​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

• 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. 

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

Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

​The dogs are finally tired. We are feeling solar powered (and eating a lot!) We didn't get all that rain we thought we would, which opened windows and doors for us! The red maple buds are giving the forest a red hue. I can't turn around without encountering life. We are all feeling it.

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: No Pick up this week.

Just Eastern Market this week.

And a special aside to our loved and loyal Ann Arbor patrons: We are sorry that we are not going to both markets every week. We want you to know that this is because we really don't have very many items and it doesn't make sense to send small quantities to both markets. The reason we are going to Eastern instead of Ann Arbor is because we are so new there and we are still doing the legwork of getting known and having a place in the market. We are being sure to attend every week at Eastern so that as the market gets packed back up, we cling to some amount of consistency of presence and (hopefully) location within the market. We are also using the time to fill our fields with food and hopefully this May will be one of the most bountiful yet. Hang in there spring is coming!

Mark your calendars for the Ann Arbor CSA fair April 20th at the Kerrytown Market during market hours!

Still accepting CSAs!
Recipe:
It is the last week for daikon (although the spring radishes we seeded last week are already germinating)! I say we all eat radishes this week.  

Roasted Radishes: 
Preheat oven to 450. Slice the radishes, toss them in olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme, and distribute them upon an oiled baking sheet. Roast them for 15 to 20 minutes, giving them a stir about every five.  They are done when they are tender, but still firm in the center.  You can drizzle them with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, or any of your other favorites. You can have them as a size or mix them into another dish. You could also try roasting them with meat, just like you would a potato or carrot. Celebrate the last of the winter radishes in preparation for the spring ones.
Food for thought:
So much has happened this week. Here is the bulk of it:
Lizz's hours went back up to full time and it has been a real booster shot to our productivity. It is great having such a motivated and enthusiastic person on our team. We are getting the farm in order for the incoming staff and for the upcoming onslaught, and we asked that Lizz work on straightening up the wash station. She said something like (if not exactly) "that would make my heart happy". How lucky are we?!
We weeded some of the overwintered kale and scallions. They look like they will have something to offer us in a moment, if they don't all flower from this heat wave (up to almost 70 on Monday folks, get your swim suits out!)
We seeded in the greenhouse, got our potatoes and ginger to green-sprouting properly, and potted up the first succession planting of tomatoes! Those plants smell so divine, there is nothing like it in the world. 
We put another round of seeds in the ground. All those good-good greens (lettuce, bok choi!, spinach, arugula, tatsoi, mustard, mizuna, and tokyo bekana). We seeded carrots and beets, radishes and sweet salad turnips! With the warm days and the drizzle of moisture, I have high hopes. It was a hard call whether to seed more but we held off on some of the planting as an insurance policy. If the weather goes sour, like it is entitled to in early spring, we have a back-up plan. If it doesn't, we will have a delightfully timed succession planting! This coming week, before the temps drop back to a more standard cool, we will cover this fresh planting up with row cover. 
The previous seeding, from just a week ago, has sprouted and looks healthy. The trappings of a good May.
We refurbished our driveway with gravel. That involved a lot of grading. Jim and I are a lot better at it now than when we first learned. It takes a lot of finesse. Now this epic staff will have a place to park that they can get out of at the end of the day!
After being carefully sourced by Jim, the parts came in for the farmall 140. It can be tricky with older model tractors to get the right parts. There are so many variants to each model. A caliper isn't a bad idea. Now all Jim has to do is reassemble! I am so excited to have a leveled up tractor (steering? yes please!)
We disced up about a little under 4 acres to fill with a diversity of vegetables. By my estimate, that land will be completely planted before we finish with May! It is insane to consider how much activity we are about to be surrounded by.
We picked up some equipment we bought from a friend. An undercutter to help with the carrot and general root harvest, as well as lifting up our reusable mulch. A bed shaper that will give our beds better tilth and smooth out the bed tops to help with seed soil contact and mechanical cultivation. And a potato hiller which will be an improvement over what we have been doing. They all need a little bit of TLC but I know that Jim is up for it. He has such a skilled eye for maintenance. 
We filled one more of our part-time positions with an energetic and engaging human. We still have one more part-time spot on the crew if anyone is having a hankering. Shoot us an email!

