From The North Farm
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic
Slicing Tomatoes
Spring Mix
Sweet Onion
Sweet Pepper

Welcome to week 11 of your CSA. It's been quite a week for a variety of reasons, one of which I am going to share with you, despite it not being the most uplifting of stories.

As you all know, the Upper Peninsula can be a challenging climate. We take pride in our ability to withstand the harsh winters and are not scared by the short seasons or cool summers. However, every once in a while, Mother Nature throws us a challenge that we cannot quite prepare for, leaving us at the mercy of our climate.
Last week, we had the earliest frost we have experienced on the farm. Temperatures dipped down to the mid 30s, which allowed the dew on the surface of our crops' foliage to crystallize into ice. Many of the items in the field were not affected - they can withstand temperatures below freezing without any damage. However, some of the sensitive crops were hit pretty hard, resulting in dead foliage and possible total crop loss.

The most heartbreaking of these losses was the squash and watermelon field. We didn't have the ability to protect our large planting, so when the cool temperatures hit, the tender cucurbits were vulnerable. We saw pretty substantial damage throughout the field which you can see in the picture above. 

So what does this mean? Well, it means that we may not get a crop of watermelons or winter squash. The watermelons were hit harder than the squash, so those seem unlikely to pull through. I am hoping that the squash can grow through the damage and still manage to ripen fruit, but it is hard to say at this point. This is one of the many realities of farming in northern climates - we can't always protect our crops from the weather, and because of this, we may lose them. Please know that we do everything we can to ensure a diverse and delicious box for you each week, but also understand that there are some things out of our control. I hope that boxes later in the fall will still be able to feature some of our favorite winter squashes, but if not, we will continue to pack them with other fresh and delicious items from the farm.

We hope that you are staying warm, even on these cool nights. If you have any thoughts, questions, or feedback, please feel free to get in touch. As always, thanks for your support.


Collin Thompson
Farm Manager

From The North Farm
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Sweet Pepper
Hot Pepper
Onion
Garlic
Cabbage
Spring Mix
Cucumber
Potatoes​

Welcome to week 10 of your CSA. It's starting to feel a little bit like fall on the farm, now that we are planting fall and winter crops, turning fields that used to hold crops, and saying goodbye to our intern, Morrison. There is something sad about the transition to fall, but for the farmer, it is an exciting time of year. We start to haul in the crops that we've been watching grow for the summer months, we fill our coolers and cellar with produce that we will continue to offer throughout the winter months, and we start thinking about next year, trying to remember what we want to do differently and what new things we want to try. It is a time to say good bye, but it also is a time for us to think ahead with excitement.

On that note, we have an exciting announcement pertaining to one of our farmers. Landen Tetil, owner of Bean Pole Farm, and our longest running farm incubator participant, just bought her own farm! She has been with us for three years now, and decided it was time to find property of her own that she can settle down on and continue to build her business. She bought 40 acres about 8 miles from the farm, so we are excited that she will continue to be close while working to realize her dreams on her new property. We are incredibly proud of Landen, and excited to see what Bean Pole Farm becomes! She will likely continue at The North Farm for one more season as she transitions to her new property, so keep an eye out for her products in this year's and next year's CSA boxes from The North Farm.

We hope you enjoy this week's share, and as always, thanks for your support. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please feel free to follow the link at the end of this newsletter. 

Collin Thompson
​Farm Manager

Welcome to Week 8 of your CSA!

You can feel a bit of a transition taking place on the farm as fall grows ever closer. For me, one of the things that symbolizes the coming of the next season is when the garlic comes out of the ground.

Last week, we pulled the rest of this year's garlic harvest and it is looking quite nice. Garlic is one of the few crops that we plant in the fall, harvesting the following season. Last October, the cloves were split and planted into the cool soil. The cloves will start to awaken in the late season, then hibernate under the snow until spring. Once the temperatures start to rise, the garlic receives the wake up call and it is one of the first things to emerge. This time of year, we harvest and hang the fully formed bulbs to dry, or cure, for about three weeks. This is what allows the garlic to be stored, and transforms it from the fresh garlic you have received in your shares, to the cured garlic you have probably seen in the store.

Garlic is the first crop I ever worked with as a farmer, and perhaps because of that, it is one of my favorite. Keep an eye out for upcoming shares that include this kitchen staple, but for now, it'll be hanging in the barn, drying down and warding off vampires.


Collin Thompson
​Farm Manager