Paint Time....Family Time

Each year as we get ready to open, everything comes out of the market and gets a fresh coat of paint.  This year is no different.  Everything looks so clean and fresh!  We have moved our benches around, added new units and are just about ready to open.  

We are planning on opening the market on Wednesday (7/17/2013) the sad part is we won't have our sweet corn or tomatoes yet!  Most of the other veggies are coming in just fine.  With any luck we will have sweet corn within a week.

It is going to be so nice to see our many friends we call customer's again.  One thing I will miss, is our Sunday morning breakfast's.  Just about every Sunday morning all winter long the kid's and Nin and Rocky (Joe's mom and her friend) come over for breakfast.  One of the best parts of this is seeing our first grandchild grow and change from week to week.  We have invited our friends some Sunday's...some Sunday's we have extended family.  Today was our last Sunday for this, until November, since we are out by 5:00 am all summer picking corn...then opening the market.

We hope you have a chance to come out and see us very soon!  

Rain, Rain and more Rain!

Well I guess I have been absent for long enough.  This spring has been quite a challenge for us on the farm.  It has been an extremely wet and challenging this season thus far.  We were hit by  hail, and rain after rain after rain.  Our veggies our pulling through and we should be opening very soon. 

I have talked to many people who have small backyard gardens and they have been very happy with the weather because they don't have to water their gardens....good for them...not so good for us.  We have large equipment to try and drag through the fields and with all this rain, well...it's not going anywhere but down in the mud.   I think we have been stuck more already this year than in past 5 years...maybe more!

We are cleaning, painting and getting the market ready to open.   I like to move furniture, so I'm sure I will be moving the benches in the market to new spots...and maybe move them again...that's what I do!  

So watch for signs of movement and you'll know we'll be opening soon!

Winter Break!

I guess I've had enough time off from the hectic days of this summer past....and now it's time to get back in gear and get ready for our new and hopefully wonderful summer of 2013.   

Mother nature put the hurt on our orchards in Michigan last year....farmers keep on chugging along and hope that this year there will be a bumper crop!   We plan on planting lots of those wonder veggies for this year, I might even talk Joe into trying a few things new for 2013!   Don't get to excited...there is still a long time before we will be picking our own veggies, but we can dream of those warm summer days, with butter running off your sweetcorn and down your arm!
Maybe a thick slice of tomato, a few slices of bacon a little mayo and....OK, I'll stop!  LOL

Let's get back to business...
Joe put new natural gas heaters in our large gutter greenhouse.  This should help to keep our heat bill down a little this year, and  we should be firing them up very soon.    I can't believe it's already the middle of February!   I think I'll dig around for a comfort food recipe using some of the veggies I froze last summer!    I still have some sweet corn, some green beans, a little bit of broccali and maybe if I dig deep I might find some brussel sprouts.  Check back next week and let's see what kind a great dish I came up with.

Oh yea!  Joe and I become grandparents for the first time in November!  Our son Joe, and his wife Ashlye had a beautiful baby girl - Our Little Miss...Kenadie.  Maybe she will be the next generation to take over on the farm!?!?!?  She's a keeper !!

 

Vegetable Season in Full Swing!

Here we are...the middle of August and the vegetable season at the farm is in full swing.  In our neck of the woods we have been getting the rain needed to bring our vegetable crops back from the very dry and almost dead state that some of them were in.  Let me tell you, that is a great feeling, when just a short time ago, we were looking at a huge loss of our crops.  In fact one customer said to me today " I thought there weren't any peaches this year"...the good news is Romeo, Michigan I should say, did take a big hit on their peach crop, but they are picking some peaches  The crop is very small, and they won't have alot for canning, but those Romeo Peaches are available and WONDERFUL!



Canning Time!

   

Romeo Peaches

 









For those of you who like to make your own pickles...now is the time, pickles are in full swing and before the vines stop producing, you should be making your bread & butter, dill, sweet or whatever kind of pickle you like.  It is also prime time for sweet corn, green beans, beets, hot and sweet banana peppers, and we do have some bushels of tomatoes everyday, it will still be a week or so before we are picking at full capacity. 

