What's under there? Well, depending on the tunnel, it could be lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, chard, scallions, or cilantro. We are trying to step up our witner growing game. Turns out the winter stepped up on us! We got frost blankets into the last of the tunnels just as the farm got blanketed in snow. We aren't complaining though. The snow seals up the tunnels while adding an extra insulating layer to everything on the farm.
Here is some Kale in a Cat (short for caterpillar tunnels- named so for their appearance). This picture was taken pre-single digit dip but I have a hunch it survived. Resilient and admirable, these vegetables.
Did you notice it is cold? Did you see that it snowed? Both of these truths hard to miss! And did you see the GIANT ice crystals?! They look the the world was dunked in a sugar water solution!With the bright, bright moon, and the many flat surfaces glinting, it looks, I don't know, MAGICAL! Yes, magical is the only word. Come see us at markets this week! Despite all this cold and snow, we are there with your fresh, delicious, locally grown vegetables.
This email has less snow pictures than I would like. I promise to post some to our instagram and facebook so be sure the check them out!
To note:
Saturday Ann Arbor Customers! Our winter set-up is officially on. Look for lights! See you there!
Saturday Eastern Market Customers! We are going to slightly shorten our hours at market and may leave the market as early as 2:30 pm. To ensure that you see us there, come during the first eight hours of the market 6 am to 2:30 pm)! If you are a CSA customer and this won't work for you, don't hesitate to respond to this email and let me know.
Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor
Saturday: Eastern Market, Ann Arbor, and Royal Oak
Recipe:
Just one more cabbage recipe. It is so my favorite right now. Roasted Cabbage. Sounds simple. Is simple.
Roasted Cabbage
Ingredients:
Food for thought:
Well, we got most everything we could have hope to our of the field. We got some pleasant warm weather to work by in the beginning of last week. It made those sunrises in the field all the better. It seems every year, this is what to expect. Leave things in the field as long as you can- waiting for them to grow to perfection, then wildly marathon harvest for two weeks straight as soon as we see uninhabitable weather on the long vision forecast. It has worked so far, but it has me wondering, is there a better way? Maybe I should plan on having things mostly out of the field by the end of October rather than the middle of November. The conundrum comes from the consideration of balance: Optimal maturity of vegetables and latest harvest date for ultimate storage capacity vs potential for losses due to cold weather and inability to get the crops out of the field on time. It's a doozy! I will consult some of the group experience.
This is the season we are getting into, the season of consideration. What are we doing, what have we done, and what should we do differently. I like plotting the course. It is one of the times I feel most optimistic- likely because without the sharp corners of reality, so many things seem possible. Even after extensive detail is incorporated, the idea and intention of a plan is still so different from its execution. But I will say that over time, our expectations are getting closer and closer to matching our reality. Sometimes that means expecting that we don't know exactly what to expect and staying ready like a goalie guarding the net. And that may be the only sports reference from me you will ever get...
Come see us at markets this week. It will be a little chilly but we will be there with all of the fantastic produce that we grow.
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers: Jim, Lizz, Janet, Malcolm, Mattie, Cody, Sean, Alic, Doug, Kathryn, and Shana!
Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. The Trifecta of sustainability. Good for the earth: Taking care of the natural world is a important, after all, it takes care of us; Good for the farmer: We believe farmers should have livable hours and livable wages; Good for the people: We believe in food equality and bringing our produce to market at an affordable price and keeping it accessible is important to us.
Fresh From the Field!
Greens:
Arugula
Bok Choy!
Collard Greens
Kale
Microgreens!
Mustard- Especially sweet this time of year
Radicchio- A delicious bitter green. Here is some info from The Spruce Eats. Great added to salads (our green variety is stand alone delicious). Ours are looser heads than you may have seen before, yet just as fantastic.
Spinach
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekana! Loose leaf bok choy lettuce
Pea Shoots
Swiss Chard
All manner of deliciousness:
Brussel Sprouts! (Maybe)
Cabbage
Napa cabbage
Carrots- Rainbow and regular
Sweet Baby Celery- it is small but so, so delicous!
Bite sized celery root
Fennel
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Kohlrabi- petite treats back along with the staple economy-sized.
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Peppers- Likely the last week
Daikon Radish- White- Chinese type and the spiciest of the three, Purple, and green Korean daikon
Watermelon Radish
Sweet Turnips
Purple top turnips- Excellent for roasting!
Wintersquash! Delicata, dumpling, and acorn! Butternut Squash and pie pumpkins!
Herbs:
Cilantro
Dill
Parsley
Coming Soon:
Rutabaga
Turnabaga!
This weeks MarketsWednesday: Ann Arbor
In the same location as the Saturday market, the Ann Arbor Wednesday Market is a little more laid back. If you don't want to fight the crowds. come out on Wednesday and take the chance to talk with all your farmers, chefs, and artisans.The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI Find us there May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm.
Saturday: Ann Arbor, Detroit's Eastern Market, and Royal Oak Market
The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am - 3 pm.
The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from 6am – 4pm
The Royal Oak Market is an indoor market located at 316 E Eleven Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067. It runs year round from 7am - 1pm.
