Keep coming out to the market to support your local growers and if you begin feeling worried about the crowds, remember you can pre-order. If you need help figuring it out, check out our trouble shooting guide at the bottom of the email. Need more help? Just email!!
In this email:
- Generally important notes-
- Stockbridge customers can pre-order to pick-up on the farm Friday between 3 pm and 5 pm. We will send you a phone number after you order.
- We will close pre-ordering for Ann Arbor Wednesday at 10 pm Tuesday night.
- Back at Ann Arbor Wednesday and Saturday, Eastern, and Royal Oak this week!
- Recipe: Creamy Swiss Chard Pasta With Leeks, Tarragon and Lemon Zest (I haven't tried it yet but it sounds like a lovely cool weather consumptive!)
- Notes from the farm
- Fresh From the Field- What are we bringing to market this week!
- Staying active and engaged with social change- (Updated Oct. 20th)
- Market Details-
- Find our vegetables and other local goods in Stockbridge at Plane Food Market!
- Ordering with Local Line: register and troubleshoot
- CSA members- what to do if your account is low
Recipe: Creamy Swiss Chard Pasta with Leeks, Tarragon and Lemon Zest
From NYT cooking
This creamy vegetarian pasta is hearty enough for chilly temperatures while still nodding toward spring with the addition of bright-green chard, leeks and fresh herbs. For texture, it’s topped with toasted panko, a garnish that can go many ways: Instead of using nutritional yeast, which adds tangy flavor here, you can melt a finely chopped anchovy with the butter and toss it with the panko. You could also add some ground coriander, Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence. Toasted panko, plain bread crumbs or even crushed croutons are a solid back-pocket trick to add crunch to any pasta, especially the creamiest kind. Don’t skip the tarragon and lemon zest garnish, which add a fresh note to an otherwise-rich dish.
Ingredients
- ¾ pound green Swiss chard (1 large bunch), washed and trimmed
- 2 large leeks (10 to 12 ounces each)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 16 ounces linguine or fettuccine
- ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan
- Fresh tarragon leaves, for garnish
- 1 lemon, for garnish
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the chard: Tear the leaves off the stems, separating the leaves and stems. Thinly slice the stems, then coarsely tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Set both aside in separate bowls.
- Prepare the leeks: Trim off the bottom and the dark green portion at the top, halve the remaining white and pale green portion lengthwise, then thinly slice them crosswise. Wash and drain the sliced leeks. Set aside.
- Prepare the bread crumbs: In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium. Add the panko, season lightly with salt and generously with pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in nutritional yeast, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and melt over medium-high. Add the leeks, chard stems, garlic and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks start to wilt and soften, about 5 minutes. Add the torn chard, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until just wilted, 2 minutes.
- Add the stock and heavy cream, and boil over high until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Once the mixture is simmering, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain pasta.
- Transfer chard mixture to the empty pasta pot. Stir in the cooked pasta, then sprinkle with the Parmesan, stirring vigorously to melt it into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide among shallow bowls or plates. Sprinkle generously with the prepared bread crumbs, top with tarragon and grate fresh lemon zest on top. Serve immediately.
Can sub onions for leeks
Needs to sit for sauce to thicken otherwise use more cream less stock
Notes from the Farm:
Helen, Jim, and Amy: We are the Skeleton crew, now through February. The three of us will do all the harvest, plant care, markets, and planning for the coming weeks, and there is a lot to do! This week we are just getting our wits about us after some rest and recuperation. I am so grateful for the sleep, for the mental space, for the time to work on ourselves.
Now we are back. And it snowed! The snow makes getting around on the farm a little more complicated and gives us a challenge getting some winter hardy crops out of the field, but we mostly love it. It insulates our hoops, filling in cracks that cold air can pass through. It blankets the crops in the field, keeping the bite of the coldest weather off of them. And it is pretty. I love how it smooths out the rough edges.
This time of year we are making our plans for 2021, putting in orders, and fixing equipment. This coming year, we are thinking finesse: To do what we do at about the same scale but better. No big swings. No big additions. Better yields, better weed control, better nutrition. Healthier soil, healthier plants, healthier people. Better systems, better communication, better flow. We are excited to get organized! I will let you know how it pieces together.
In the meantime, we have had good weather and are lucky to have lots of greens to harvest. I am so impressed with the Arugula, chard, kale, and tatsoi in the tunnels, they are all looking really good. The spinach really needs to be weeded but will pull through if we offer that. The sweet turnips are about the size of large gumballs and growing in thick rows. I think we will thin them out and enjoy the spoils. Bok choi looks good in the high tunnel, and the head lettuce has a month or two to go before it is a reasonable size.
