Malcolm and I wrestled the shade cloth over the greenhouse today. During the hot summer months it pays dividends to decrease light infiltration to promote better germination. That being said, get ready for the vibrant return of Microgreens and Pea Shoots!
In this email:
Generally Important Notes:
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.
- 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.
Rachel and Eva are harvesting the first round of celery! Expect to see it at market and in the online store. The first time I had farm fresh celery was a real eye opener, I started referring to grocery store celery as "water stalks" ha! Enjoy them while they're here, they're great cooked, in soup or raw!
We got the Fall fields mowed, plowed, disked and now we're on to bed formation. Helen and the nutrients team should have the field ready for plants by the end of the day!
With Jim slowly returning to field work, the expansion of our wash pack is finally underway! This basic frame will be covered with greenhouse plastic and removable shade cloth (making it a viable space in summer and winter). Hoses will be run in strategic locations. A second greens spinner and root washing tables will be added. Special thanks to local heroes Kyla and Malcolm for all the help getting this project underway
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
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
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