Having done this for years, we have gathered pretty good data about winter-kill temps for various crops under varying covers. So we know that these greens should be alive and well... but it's still amazing to see a strip of fresh greens breaking up the otherwise white landscape!
Fall in Michigan is unpredictable. But I think I am beginning to get the idea. We can count on it being unpredictable and preparations that allow us to succeed regardless of the conditions are the best ones. Is that true for all of life? Am I on the verge of becoming a prepper? Anyway, I wasn't expecting the temperatures to lope into the cool teens as early as they did (thank goodness for the extended weather forecast). I wasn't expecting inches upon inches of snow.
We are shoveling the snow off of the frost blankets before harvest. We are waiting through days of below freezing temperatures for a moment above 32 before we collect greens from their chilly beds. We are rolling up hoses so ice doesn't clog the passage of water. More than anything, we are impressed with the plants. We have arugula that has survived the brutal cold under a mere thin woven fabric! They have survived through consecutive days of below freezing temperatures and we will see if they survive the next round. After the next three days of frigid temps, we will know if bok choy, among others, can withstand this type of treatment! What great data! The crops in our tunnels are not quite ready, although they are looking great.
Next year, for ultimate preparedness, we will have more caterpillar tunnels allowing warmer, non-freezing temps for harvest and growth in the tunnels. This way, we can plant our fall greens and move cover to them to bridge the gap between fall and winter without as much snow shoveling and fast-slow-weather-watching-sprint-harvest-action.
I hope all of you had time to see family and eat food and appreciate the beautiful world. My friend Jill and I cooked a giant feast for my dear family. It was my first turkey. We got it from our friends at Two Track Acres. It was beautiful and delicious. On Friday, we ate leftovers and cooked what was left of the bird into a soup, laughing in the kitchen into the night. Saturday we ate soup while playing board games. Well fed through and through- stomach and soul. There were four dogs at the gathering and they all got along and provided endless entertainment: dog-in-a-cone, all-snuggles-welcome-dog, old-man-dog, insane-puppy. Let the insanity ensue!
Come refill your fridges at market this week. See Lizz at Ann Arbor's Wednesday and Saturday market, Helen back at Eastern on Saturday, and Jim in Chelsea!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers
Fresh From the Field!
Greens:Arugula
Baby Bok Choi!
Mizuna
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekana- Bok Choi lettuce!
Kale: flat leaf, green curly, and red curly
Herbs:
Rosemary
Parsley: The stems of the curly parsley are incredibly sweet!
Sage
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Broccoli- limited
Cabbage
Celery
Fennel: Fresh licorice-y fronds with crispy bulbs.
Garlic
Kohlrabi- beautiful meal sized kohlrabi and tender petite
Onions
Potatoes limited
Sweet potatoes!
Radishes: Classic, White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon\radish
Rutabaga
Turnips: Sweet white turnips and purple top roasting turnips
Turnabaga- Turnip-Rutabaga cross! Delicious, sweet and crisp!
*End of the season for starred crops so stock up while you can!
Markets, always rain or shine!Wednesday: Ann Arbor
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.
Saturday: Ann Arbor, Chelsea, 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 Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the lower library lot along Park St. It runs May thru October from 8 am to 1 pm.
The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from 6am – 4pm
We are shoveling the snow off of the frost blankets before harvest. We are waiting through days of below freezing temperatures for a moment above 32 before we collect greens from their chilly beds. We are rolling up hoses so ice doesn't clog the passage of water. More than anything, we are impressed with the plants. We have arugula that has survived the brutal cold under a mere thin woven fabric! They have survived through consecutive days of below freezing temperatures and we will see if they survive the next round. After the next three days of frigid temps, we will know if bok choy, among others, can withstand this type of treatment! What great data! The crops in our tunnels are not quite ready, although they are looking great.
Next year, for ultimate preparedness, we will have more caterpillar tunnels allowing warmer, non-freezing temps for harvest and growth in the tunnels. This way, we can plant our fall greens and move cover to them to bridge the gap between fall and winter without as much snow shoveling and fast-slow-weather-watching-sprint-harvest-action.
I hope all of you had time to see family and eat food and appreciate the beautiful world. My friend Jill and I cooked a giant feast for my dear family. It was my first turkey. We got it from our friends at Two Track Acres. It was beautiful and delicious. On Friday, we ate leftovers and cooked what was left of the bird into a soup, laughing in the kitchen into the night. Saturday we ate soup while playing board games. Well fed through and through- stomach and soul. There were four dogs at the gathering and they all got along and provided endless entertainment: dog-in-a-cone, all-snuggles-welcome-dog, old-man-dog, insane-puppy. Let the insanity ensue!
Come refill your fridges at market this week. See Lizz at Ann Arbor's Wednesday and Saturday market, Helen back at Eastern on Saturday, and Jim in Chelsea!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers
Fresh From the Field!
Greens:Arugula
Baby Bok Choi!
Mizuna
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekana- Bok Choi lettuce!
Kale: flat leaf, green curly, and red curly
Herbs:
Rosemary
Parsley: The stems of the curly parsley are incredibly sweet!
Sage
Thyme
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Broccoli- limited
Cabbage
Celery
Fennel: Fresh licorice-y fronds with crispy bulbs.
Garlic
Kohlrabi- beautiful meal sized kohlrabi and tender petite
Onions
Potatoes limited
Sweet potatoes!
Radishes: Classic, White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon\radish
Rutabaga
Turnips: Sweet white turnips and purple top roasting turnips
Turnabaga- Turnip-Rutabaga cross! Delicious, sweet and crisp!
*End of the season for starred crops so stock up while you can!
Markets, always rain or shine!Wednesday: Ann Arbor
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.
Saturday: Ann Arbor, Chelsea, 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 Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the lower library lot along Park St. It runs May thru October from 8 am to 1 pm.
The Eastern Market in Detroit is located about a mile northeast of downtown. It covers about 43 acres, bounded by I-75 on the West and Gratiot Avenue on the South. It runs year round from 6am – 4pm
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