading them out of the truck (or sometimes into), carrying them down the narrow farm paths between beds. Because there is not airflow through the tarps, we aim for every 4 feet along the edges and then every 15' feet down a select few rows. Without the bags, just me Jim and Lizz breathing next to the tarps gives them the idea to ditch out and fly to the moon. The other still catch the wind, but not has horribly, so we get a little more leeway.
We are on the seeding schedule as well. The greenhouse is downright crowded now. Early next week, we will move the onions out the harden off and possibly plant our potatoes, freeing up just enough room to accommodate the indefatigable rise of plant life bubbling up from the core of the farm.
This flurry of field activity in the weather gap reigned supreme over all other tasks. Still of pressing importance on the docket, completing the farmall repair and getting the newly obtained equipment in working order. I am so excited to make some handsome raised beds to seed the next round of carrots! Jim and I have a delightful equipment date for this Sunday that I am eagerly looking forward to. It is going to be nice to spend some time together over one of my favorite activities (farming). Plus coffee. There should always be coffee.
That is all for now. Looking to the future!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers
Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People
To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: We will not have anymore pick-ups but expect us at the Stockbridge market beginning in May!
Just Eastern Market this week: Find us where we were last week, Outside in Shed 3 (between the two inside spaces)
Mark your calendars for the Ann Arbor CSA fair April 20th at the Kerrytown Market during market hours!
Still accepting Farm Memberships (CSAs)!
Recipe:
Onion top pesto! You can make pesto out of just about anything, but this is a spring specialty. Every year we cut the tops of our onions to sturdy them up before we put them in the field. The good news is, that means greens for us!
Onion Top Pesto:
In a blender combine 2 cups of onion tops, 1/3 cup walnuts (toasted if you dare), about a 1/3 cup olive oil, and blend until coarsely chopped. Then pulse in up to 1 cup of Parmesan cheese (optional), and a pinch of salt and pepper if you so desire. Done! Now, eat it on delicious toast, put it on pasta, toss some boiled potatoes in it, freeze it for later. No matter what you do ENJOY! It is fabulous!
Food for thought:
We have been taking advantage of the dry spell to get as much field preparation done as possible. Who knows what April will bring and this year, we are trying to be ready for it.
In that vein, we incorporated nutrients, bedformed, and tarped (almost complete) just under half and acre where our onion planting will go. Hopefully this will reduce the weed pressure on one of our least weed competitive crops. We also put row cover over our most recently seeded planting both to warm the soil and protect the plants from interested insects.
We have to hold down all these billowing cloths and tarps with something. SAND BAGS! So many sand bags. We moved over 3 tons of sand to make it happen. Filling bags, loading them out of the truck (or sometimes into), carrying them down the narrow farm paths between beds. Because there is not airflow through the tarps, we aim for every 4 feet along the edges and then every 15' feet down a select few rows. Without the bags, just me Jim and Lizz breathing next to the tarps gives them the idea to ditch out and fly to the moon. The other still catch the wind, but not has horribly, so we get a little more leeway.
We are on the seeding schedule as well. The greenhouse is downright crowded now. Early next week, we will move the onions out the harden off and possibly plant our potatoes, freeing up just enough room to accommodate the indefatigable rise of plant life bubbling up from the core of the farm.
This flurry of field activity in the weather gap reigned supreme over all other tasks. Still of pressing importance on the docket, completing the farmall repair and getting the newly obtained equipment in working order. I am so excited to make some handsome raised beds to seed the next round of carrots! Jim and I have a delightful equipment date for this Sunday that I am eagerly looking forward to. It is going to be nice to spend some time together over one of my favorite activities (farming). Plus coffee. There should always be coffee.
That is all for now. Looking to the future!
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.
First tarp down. If you want to go sailing, try putting one of these suckers down in the wind. Lizz and I almost took a ride putting down a second so decided to wait until the next day. It was a good call.
Greens: (Limited):Kale Rapini
Microgreens: Onion, Arugula, and a tasty Kale-Mustard-Mix
Pea Shoots
All manner of deliciousness:
Scallions
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Hopes for the future! (Those seeds we put out there are growing. They are coming. They will be here)
This weeks MarketsSaturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market
NO ANN ARBOR THIS WEEK!: 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
Microgreens: Onion, Arugula, and a tasty Kale-Mustard-Mix
Pea Shoots
All manner of deliciousness:
Scallions
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Hopes for the future! (Those seeds we put out there are growing. They are coming. They will be here)
This weeks MarketsSaturday: Ann Arbor and Detroit's Eastern Market
NO ANN ARBOR THIS WEEK!: 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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