This spring feels a little different. It feels drier. It feels clearer. It feels abrupt and delayed. April has yet to lay itself out before us. How its revelations may change our views we have yet to see. Onward and Farmward my friends!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• 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. 
• Fresh From the Field!
  Greens: (Limited):Kale Rapini
  Microgreens: Spicy!
  Pea Shoots
  All manner of deliciousness:
  Beets
  Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
  Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon

This weeks Markets
Saturday: Ann Arbor (not this week) 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 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 cogs of the farm are really starting to go now! Jim is busy finishing up the tractor repair and then on to the next task! The seed potatoes came in, as did the seed ginger. The fennel has sprouted and joined the army of lives that we are cultivating. With the warm weather and unexpected sunshine, it is hard not to float straight up into the air with joy.

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: No Pick up the week.

Ann Arbor and Eastern Market this week. There is a chance this will be our last market until the end of April so come on out and see us!

Still accepting CSAs!
​
Recipe:
Choi and Kale Flowers! The sisters of broccoli, these buds are every bit as tasty. Some say they are even better. The stems and flowers are edible and are great raw in salad, sauteed, or even grilled. Experiment and tell me what you like best. 

Sauteed Choi flowers with garlic: 
Simple Simple: Mince some garlic and chop the choi blossoms. Heat oil (any kind!) and sautee garlic for about thirty seconds, being careful not to burn it. Add choi blossoms and cook until wilted! That is it! If you have some lemon juice on hand, that can add a nice zing zang! These can be eaten alone, over rice, as a side dish, on some good bread with mozzarella-- there really so many ways to enjoy them!
​
Food for thought:
This past week, we really started feeling the pull of a warmer life. We got the first round of seeds in the soil and are feeling joyous about it! It is go go go! So much so that I will be a little brief! I hope to see you at market this week and I hope that you are as excited about all these vegetables as we are!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• 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 2 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.

Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Choi-Tatsoi blossoms!
Baby kale and chard mix
Microgreens: Spicy!
Pea Shoots
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon

​This weeks MarketsSaturday: Ann Arbor 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 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

Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.
The turkey vultures are back too! Here to join the joy of spring. The vernal equinox rolled past this Wednesday, along with a glorious super moon. It was the last full moon of winter and the first full moon of spring. The slide into increased daylight and warmer temperatures is inevitable, as always, and at this time, undeniable. 

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: No Pick up the week.

NO ANN ARBOR THIS WEEK. You can still find us at Eastern Market though!

Still accepting CSAs!
Recipe:
Sweet potatoes! You can do so much with them! Here below is a recipe for sweet potato pancakes, but it isn't what you would expect. I think, shredded, latka style. This? Roasted, mashed and griddled. Someone at market told me about them and my jaw dropped. A new, and amazing sounding, way to consume sweet potatoes. And with some greens on top? Yogurt on top? Applesauce on top? What could be better Really, what?

