Leelanau.com Blog
leelanau county news • traverse city news • michigan news

February is National Cherry Month and Leelanau County is Cherry Ground Zero! Before we get to this great video of cherry harvesting at Shimeks' Maple Ridge Orchard in Maple City, here are a ton of cherry features on Leelanau.com including:

• Leelanau Cherries are Ready to Pick (includes some great cherry facts & recipes)
• A write-up on the history & present day of the annual National Cherry Festival (July 2-9, 2011)
• An article about the History of Empire (includes a great old fruit stand photo!)
• A lyrical ode to cherry blossoms by Cherie Spaulding
• A little about the history of cherry blossoms in Leelanau County (hint for folks wondering "When will the cherries blossom?": it's usually 10-14 days in early to mid May and we never know when until we're getting close!)
• ...and don't miss the cherry slideshow in the Leelanau.com group on Flickr

Check out all the cherry goodness on Absolute Michigan and click that cherry to the left to Choose Cherries on Facebook!

Jenny Murray took this shot somewhere in Leelanau. She's thinking Port Oneida. Does anyone recognize the location?

The Traverse City Record-Eagle has an excellent feature on Local Foods for Thanksgiving that you'll want to check out. In Sustainable Thanksgiving, Jacob Wheeler, editor of the Glen Arbor Sun, asks us to say "thanks" to the local farmers by celebrating with a local turkey, veggies, and more.

Drop by Stone House Bread in Leland for a loaf of their artisan bread to accompany your feast. Finish off your meal with Grocer's Daughters Chocolate and a cup of Light of Day Organics tea.

Remember to pair your Thanksgiving feast with some of Leelanau's award winning wines! Michigan Master Sommelier Claudia Tyagi says:

I always like Riesling with turkey, although with poultry Chardonnay would be beautiful. You have a lot of versatility and a lot of possibility with turkey. You could use a white wine or an aromatic wine. Those tend to go well with turkey, too.

MyNorth.com suggest a few Rieslings on the sweeter side and they also list some great dry Rieslings (which are awesome if you haven't tried them).

Don't miss A Very Michigan Thanksgiving on Absolute Michigan (where we got the lovely turkey above). That article features more recipes and resources for making your Thanksgiving more Michigan friendly! Your tummy will be thankful for the delicious local food, and your neighbors will be thankful to you for supporting their efforts!! Have ideas for things we missed? Post them in the comments!

Photo Credit: Untitled by Vaughan

The Grand Traverse Insider says that the Leelanau Conservancy has signed an option to purchase Sonny Swanson's farm and has until Jan. 31, 2011, to raise the $900,000 needed to complete the transaction.

The old farm stand along M-22 near Sugarloaf has stood there since it was built in 1931, and in spite of the changing times, visitors and locals alike knew they could depend on farmer Sonny Swanson to keep the pale yellow stand stocked with fresh strawberries, sweet corn, squash, and pumpkins in season.

They also appreciated, and honored his trust in them – his cash box, with its hand-lettered sign reading: “God knows everything. Thank you for being honest,” reminded everyone that they were worthy of trust, and most of the time, they were...

“This land is special to us and to the people in the area for a lot of reasons,” Price said. “What you see from M-22 is just a small part of what we’re preserving.”

Wetlands cover most of the property, which also has 2,000 feet of natural shoreline along Little Traverse Lake, a ridge overlooking the lake, and a half-mile of road frontage along the M-22 Scenic Heritage Route.

Read more at the Insider and also on the Conservancy's web site, where you can donate to help the project.

Photo Credit: Untitled by Jenny Murray

Update (Sept 9): There are still 3 Leelanau Farmers Markets open this weekend: in Northport on Friday mornings and in Empire and Suttons Bay on Saturday Morning. And lots of great produce and products available. Apples anyone? See the complete list on their website and check them out on Facebook!

2010 Leelanau Farmer's Markets are underway in Glen Arbor, Lake Leelanau, Leland, Northport and Suttons Bay. They offer you a chance to get out and connect with farmers and other folks who produce food in Leelanau County. You can also connect with Leelanau Farmer's Markets on Facebook!

