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Bass Root Farm Mission - We aim to nourish our local community by producing nutrient dense food while striving to be good stewards of the land using sustainable and regenerative farming methods. We want our farm to be a site for learning, sharing, and cultivating wellness, an ideal place that provides a rich quality of life for all living things.
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Notes from the Farm, Issue 9
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Welcome to our ninth newsletter! Here is an update on what we've been up to, where you can find us, and a recipe to try. Thank you for your continued support of our farm.
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Concert on the Farm. On June 9th, we hosted our first concert on the farm featuring Paul Izak, musician and permaculture farmer from Hawaii. Co-host John Ashley entertained the crowd during the first hour as DJ and percussionist. Paul shared a lot about his life and his farm through storytelling and song. I would describe his music as a fusion of folk and reggae. The concert took place in our back pasture, which turned out to be a perfect setting because of a hill that creates a natural amphitheater.
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Maddie Yaw, Farm Volunteer. Since coming for a visit to the farm in Fall 2021, University of Michigan Dietetics student Maddie Yaw has been one of our most dedicated volunteers. When we are short-handed or needing an additional helper, Maddie is often there for us. In addition to learning about the various tasks on our farm, she has shared her culinary skills. Our lunches are always nutritious and tasty when Maddie’s around!
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Shop Talk: Weeds and Pests. July is the time of the summer season when the garden is bursting at the seams with growth. And it’s not just veggies! Those pesky weeds and pests know when food is plentiful, so we must be on our guard to keep them from taking over. As a Certified Naturally Grown farm, we use natural methods for controlling these issues. We combat weeds manually, using a variety of hoes, hand-pulling, and tarps. One trick is to hoe the soil when weeds are mere seedlings. Once germinated, they are uprooted using a wire hoe. If they have become established, we need to pull them by hand. And if an entire bed is full of weeds and we do not need to plant in it right away, we put a black tarp over it. The lack of sunlight, moisture, and air will suffocate the weeds within 1-2 weeks.
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For pests, we pick them off by hand, use beneficial nematodes, and use OMRI-approved sprays. (OMRI stands for Organic Materials Review Institute, a body that reviews all materials used in organic production.) Picking pests of plants, such as a cucumber beetle (pictured) is easy when we see them. But if an infestation grows, we use beneficial nematodes and sprays. The nematodes are microorganisms that get into pest larvae, attacking it from the inside. If we visibly see a lot of pest activity, we use an OMRI-approved spray to immediately address the pest issue. There is no silver bullet for addressing weeds and pest issues, but using a multi-prong approach, we can ensure that our plants remain healthy throughout the growing season.
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CSA. Our CSA program continues to grow in diversity of produce and interest from the community. (CSA stands for “community supported agriculture” in which members of the community purchase a subscription from a local farm to receive a weekly box of fresh vegetables throughout the growing season.) Bass Root Farm offers three types of subscriptions: Jazztet, Symphony, and Bandstand, which are based on size and length of time. If you are interested in learning more about our CSA program, please click on the button below.
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Bass Root Farm Stand. Want to buy produce at the farm? Visit our Farm Stand on Holtforth Road during select Saturdays from 12:00-3:00 on these dates: July 9, 16, 23, 30, and August 13, 20, 27. Hope to see you there and please tell your friends and family! If you mention reading about the Farm Stand in our newsletter, you will receive a head of lettuce with your purchase!
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Holly Farmers Market. We are currently a seasonal vendor at the Holly Farmers Market, held in Crapo Park from 10:00-2:00 on Sundays. This market has grown considerably over the past couple of years and features over 70 vendors. Consider making your weekly grocery run at the market and support your local farmers and artisans. Buying local helps to keep your dollars in the community and helps the environment.
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Lettuce Storage Tip. Michael’s parents are both avid farmers, market shoppers, and cooks. Even though they live out of state, they’ve spent their fair share of time on our farm, helping with everything from building caterpillar tunnels to laundry. Mom is super organized with her farmers market haul. She washes and preps as much as she can as soon as she gets it home. We love her simple and effective strategy for storing lettuce.
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Cut off the end of the lettuce head. Wash the lettuce leaves thoroughly under cold water. Lay out a few connected sheets of paper towel and lay the separated lettuce leaves across the paper towel. Gently roll together and store in a sealed container (or plastic zip bag) until ready to use. Your lettuce will be stored clean and crisp and ready to eat. Enjoy!
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Cucumber. This month's featured vegetable is the cucumber. Did you know that this vegetable originated in India and has been cultivated for over 3,000 years? The phrase "cool as a cucumber" is associated with the cucumber's ability to cool the body through ingestion or by applying it topically. At Bass Root Farm, we grow a variety of cucumbers including slicers, picklers, English, and Persian varieties.
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Keep in Touch! Thanks for reading this newsletter. If you would like to keep up with us throughout the growing season, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@bassrootfarm). Have a wonderful July!
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