Sweet Potato Pancakes: 
Roast and cool the sweet potatoes (1 medium potato for every serving desired). You can even do this ahead of time. Remove the peel, and mash/whisk the potato with 2 eggs. Add any spices you desire (cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, pepper, salt- all, none, or some). You may consider adding some honey too. Heat a skillet with a fat (butter/bacon grease/oil of choice). Scoop a 1/4 cup of batter in and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the cake can be flipped. Cook another 3-5 minutes on the other side. EAT THEM! Add a topping, snack on the solo. Either way, don't fight the smile that overtakes your face.
Here is a link to googled recipe.
Food for thought:
The greenhouse is a really desirable place to be now. When the sun peaks out, the temperatures rise to a tropical range. I have been spending afternoons out there, working on starting plants, while soaking in some sun. And so many plants there are! We already had to take down the partition, used decrease the square footage we heat during colder months, so we could fit more greenhouse benches in! And we are filling these benches with plants! This week we are starting another round of lettuce, tomatoes, the kohlrabi, peppers, eggplant, and more! Our seed potatoes came in, so we are making room to green sprout those, and the ginger should be coming in within the week. The good times are indeed about to roll.
I can't believe that we will be planting in the field soon. With all this sun and warm weather, the soil is warming up. I have a bag of seed packed, reading and waiting for the perfect conditions to sow them into the soil. It seems like the winter has sped by, even with the lingering cold. I am trying to keep time with the world, and warm up along side it, but it feels my sleepy winter self is clinging to the sheets. I swear, I am waking up.

Come see me at the Eastern market and cheers spring with me!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• 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 2 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. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Arugula
Baby kale and chard mix
Microgreens: Spicy and mild mix! 
Pea Shoots
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon
Turnabaga- a cross between a crunchy sweet turnip and a rutabaga​
​
​This weeks Markets
​Saturday: Detroit's Eastern Market

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

Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.
I heard the trill of one red wing black bird. The next day, I heard an abundance. I saw some today. Look out into the tall standing wetland grasses and reeds and you can see them too.

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: Pick-up March 12th! I will get the order form out tonight!

Find us at Eastern Market and Ann Arbor's Kerrytown Market!

Still accepting CSAs!
Recipe:
Microgreens are the tasty baby leaves of the plant, harvested while small, tender, and packed with flavor and nutrients. What to do with them? Eat them atop your breakfast. Add them to your sandwiches. Sprinkle them on your hot dishes (baked potatoes/sweet potatoes/roasted vegetables). You can even toss them in some olive oil, add some salt and enjoy them on their own. They really bring some green delight to the table, especially this time of year.
 
Food for thought:
Along with help from our neighbor up the road, Jim has begun the repairs on our Farmall 140. It is our main cultivation tractor, the one we use for weeding, hilling potatoes, spreading cover crop seed, and forming beds, and it is indispensable.  Jim has been reading and watching youtube videos, learning how to approach this repair and finally the time has come. It is exciting to increase our mechanical knowledge.
We are keeping busy and busy as busy busy. 
See you tomorrow!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• 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. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Microgreens: Spicy and mild mix! 
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon
Turnabaga- a cross between a crunchy sweet turnip and a rutabaga​

​Markets, always rain or shine!Saturday: Ann Arbor 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 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

Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

Oh the sunshine! It is real and dear to our hearts! The onions are officially germinating! It won't be long until the greenhouse is a sea of green. All good things are rising our way!
I hope that all of you have gotten outside and gulped down a few good helpings of fresh air. 

To note:
CSA MEMBERS: All balances updated and accurate! Please find them at the bottom of the email once again!

Stockbridge Farm Members: Pick-up March 12th! I will get the order form out tonight!

BACK AT MARKETS! Come see us Lake Dividers at Eastern Market and Ann Arbor!

CSA Y'all- We accept members on a rolling basis through the season. However! This is the time that signing up to be a member of our farm has the greatest positive effect on your farmers!CSA's help share the burden of cashflow variability and seasonal unpredictability with the farmer. For us, it makes a huge difference to know that people are committed to eating our vegetables and the early investments take some of the stress out of all the early season improvements that we are making. So what is the CSA? In short, members open an account with us, receive a bonus for their commitment, and then use their accounts at market just like cash. You can find more details here. And let me say, if this is something you are considering, now is the time! We won't let you down!
Recipe:
I have heard the term braise before, but felt I didn't really know what it was. Here is Wikipedia's definition: Braising (from the French word braiser) is a combination-cooking method that uses both wet and dry heats: typically, the food is first sautéed or seared at a high temperature, then finished in a covered pot at a lower temperature while sitting in some (variable) amount of liquid (which may also add flavor).
Turns out, I have been doing it all along! So here is how I braise greens. The ones we are bringing this week are ideal candidates