See you at market I hope!
Helen, Jim, and Amy: The Lake Dividers!
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.Fresh From the Field!
Quick note: You may notice that the crop list in the email does not always match the crop list in our online store. Items not found online may have sold out or we may not have posted them online. We sometimes do not post crops online that have not come into abundance yet because we don't always know how much (or how little) of a crop will be harvestable by the end of the week so we can't offer it for sale on Tuesday. These items go to market in small quantities. When they come fully into season, we will list them online. This is the best way we have come up with to manage these crops.
That said, you can always add to your order when you pick up at market.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we troubleshoot a whole new (to us) way of doing things.
Greens:
Arugula
Bok choi
Chard
Collards (?)
Kale
Microgreens! Mustard Mix, Just Broccoli, Just Radish, Arugula (Limited)
Mustard Greens (Ruby streaks)
Pea Shoots (Limited)
Tatsoi
All manner of deliciousness:
Brussel Sprouts (maybe)
Cabbage- Round Green, savoy, green arrowhead, red, red arrowhead
Napa cabbage
Garlic
Radish- Watermelon, purple daikon, spicy black, and maybe some long white Daikon!
Rutabaga
Turnips- purple top
Onions- Red and yellow
Wintersquash: Dumpling, Butternut, Pie Pumpkins
Herbs:
Parsley (?)
Sage
Coming Soon:
:
Staying Active: Something to keep the gears of progress engaged:
Our intention is to update this list monthly. It was last updated September 29th. Just because we are posting new links, the links from previous emails are still relevant. Additionally, you will find some links repeated. This month, I found a whole boatload of great resources from the Michigan Libraries Association. I am particularly excited about the "21 day racial equity challenge" because it specifically relates to Michigan Policy.
In the meantime, keep learning, listening, speaking up, and showing up. We have to continue providing energy for change. There is much to be done. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.
If you come across resources, readings, or movements that you feel are powerful, please send them our way so we can share them.
I have included below a couple links to readings and some ideas on how to work towards racial equity within your community as well as links to some places where dollars can make a difference.
To read: This list is by no means whatsoever all inclusive.
Anti Racism books for children- from Book Beat in Royal Oak.
This blog also included a few resources to help children cope with crises. Specifically the National Black Children Development Institute's "An Activity Book for African American Families: Helping Children Cope with Crises."
Essays and articles (links to arcles):
Five truths about Black History from ACLU
A litany of Survival: Giving birth as a black woman in America. By Naomi Jackson
The Restlessness of Black Grief: We are in the middle of a black bereavement crises and we do not have the privilege or time to grieve. By Marissa Evans
Books (links to authors website): This list taken from the Michigan Library Association's website
- Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins
- Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper
- Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
- How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- Invisible No More: Police Violence Against Black Women and Women of Color by Andrea J. Ritchie
- Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
- Raising Our Hands by Jenna Arnold
- Redefining Realness by Janet Mock
- Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
- by Michelle Alexander
- The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century
- by Grace Lee Boggs
- The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color by Cherríe MoragaWhen Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira KatznelsonWhite Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, PhD
To Listen and Watch: This list taken from the Michigan Library Association's website
- 13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
- American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
- Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 — Available to rent
- Blindspotting (Carlos López Estrada) — Hulu with Cinemax or available to rent
- Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu) — Available to rent
- Dear White People (Justin Simien) — Netflix
- Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) — Available to rent
- I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc) — Available to rent or on Kanopy
- If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu
- Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton) — Available to rent for free in June in the U.S.
- King In The Wilderness — HBO
- See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix
- Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent for free in June in the U.S.
- The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution — Available to rent
- The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) — Available to rent for free
- When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
Something to do:
<>The 21 day Racial Equity Challenge From the Michigan League for Public Policy. You can do this either on your own or sign up to work through it with a group.
In their words: "Welcome to the Michigan League for Public Policy’s 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge! We would like to thank Food Solutions New England, whose Challenge we have used as a model and adapted to highlight racial inequity and our related policy priorities here in Michigan.
Several years ago, the League made a decision to apply a racial equity lens to the anti-poverty work at the heart of our mission. The disparities in health, wealth and well-being that we seek to eradicate are largely a result of racism enshrined in public policy over the course of U.S. history. Today, we cannot hope to achieve our mission of economic security for all Michiganders without understanding the origins of the concept of race, how it influences us as individuals and as an organization, and how it functions to preserve inequity in our laws, institutions and systems.
<>Organize a reading group.
