Last update: May 8 Sweets are definitely getting going - the orchard by my house is almost in full blossom and we'll definitely have nice blossom coverage this weekend - make your reservations now! The cool weather is keeping the tarts under wraps, so it looks as if we'll have orchard beauty for at least another week!
Dr. Nikki Rothwell, director of the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station, reports that she's seeing a few sweets now. She that although sweets typically blossom first with tarts coming 3-5 days after, there have been years when they've come at the same time. She noted that cherries are only receptive to be fertilized for a week or so, no matter how long the blossoms are out. Years when we do have an enduring blossom can even be detrimental to fertilization as bees don't like to fly when it's cold.
Keep an eye on at least one tree with the Hort station's Cherry Orchard webcam.
The photo is Leelanau by Jeff Lamb, and you can view it large right here and see more of Jeff's great pics from the Leelanau Peninsula on his photography web site.
For a whole lot more about cherry blossoms, check out Cherry Blossom Time in Michigan on Michigan in Pictures and be sure to think about attending the Leelanau County Cherry Blossom Tour on May 10, 2008!
The Leelanau County Cherry Blossom Tour has been scheduled for Saturday, May 10 from 11 AM - 2 PM. The Tour is sponsored by the Leelanau Conservation District, Leelanau Conservancy and the Leelanau Enterprise, with several other organizations presenting a tour of orchards with a leisurely FREE bus ride for folks of all ages (wheelchair lifts are on every bus as well!).
The event will start and end at the Connie Binsfeld Building in Lake Leelanau and features a free ride on busses provided by the Bay Area Transportation Authority. Tour takers can stay on a bus throughout its journey or get off at preplanned stops and catch the next one! There will also be a free lunch with cherry brats from Pleva’s Market in Cedar and those famous Cherry Republic Boomchunka cookies. Highlighted on the tour will be the views offered from a vantage point at St. Wenceslaus Church and the Gregory family's Cherry Bay Orchard.
Years ago, a Blossom Tour was offered annually by agricultural leaders in Leelanau County at about the same time the "Blessing of the Blossoms" ceremony was celebrated in Grand Traverse County. While the blessing event remains today, the blossom tour has long been discontinued — until this year.
Contact the Leelanau Conservancy at 231 256-9665 for further information or to volunteer and get more information from Cherry Blossom Tour web page from the Leelanau Enterprise.
Photo: Spring Will Come by Andy McFarlane (check out this Cherry Blossom Slideshow too!)
Choose Cherries explains that a diet rich in cherries can reduce the incidence of heart disease, provide relief of arthritis and gout, prevent diabetes and cancer and lead to better sleep. To those I'd add the benefits of purchasing cherries and cherry products to Leelanau & Michigan farmers and also the benefit to all of us who live in and visit
The Enterprise reports that the 2007 Farm Bill, which appears headed for passage by the Federal Government in January, streamlines the cumbersome process for farmers to receive federal money for selling development rights on their property to local governments and non-governmental organizations and has additional provisions for specialty crops like cherries, wine grapes, asparagus and organic products.
The new law would raise the deduction a landowner can take for donating a conservation easement from 30 percent of their income in any year to 50 percent.
For those actively engaged in farming, the deal is even better. Qualifying farmers may be able to deduct up to 100 percent of their income from land they have voluntarily donated for a conservation easement. In addition, the new law would extend the carry-forward period for a donor to take tax deductions from five to 16 years.
Read Preservation efforts boosted in Farm Bill in the Leelanau Enterprise.
Photo: Apples & Old Sheds by Andy McFarlane
The Polish community in Leelanau County originally consisted of four small settlements one or two miles apart. These settlements, Shomberg, Bodus, Cedar and Isadore began in 1868 when Polish families first started arriving in the county. The first wave of Poles in the county came to scout out the area. In the 1870s a large second wave came to join the scouting families. Many of these new families moved to Isadore.
As the first generation of Polish immigrants began to retire the younger Pols moved to Cedar, building a thriving town known as Cedar City. When they first moved to Cedar it was a nearly a ghost town, bereft of the trees that had led to the founding of the town.
Today Cedar is Leelanau County's central hub. People stop by Pleva's Meat for some nationally known PlevaLean burgers and cherry sausage or Cedar City Market for its huge selection of fine wines, liquor, organic local foods, and local eggs, or just to chat with owner Phil Thiel. Blue Moon Ice Cream is easily recognizable with its bright blue roof and some of the best ice cream around; make sure to try the Grasshopper Shake, or a Morel soft serve cone. The historic railroad depot is now a great antique shop, and Inish Knits is a great place to stock up on yarn. Cedar celebrates its Polish history every year with the Cedar Polka Fest.