Braised Greens with (optional) sweet potatoes:
Chop greens coarsely, stems and all. At high heat, add some oil/butter/fat of choice to a pan along with the greens, garlic and pepper (cayenne for me!) Stir 'em about until the greens start to soften. Add some lemon juice /red wine/apple cider vinegar/water, and allow simmer while the liquid cooks down. If you want the sauce to thicken up, you can always mince up an apple and put it in there (apples are rich in pectin). If you want a more hearty dish, roast some sweet potatoes in advance and toss them in when you add the liquid. The sweet potatoes add to the sauce. I like to eat it with some eggs, rice, pearl couscous or other delicious starchy-carb.
Food for thought:
We are now entering the time of increasing to do lists.  All the preparations for the season must be completed because soon, there will only be time for hustle. We are solidifying our nutrient management plan, slotting out time for some minor construction projects (crew break room and a partition for our cooler come to mind), finishing equipment repairs, finalizing spreadsheets, and more!
Exciting enough, we are also rounding the bend on hiring. We have filled all of the full time positions, as well as two of the part time positions. I am really looking forward to introducing you to our stellar 2019 crew. 
And Lizz and I are looking forward to seeing all of you at market tomorrow. May the sun be on our side!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• 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. 

​Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Baby Kale and Chard mix
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon radish (last week until fall)
Turnips: Purple tops (last week until fall)
Turnabaga- a cross between a crunchy sweet turnip and a rutabaga

​Markets, always rain or shine!

​Saturday: Ann Arbor 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 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 team is reunited! The windstorm didn't blow us, or our infrastructure, away! The greenhouse is up and going! It is happening! It is happening! Read more below. 

To note:
CSA MEMBERS: You may notice that there is no balance at the bottom of the email this week. We have one final update to perform on the spread sheet and then those balances will be consistently present. Thanks for your patience. In the meantime, if you need to know your balance, send us an email and we will gladly pass it along. 

Stockbridge Farm Members: No pick up this week! The next pick-up will likely be March 12th.

NO MARKETS THIS WEEKEND. We are sorry to say that we are farmward-bound this weekend. Expect to see us back next weekend at both Ann Arbor and Eastern.

New Members and returning members! Thank you for signing up to be a farm member and welcome (back) to the farm! In every email you receive henceforth, you can scroll to the bottom to find your balance.