This email has less snow pictures than I would like. I promise to post some to our instagram and facebook so be sure the check them out!
To note:
Saturday Ann Arbor Customers! Our winter set-up is officially on. Look for lights! See you there!
Saturday Eastern Market Customers! We are going to slightly shorten our hours at market and may leave the market as early as 2:30 pm. To ensure that you see us there, come during the first eight hours of the market 6 am to 2:30 pm)! If you are a CSA customer and this won't work for you, don't hesitate to respond to this email and let me know.
Our markets this week:
Wednesday: Ann Arbor
Saturday: Eastern Market, Ann Arbor, and Royal Oak
Recipe:
Just one more cabbage recipe. It is so my favorite right now. Roasted Cabbage. Sounds simple. Is simple.
Roasted Cabbage
Ingredients:
- Cabbage: 1-2 small heads
- Oil or butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees
- Slice one or two of our dense, sweet, nutritious cabbages into discs (or however you prefer, this is just my current favorite)
- Oil/fat/butter and seasoning.
- Roast for about an hour! I like to roast it until it caramelizes, flipping it once during cooking. If you spread it thin on the pan, the leaves become fabulously crunchy. If you pack the cabbage densely, the turn a golden brown and remain soft.
Food for thought:
Well, we got most everything we could have hope to our of the field. We got some pleasant warm weather to work by in the beginning of last week. It made those sunrises in the field all the better. It seems every year, this is what to expect. Leave things in the field as long as you can- waiting for them to grow to perfection, then wildly marathon harvest for two weeks straight as soon as we see uninhabitable weather on the long vision forecast. It has worked so far, but it has me wondering, is there a better way? Maybe I should plan on having things mostly out of the field by the end of October rather than the middle of November. The conundrum comes from the consideration of balance: Optimal maturity of vegetables and latest harvest date for ultimate storage capacity vs potential for losses due to cold weather and inability to get the crops out of the field on time. It's a doozy! I will consult some of the group experience.
This is the season we are getting into, the season of consideration. What are we doing, what have we done, and what should we do differently. I like plotting the course. It is one of the times I feel most optimistic- likely because without the sharp corners of reality, so many things seem possible. Even after extensive detail is incorporated, the idea and intention of a plan is still so different from its execution. But I will say that over time, our expectations are getting closer and closer to matching our reality. Sometimes that means expecting that we don't know exactly what to expect and staying ready like a goalie guarding the net. And that may be the only sports reference from me you will ever get...
Come see us at markets this week. It will be a little chilly but we will be there with all of the fantastic produce that we grow.
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers: Jim, Lizz, Janet, Malcolm, Mattie, Cody, Sean, Alic, Doug, Kathryn, and Shana!
Good for the Earth, Good for the Farmers, Good for the People. The Trifecta of sustainability. Good for the earth: Taking care of the natural world is a important, after all, it takes care of us; Good for the farmer: We believe farmers should have livable hours and livable wages; Good for the people: We believe in food equality and bringing our produce to market at an affordable price and keeping it accessible is important to us.
- Looking to join our CSA or renew your membership? Find more details here. The basics? Open an account with us, get a bonus, and use your account to purchase produce with us at any of our markets. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask.
- We are accepting workshares both on the farm and at market. Please email for details.
Fresh From the Field!
Greens:
Arugula
Bok Choy!
Collard Greens
Kale
Microgreens!
Mustard- Especially sweet this time of year
Radicchio- A delicious bitter green. Here is some info from The Spruce Eats. Great added to salads (our green variety is stand alone delicious). Ours are looser heads than you may have seen before, yet just as fantastic.
Spinach
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekana! Loose leaf bok choy lettuce
Pea Shoots
Swiss Chard
All manner of deliciousness:
Brussel Sprouts! (Maybe)
Cabbage
Napa cabbage
Carrots- Rainbow and regular
Sweet Baby Celery- it is small but so, so delicous!
Bite sized celery root
Fennel
Garlic- For me, these juicy cloves go in just about EVERYTHING!
Kohlrabi- petite treats back along with the staple economy-sized.
Onions- All types, sweet and pungent, yellow and red!
Peppers- Likely the last week
Daikon Radish- White- Chinese type and the spiciest of the three, Purple, and green Korean daikon
Watermelon Radish
Sweet Turnips
Purple top turnips- Excellent for roasting!
Wintersquash! Delicata, dumpling, and acorn! Butternut Squash and pie pumpkins!
Herbs:
Cilantro
Dill
Parsley
Coming Soon:
Rutabaga
Turnabaga!
This weeks MarketsWednesday: Ann Arbor
In the same location as the Saturday market, the Ann Arbor Wednesday Market is a little more laid back. If you don't want to fight the crowds. come out on Wednesday and take the chance to talk with all your farmers, chefs, and artisans.The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI Find us there May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm.
Saturday: Ann Arbor, Detroit's Eastern Market, and Royal Oak Market
The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am - 3 pm.
The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from 6am – 4pm
The Royal Oak Market is an indoor market located at 316 E Eleven Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067. It runs year round from 7am - 1pm.
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