Local area links:
Wikipedia's Cedar entry
Leelanau Peninsula Chamber of Commerce's Cedar page
Leelanau Tarts (fo-lomo) by Andy McFarlane (also see this unmodified photo)
News from the Week
The week's stories included a feature on Michigan Surfing from Absolute Michigan (packed full of photos, links and great surfing videos) and a couple of new Leelanau on Location features for the Old Art Building in Leland (site of this weekend's artist market) and the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb (where Sunday's Manitou Music Festival Dune Concert will be held). We hope that these pages (with map, photo and background info) help people get around and enjoy Leelanau more easily!
The Week's Weather
The weather this week ranged the ridiculously hot and humid to what felt ridiculously cold (but is actually pretty historically accurate for our region).
July 5, 2007: Mostly cloudy, light rain & 80s (84Ëš/62Ëš)
July 6, 2007:Mostly sunny & 80 (81Ëš/53Ëš)
July 7, 2007: Mostly sunny & upper 80s (89Ëš/63Ëš)
July 8, 2007: Partly sunny & mid 90s (96Ëš/72Ëš) (just off the record high of 98Ëš in '88)
July 9, 2007: Mostly cloudy, light rain & 70s (77Ëš/64Ëš)
July 10, 2007: Mostly cloudy, scattered showers, an evening thunderstorm and 80s (87Ëš/60Ëš)
July 11, 2007: Mostly sunny, breezy & cool (73Ëš/57Ëš)
I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff last week when he was up here. He has more photos of Leelanau and also has done some beautiful work documenting New Orleans.
The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that the National Cherry Festival is seeking to temporarily locate headquarters in the old administrative building at the Clinch Park Zoo. They would also partner with other nonprofits to turn the nearby Con Foster Building into a museum for the wine and cherry industries.
Michigan Commission of Agriculture member and Black Star Farms co-owner Don Coe said "This would be a great opportunity for us to introduce people to Michigan agriculture."
Read the story in the Record-Eagle.
Photo credit: Leading to... by Darrin Wassom. Caption: Small gauge track at the Traverse City Zoo in Traverse City, Michigan
White and Gold by Andy McFarlane
News from the Week
Stories from the week included some morel hunting tips, information about a workshop on environmentally sensitive development (that has a great cherry blossom photo) and a report on the evaluation of the hornfaced bee by the MSU Horticultural Research Station. There was also a terrific photo of the view of Glen Lake and Sleeping Bear Bay from Miller Hill by John Clement Howe - and some information about the geology of the area from the Park Service.
The Week's Weather
The week's weather was pretty up and down - sun to thunderstorms, frost to 80s, we pretty much ran the full gamut of spring weather. Except for snow of course. Which I think we can all agree is OK.
May 10, 2007: Mostly cloudy & low 70s (73Ëš/44Ëš)
May 11, 2007: Sunny & upper 50s (59Ëš/43Ëš)
May 12, 2007: Sunny & upper 50s (57Ëš/37Ëš)
May 13, 2007: Sunny & upper 60s w/ morning frost (70Ëš/30Ëš)
May 14, 2007: Early morning thunderstorm, then partly sunny, breezy & 80 (81Ëš/45Ëš)
May 15, 2007: Mostly cloudy, scattered light rain & upper 70s (79Ëš/46Ëš)
May 16, 2007: Mostly cloudy, light rain & 40s (47Ëš/41Ëš)
The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that with the onset of Colony Collapse Disorder, Hornfaced bees from Japan are receiving increased attention from fruit growers. The bees reportedly handle cold temperatures and windier conditions than honeybees. Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station Director Nikki Rothwell says "Our goal for the hornfaced bees is not to replace the honeybees, but to supplement them."
A article reports that unlike honey bees, hornfaced bees don't store honey and are solitary bees, meaning that they don't have queen and worker bees. Each female hornfaced bee mates, makes a nest cell of mud, collects nectar and pollen and lays eggs. Male hornfaced bees, unlike honeybee drones, also contribute to pollination.
The photo is courtesy the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station and they have more great pictures of hornfaced and honey bees and more information about the bees as well.
Read Growers turn to new bee breed in wake of die-offs in the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