This is still true!!:
CSA Y'all! Thank you for excusing my relentless marketing but in case you missed it: This is the time that signing up to be a member of our farm has the greatest positive effect on your farmers!CSA's help share the burden of cashflow variability and seasonal unpredictability with the farmer. For us, it makes a huge difference to know that people are committed to eating our vegetables and the early investments take some of the stress out of all the early season improvements that we are making. So what is the CSA? In short, members open an account with us, receive a bonus for their commitment, and then use their accounts at market just like cash. You can find more details here. And let me say, if this is something you are considering, now is the time! We won't let you down!
Recipe: Roasted Turnips, Sweet potatoes, apples, and dried cranberries!
Here is a link to a recipe I recently discovered while trying to get creative with our remaining storage crops. It combines a nice assortment of seasonally available produce into a delicious dish! Changes to make? I recommend replacing the brown sugar with honey at a 1:1 ratio. Additionally, the granny smith apple can be replaced with whatever tart apple is is currently available (read: ask your farmer!) I also suggest using your oil of choice in leiu of cooking spray. If you are feeling fancy, you can always toast some walnuts to top this off. Yum Yum! 
Let me know how you like it!
Food for thought:
The excitement of the new farm season is palpable. All our bustling to prepare the greenhouse is really paying off. We have seeded our onions, packing our hopes and dreams for onion glory into each of the 128 tiny cells, in each of the 100 or so flats of onions that we have seeded. We have also rebooted microgreen and pea shoot production, started up some scallions and lettuce and have great plans to get tomatoes, beets and a wealth of herbs going before Monday rolls past us. In the same plant family as the onion (Amaryllidaceae) we are adding shallots this year.
We grew shallots a few seasons back but nixed them from the list while we simplified our lives  during our transition from New Jersey to Michigan. We think it is time to add them back into the mix and we are really looking forward to their rich flavor. I haven't done much cooking with them but they are a well-loved delicacy. Their gentle flavor- like a mild, sweet onion, without the bite, is one of the reasons. Another is that, as it turns out, they have more pectin in them than an onion. Pectin is the substance in plants that adds firmness to cell walls. As it breaks down during the cooking process, it adds body to the sauce, similar to the way gelatin would, and creates a stable gel at room temperature. Huh! Ya learn something new every day!
Last weekend, while I was still away at the MOSES conference (which was amazing and inspiring) wind raged through the farm. Jim was on it. The biggest factor in preventing ultimate destruction with a windstorm is dogged attention. Hourly, Jim braved the gusts, tapping in rebar, tucking down plastic, adding soil or weights. We came through it okay, thanks to him. 
And staying on the educational kick, this weekend, I am participating in a soil nutrient and fertility class up in Howell. Participants (that's us!) get to bring in their soil tests and review the results with the help of the "professionals". I am really looking forward to gaining a better understanding of what's going in our soil  and building a long term fertility plan for our farm.
Lately, my mind has been continuously drifting to long term planning and on more topics than just the tangible. My perspective zooms out and I find myself exploring whether we are on the path we think we are on. This brings us to consider whether we are meeting our goals of sustainability and wildlife habitat creation, if we are fulfilling our commitment to making food affordable and accessible, and whether we will be able to create good jobs.  This is typical of my mind, especially for this time of year, and this year is no exception. If anything, this phase of reckoning is more pronounced this year than others. I think these thoughts are coming up with such intensity this time around for a few reasons. At MOSES I ended up attending sessions that led me to think deeply about how our farm interacts with the environment and society. Simultaneously, we are participating in a year long class that helps us consider whether growing produce for a wholesale market is a worthwhile endeavor for us. This class has involved us working on rewriting our business plan, a process that merits introspection and reevaluation. Also, through all of our interviews, we are coming into contact with all kinds of people that are interested in growing food, having a relationship with their food source, and building community around it. Talking with them about what we are doing and where we are going has been thought-provoking and invigorating. And a final possibility, we have to also consider, as our business is growing, there is more room for deeper thought (yes!). At last the vice-grip of the beginning years is loosening a little.
This great annual zoom-out is typically paired with concern and existential crisis. What is enough and are we even capable of doing enough? There is so much to be done, we need help! And then, and thankfully this time, quickly, the reminder comes into focus, we are not in this alone, we are building community around these ideas, like many people around the country and the world are, etc etc. All told, I think that we are on the right path. Each year, as we learn more, meet more people, try more approaches, listen to more perspectives, our world grows and so does our capability.
All of this makes me very excited to be here, participating and doing my best. I really feel like this is the beginning of the 2019 season. I am ready! 
I will miss seeing all of you at market this weekend and am looking forward to getting back out there next Saturday. Eat well until then!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• 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 3 full-time and 1 part-time positions opening up 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. 

Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

It has been a dividing week at Lake Divide! Helen and Lizz are out of state, on assignment, polishing and advancing their farming skills at the MOSES Organic farming conference in Wisconsin. Our dear, not deer, friend Jess from Chickadee Creek Farm in NJ made the trek out here to join Helen and Lizz at the conference. While and I am very glad (and mildly jealous) that they are all together, advancing our long term, the farm is mine alone to tend, and so we are only able to attend the Eastern market this weekend, please pardon our absence in Ann Arbor. 
The shape and magnitude of our ambition for the 2019 season is coming into focus. We will be attending 8 farmer's markets per week through the coming main season! While we are ecstatic to be making good nutritious food available to a larger number of people, we can't help but anticipate the logistical, emotional and physical challenges that this season will bring. We adjusted our scale, purchased a new Market vehicle (which our friends/neighbors Kateri and Terry are helping us make road-worthy), upgraded our cultivation, increased our season extension capabilities and braced ourselves for what is to come. If you ever had any interest in our market based CSA, or are a current member with a dwindling balance, this is the best time to make difference! Thank you for all your support, you are the heart of Lake Divide. While I have every confidence in our plan for the 2019 (we've been through, over and over, every week since November) I know it can be made better by community members signing up for a CSA membership at this time. With that being said, I will utter the desperate S.O.S. call of my nerdy/handsome engineering ex-cohorts in hopes that it reaches an appropriate audience and merits the same hard line response that I've afforded it in the past: "Help us Obi-wan Kenobi, you're our only hope." Hope to see you at market!

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: No pick up this week!

We are preparing our largest hoop house for a new round of head lettuce transplants!

We're in the midst of cleaning and sterilizing our greenhouse, and you should expect micro greens and sprouts back on the menu in the coming month

Helen and Lizz are polishing and updating their skills at the MOSES Organic farming conference in Wisconsin this weekend (hence, no Ann Arbor Market this weekend)

Markets: We will only be in Detroit this week! Find us in the sun in shed five at Eastern.

New Members! Thank you for signing up to be a farm member and welcome to the farm! In every email you receive henceforth, you can scroll to the bottom to find your balance.
This is still true!!:
CSA Y'all! Thank you for excusing my relentless marketing but in case you missed it: This is the time that signing up to be a member of our farm has the greatest positive effect on your farmers!CSA's help share the burden of cashflow variability and seasonal unpredictability with the farmer. For us, it makes a huge difference to know that people are committed to eating our vegetables and the early investments take some of the stress out of all the early season improvements that we are making. So what is the CSA? In short, members open an account with us, receive a bonus for their commitment, and then use their accounts at market just like cash. You can find more details here. And let me say, if this is something you are considering, now is the time! We won't let you down!
Recipe: (Helen posted this one last week, but man are they delicious, it's like a vegetable crab cake that you can have all winter!!, if you haven't tried them, give 'em a shot) 
Radishes. So many winter radishes. Ready to try doing something new with them?

Daikon Patties:  <-- follow the link ;)
I make a version of this recipe from my brain, but it is too variable to type out. Basically, grate the daikon, mix some flavor in, ball it and coat it with the crunchy and fry it in a pan.
I am going to try the linked recipe tonight. I love the addition of peanuts and powdered ginger. If I see you tomorrow, ask me how it was and I will give you a review.
Jim writing for the Lake Dividers

• 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 3 full-time and 3 part-time positions opening up 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. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Arugula (limited)
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Carrots- Last week for carrots until the spring!
Kohlrabi- kohlrabi and tender petite 
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon radish
Turnips: Purple tops
Turnabaga- a cross between a crunchy sweet turnip and a rutabaga

Markets, always rain or shine!Saturday: Ann Arbor 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 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
​

Lake Divide Farm Newsletter:
A window into the production path of your food.

I realized after I sent the email out that I FAILED to update this top snippet. Here is what wrote last week: How was that breath of spring? I felt for a moment that I didn't get quite enough winter, but that feeling was washed away with the incoming winds. It was nice to enjoy fresh air on my arms and face without my skin being seared off by the cold. It will be nice to enjoy another dip and hopefully another big snow or two! I have some ice skating and snow meditation left yet!

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: No pick up this week!

Markets: We will be in Ann Arbor and Detroit this week! Find us in the sun in Kerrytown and in shed five at Eastern.