<> Show up! Detroit Will Breathe has been marching for Justice daily since March. https://detroitwillbreathe.info/
<> Join an organization: A few listed below, again more can be found on the Michigan Library Association's website
- Be the Bridge, led by Latasha Morrison at Be the Bridge www.bethebridge.com
- EmbraceRace www.embracerace.org
- GARE – Government Alliance on Race and Equity https://www.racialequityalliance.org/
If you come across a good community organizing tool kit, please send it our way so we can share it.
To contribute monetarily:
Detroit Will Breathe:
While their general fundraising GoFundMe currently redirects donations to support their Federal Lawsuit fund, you can find lots of information about the work that they have been doing and what they have accomplished on that page (found here)
Here is a direct link to support their federal lawsuit.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
The NAACP is at the forefront of the movement to build political power and ensure the wellbeing of communities of color. Underscoring the advocacy of our 2,200 local units across the country, we empower our communities to make democracy work for them. Your donation to the NAACP helps further our mission to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. Donate today to become our newest monthly sustainer.
Market Details:
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Wednesday with Amy 7 am to 3 pm, Pre-ordering, curbside pick-up, On site vegetables sales! Pre-ordering from Tuesday afternoon until Tuesday at 10 pm.
All orders must be picked up by 1 pm. All curbside orders must be picked up by 12 pm.
The market runs until 3 pm but we may leave early so it is important that you pick up your order by 1 pm.
For curbside pick-up: Email us to let us know. On market day, pull up and park along Detroit street and tell a volunteer your name and that you are picking up an order from Lake Divide.
Check out the A2 website for information on what to expect.
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Saturday (Jim): 7 am to 3 pm, pre-order walk-up or curbside pick-up, on site vegetables!. All orders must be picked up by 1 pm. All curbside orders must be picked up by 12 pm.
The market runs until 3 pm but we may leave early so it is important that you pick up your order by 1 pm.
For curbside pick-up: Email us to let us know. On market day, pull up and park along Detroit street and tell a volunteer your name and that you are picking up an order from Lake Divide.
Eastern, Saturday with Amy (Shana off for two weeks) 7 am to 2:30 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, onsite purchases. *If you feel strongly or need to have a trunk pick-up because you are high risk, please email me and I can arrange to have your order dropped at your car.
Royal Oak, Saturday with Helen and Lisa! 7 am to 1 pm, pre-order, walk-up or curbside, onsite purchases.
Find us inside in our usual spot.
*If you feel strongly or need to have a trunk pick-up because you are high risk, please email me and I can arrange to have your order dropped at your car. I will email you the instructions Friday after all orders are in.
Stockbridge, Friday on the farm with Amy!
Preorders only please! When you get to the farm, stay in your car and Amy will bring you your order. Please let us know if you would be comfortable with a self serve in the coming weeks.
If you are a CSA member and your account balance is low:
- If you want to continue on as one of our members and your balance does not cover your current order
- Order what you want
- Add money into your account either by
- Putting a check or cash in your trunk/backseat Saturday for pick-up and emailing to let me know
- Mailing a check
- Using the online store
- If you just want to add more to your account, go for it! Use any of the methods listed above.
- If you no longer want to be a farm member
- We ask that you do not go over your balance.
Ordering: How to Register with Local Line
If you have already registered with Local Line, just log in and use your account to order. If you haven't already done it, please make sure your account name is in the format Lastname.First as in Chandler.Helen or Neumann.Jim. This isn't required but it helps us when we are entering data, packing, and handling pick ups.
Trouble shooting:If you have filled your cart but your order isn't going through: If the answer to one of these questions is yes, that is the cause of your problem.
- Is your total less than $10? We have a $10 minimum to help us deal with the extra cost of packing orders.
- Is it between Friday morning and Tuesday afternoon? Ordering is open from sometime Tuesday afternoon until Thursday at midnight
- Don't worry about this. We had to set up a work around to get Local Line to fit the needs for our business.
- Did you verify your email address? After you create your username and password, Local Line sends a confirmation email. You can find it by searching your inbox for and email from localline.ca and the exact phrase "please verify your email address"
How to create a Local Line Account:
- Head to the link at the bottom of these steps.
- Register using the green button to the right.
- You will be asked to enter a bunch of information and there are a two things that are very important
- Be sure to use the email address that this email went to. If you don't, you may be asked to pay using a credit card.
- Please use the Lastname.First for the Account name. (Your last name follow by a period followed by your first name, with no spaces. For example Chandler.Helen)
- You will then need to verify your email address by going to your email inbox and responding to the email that comes from Local Line.
- At last! You can order!
- Here is the link to use to create your Local Line account: https://www.localline.ca/lakedividefarm