Michigan Heat Wave

 
Today is another beautiful day in Michigan and we have finally gotten some much needed rain.  Many of our customers have wondered how we have any sweet corn and our other vegetables at all, based on the news reports.

Most of the state of Michigan and the Mid-west for that matter is still is a very serious drought situation.  Even our farm is not out of the woods yet.  You may notice some of the sweet corn not fully developed or missing kernals.  Some of our patches of sweet corn may have smaller ears than normal.  This is all because of the lack of rain.  We have started to harvest our crops earlier this year due to the excessive heat, and this is a nice benefit for you.  To help out with our crops, we are able to irrigate some of our fields.  This is a huge life saver for some of our vegetables. 

While we have lost a portion of our vegetables in the field due to the excessive heat and dry conditions, we also try to plan for some of this in the spring by over planting.  Some years this creates excessive vegetables, but in years like this year, we are still picking, but we don't have any excess.

So even if you think we are down and out, Michigan Farmers are some of the most resiliant people out there.  We keep our heads held high and try to work through those curve balls that mother nature sends our way...just about every year!  So get out and visit your local farmer, and farm markets.

Fresh Produce...It does a body good!

I thought this article in Better Homes and Gardens was very interesting.  The great part is, we are coming into the peak of veggie season here in Macomb County.  Now is the time to eat a little healthier and maybe drop a few pounds!    :-)

Today:  Summer picks such as juicy blueberries, crisp green beans, and sweet corn are delicious multitaskers.  They're bursting with flavor and they're largely composed of water, which means they satisfy while they slenderize.  In fact, sit down to a produce-packed lunch, and you'll eat about 10 percent fewer calories than usual at dinner, says registered dietitian Leslie Bonci author of The Active Calorie Diet.

In two weeks:  As your body is nourished by the rich stores of nutrients and fiber in fruits and vegetables, you'll feel noticeably more energetic, say Andrew Well, M.D., founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Health Science Center.  Many plant-based nutrients have anti-inflammatory properties, Bonci adds, so you might experience fewer aches and pains, too. 

In ten years:  A 2012 study found that people who ate the most serving of fruits and vegetables - about 3 1/2 per day - had a 21 percent lower likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes than people who avoided produce.  Weight control is one reason researchers say, but specific nutrients also might play a role. 

Get Started:  People tend to over estimate the number of fruit and vegetable servings they eat in a given day, Bonci says.  Her visual rule of thumb:  At every meals, reserve half your plate for produce.  If that seems too daunting, try adding at least one fruit or vegetable to every dish.  Stack a lean burger with lettuce and tomato, enjoy scrambled eggs with salsa, and toss peas into rice pilaf. 

It sounds like we all need to make sure we have a good healthy dose of veggies in our daily diet!  Stay healthy and we'll see you at the farm market!

2012 Summer Season Brings Back Old Friends

The farm market has been open now for a few days and how quickly we fall back into the old routine with our great customers and friends.  Many of our customers stop by to ask about the kids....They have seen them grow up...summer to summer.  Here's an update...our oldest daughter Amanda lives and works near Lansing, our son is married, with his own child on the way and our youngest daughter, who spent many hours on my back in a backpack while I worked at the market, is still helping around the farm.  Elizabeth prefers to be in the field driving tractors with her dad rather than work at the farm market.



Elizabeth helping to sort....eat the tomatoes





Amanda (with the blue bucket) and her friend Nicole
they are still best buds!

 

Joey doing what he does best...get dirty!










We are open 7 days a week with our fresh picked sweet corn and lots of other Michigan summer produce.  As it get ripe and ready in the field, we will get it picked and get it to our market.  Take a drive out to Macomb (17330 26 Mile Rd. - 1/4 Mile East of Romeo Plank) and get a taste of Michigan Agriculture.  And remember....buy fresh - buy local.