CSA members: We performed the annual update of our CSA spreadsheet. All of the balances should be updated as of now and incoming members are being added as they come in.

New Members! Thank you for signing up to be a farm member and welcome to the farm! In every email you receive henceforth, you can scroll to the bottom to find your balance.

CSA Y'all! Thank you for excusing my relentless marketing but in case you missed it: This is the time that signing up to be a member of our farm has the greatest positive effect on your farmers!CSA's help share the burden of cashflow variability and seasonal unpredictability with the farmer. For us, it makes a huge difference to know that people are committed to eating our vegetables and the early investments take some of the stress out of all the early season improvements that we are making. So what is the CSA? In short, members open an account with us, receive a bonus for their commitment, and then use their accounts at market just like cash. You can find more details here. And let me say, if this is something you are considering, now is the time! We won't let you down!
Recipe:
Radishes. So many winter radishes. Ready to try doing something new with them?

Daikon Patties:  <-- follow the link ;)
I make a version of this recipe from my brain, but it is too variable to type out. Basically, grate the daikon, mix some flavor in, ball it and coat it with the crunchy and fry it in a pan.
I am going to try the linked recipe tonight. I love the addition of peanuts and powdered ginger. If I see you tomorrow, ask me how it was and I will give you a review.
Food for thought:
Wind and snow = Empire Strikes Back, The Battle of Hoth. I had to ask Jim what I was talking about, he knew with very little help. "You know, the one where he hides in the animal to survive and the big machines walk around?" Count me impressed. 
But seriously, this past week the snow was phenomenal! Along our dirt road, there is a section with open field on either side where the wind picks up. The otherworldly snow drifts were upwards of three feet! And the visibility in that area? Nil. It was like driving into a hostile cloud. And yet, we made it out the other side! 
And then, the following day, all the snow melted and turned into a slick ice shield for the earth. All in all, I thought it was a pretty grand weather adventure, although I really don't like the wind all the much. It gives my sleep indigestion and I lay awake wondering what has blown away. (This time, nothing!)
The day of the snow-wind was the day we sealed the deal on another Sprinter van. We needed it to enable us to attend all four of the markets in our Saturday plan. The van is in good shape and we are excited to add it to the fleet. 
They day before that, our big supplies order came in after several weeks of weather related delays. We coordinated with a few local farmers to reduce shipping costs and everything was delivered to our farm. It was great to see everyone and it made me even more excited for the coming growing season. I swear I can hear the blistering snow wind whisper spring!
To add to the hype, next week I am going to a big farming conference in Wisconsin! We consider it ongoing education and try to get everyone headed to at least a one opportunity like this per year. 
See you at market this week!
Onward and farmward!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• 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 3 full-time and 3 part-time positions opening up 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. 

Fresh From the Field!

Greens: (Limited):Head lettuce! Petite and sweet!
All manner of deliciousness:
Beets
Carrots- Last week for carrots until the spring!
Kohlrabi- kohlrabi and tender petite 
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon radish
Turnips: Purple tops
Turnabaga- a cross between a crunchy sweet turnip and a rutabaga
Markets, always rain or shine!Saturday: Ann Arbor 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 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

 

How was that breath of spring? I felt for a moment that I didn't get quite enough winter, but that feeling was washed away with the incoming winds. It was nice to enjoy fresh air on my arms and face without my skin being seared off by the cold. It will be nice to enjoy another dip and hopefully another big snow or two! I have some ice skating and snow meditation left yet!

To note:
Stockbridge Farm Members: Pick-up this week on Tuesday. Look for the email. Sorry it is a little late getting out.

Markets: We will be in Ann Arbor and Detroit this week! Find us in the sun in Kerrytown and in shed five at Eastern.

CSA Y'all! Thank you for excusing my relentless marketing but in case you missed it: This is the time that signing up to be a member of our farm has the greatest positive effect on your farmers!CSA's help share the burden of cashflow variability and seasonal unpredictability with the farmer. For us, it makes a huge difference to know that people are committed to eating our vegetables and the early investments take some of the stress out of all the early season improvements that we are making. So what is the CSA? In short, members open an account with us, receive a bonus for their commitment, and then use their accounts at market just like cash. You can find more details here. And let me say, if this is something you are considering, now is the time! We won't let you down!

​Recipe:
Another sweet potato recipe! It is hard to stop sharing culinary uses for these because they are so sweet po-tasty! (Thanks for letting me get away with that one. Just try saying it out loud, it is fun!) The Japanese Sweet Potatoes are a little drier and a little nuttier than the classic orange ones. Lizz came up with this savory (and simple!) recipe. You really can't go wrong.

Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Sauteed Onions: Preheat oven to 425. Cut large sweet potatoes into 1/2' cubes (or use a pile of small ones halved!) and put in a bowl. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle in some salt, and a dried herb (sage/thyme/rosemary). Bake 'em for 15 minutes, stir, then bake about another 15-20 minutes. When there are only five minutes to go, , pull them out of the oven sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and put 'em right back in for the final five minutes. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, slice some onions into crescents, heat some oil in a skillet and saute them until translucent. Scoop some sweet potatoes onto a plate, put the onions on top and enjoy! I would love to eat this with an over easy egg, a slice of buttered bread, and some pickled turnips! 

Food for thought:
We aired out the caterpillar tunnels and hoops this week! The plants were glad for it. I must admit, Sunday was a little concerning. I slopped around the farm, the soil trying to suck my boots off my feet at every chance, grumbling about how wet it all is. We had standing water in some fields and in the area that I chose to set up the caterpillar tunnels, just a general extensive sogginess. While it was in the forties, there was still persistent ice on the tunnels and on the row cover. Now rowcover is not the sturdiest of materials. It is a thin weave and tears with ease. Much of it was frozen to the ground, to the anchor bag, to the side of the tunnel, etc. After some sincere attempts of removal and in favor of preserving the material so it could live a fuller life, Jim and I held off on pulling all the covers until Monday. 
Monday, everything looked a little better. It was a little less "mucky", the covers weren't frozen, the sun was sunny. I finished the uncovering solo but it was no problem. My heart felt lifted, the plants looked grateful to enjoy an outing from their ice fortress. I was too, and so were the dogs. We frolicked. It was too wet to do much weeding but even so, the sight of new leaves on our plants brought my spirits up. 
Now, the temperature is dropping again (as to be expected) and the great winds that accompany this temperature change are picking up. We check to make sure everything is secure in the evening and then at night, sleep with pillows pressed over our heads so that nightmares of winds wrecking havoc on the farm don't infiltrate our slumber (although they do anyway).
Farm life continues. We have just about acquired another market vehicle, completed our crop plan for the coming year, and settled some managerial plans. The farm planning revealed that we are hoping to be planting in the field by the end of the month! Holy moley! We are going to be planting in the greenhouse in only a matter of weeks! That is wild too! IT IS UPON US! SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE BEND! The plants can feel it in daylight hours and whether we recognize it, so can we! I love that this life has brought with it an intrinsic appreciation of the changing of the seasons. Every time,  I am aching for a change of pace, the world offers it to me just by spinning. 

Helen writing for the Lake Dividers

• 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 3 full-time and 3 part-time positions opening up 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. 

Fresh From the Field!
Greens: (Limited):Head lettuce!- Maybe.....
All manner of deliciousness:
Cabbage- running low
Carrots
Kohlrabi- kohlrabi and tender petite 
Onions
Sweet potatoes! White and orange fleshed
Radishes: Classic (with greens! May be limited), White Daikon, Green Daikon, and Watermelon radish
Turnips: Purple top and golden roasting turnips
Turnabaga- a cross between a crunchy sweet turnip and a rutabaga
Markets, always rain or shine!Saturday: Ann Arbor 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 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