Tuesdays in Glen Arbor
9 am—1 pm
June 15—Aug 31
Location: Downtown, behind the Glen Arbor Township Hall

Thursdays in Leland
9 am—Noon
June 17– Sept 2
Location: Parking lot,across from the Bluebird Restaurant

Fridays in Northport
9 am—1 pm
June 18—Sept 17
Location: The Depot, next to the marina

Saturdays in Suttons Bay
9 am—1 pm
May 15—Oct 16
Location: Ice skating rink, corner of Lincoln & Broadway Streets

Saturdays in Empire
9 am—1 pm
June 12—Sept 25
Location: Downtown, next to the Post Office

Sundays in Lake Leelanau
10 am—2 pm
June 13—Sept 5
Location: Parking lot, next to Kejara’s Bridge Restaurant

Taste the Local Difference is a comprehensive guide that includes farm, farm market, CSA, winery  and other listings with addresses, phone numbers and an index to seasonal food availability.

Photo: Thursday morning at the market by *ojoyous1*

The Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association provided our photo this week - be sure to check it out background bigalicious and view tons more in the the 2007 Gallery and the 2008 Gallery!

Post any comments on the week's news, weather, events you're looking forward to or observationson anything Leelanau below!

The Leelanau Farmers Markets are celebrating 10 years with an anniversary celebration at the Suttons Bay Farmers Market on Saturday, August 28 beginning at 10:30. The celebration includes music, children's activities, prizes and refreshments.

As always, the market will feature local produce and products, all grown or produced within 60 miles of the markets. Customers can expect to find for purchase fresh local fruits and vegetables, cut flowers, pastured pork, eggs, honey, dried fruits, maple syrup, lavender, baking mixes, soups, granola, art, soaps, jewelry, knitted items, baked goods and more.

The Leelanau Farmers Markets began in the summer season of 2001 with help from the Leelanau Agricultural Alliance and MSU Extension with the goal of improving the marketing of local farm products and preserving county farmland. There are now 6 markets in beautiful Leelanau County. The markets are an important part of local agriculture and bringing business to the towns in which they reside.

Photo "Bare Knuckle Farm - Jess Piskor" by Leelanau Farmers Markets - see more on Facebook!

Food For Thought's annual Green Cuisine is a celebration that seeks to bring more awareness to local food and sustainable business practices. Green Cuisine is held annually the third Wednesday in July (next Wed - July 14) from 5-8 PM at the Food For Thought Farm, 10704 Oviatt Rd. Honor, MI 49640. Visitors will be able to sample some of the best products of local food and beverage artisans, tour Food For Thought’s organic farm and green buildings as they socialize, learn and have fun in a beautiful setting.

Green Cuisine is free BUT YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER - Register online here.  Children are welcome! For more information, please call 231-326-5444 or visit the Food for Thought web site.

FOOD/BEVERAGE VENDORS La Becasse Oryana Higher Grounds Trading Co. Chateau Chantal Black Star Farms Cherry Republic Ciccone Vineyard and Winery Shady Lane Vineyards Trattoria Stella Short's Brewery Light of Day Organics L. Mawby Vineyard Shetler Dairy Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery Honor Family Market Good Neighbor Organic Winery and Vineyard Stone House Bread Naturally Nutty Nut Butters Cook's House Bel Lago Vineyard Right Brain Brewery Siren Hall Lori's Salsa and Hummus Del Sol Land of Goshen 45 North Winery

GREEN LIFESTYLE / AWARENESS Green Island / Eco Lunch Gear Wings of Wonder Salon Verve Deep Wood Press Indira Skin Products Run Across Ethiopia Recycle Chicken Bay Area Recycling 9 Bean Rows CSA Providence Farms CSA Ware Farm CSA

Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear is joining others around the country in offering events that celebrate preserving our heritage. We invite you and your friends to an open house and tour of the Port Oneida Rural Historic District tomorrow. Open House - Thursday, May 20, 10 am - 6:30 pm!

* Learn about our summer preservation projects in the park and volunteer opportunities.
* Enjoy refreshments.
* Take a tour of Port Oneida at 10 am with Bill Herd (over 30 years as Interptetive Ranger for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore).
* Sign up to help with our preservation projects.

Other things to do:

* Come out and paint or photograph the historic landscapes - (particularly beautiful right now!)
* Write a poem
* Walk the trails
* Make a donation to support PHSB's preservation work!

BRING YOUR FRIENDS!
Location of the Olsen house:
3164 W. Harbor Hwy. (M-22) just west of Port Oneida Road 3 miles north of Glen Arbor. 231-334-6103

Photo credit: Solid Foundation_4595 by ETCphoto

Next, Wednesday, April 21, 2010 from 6:30?8:00 PM the Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Station will host the first event in their "Green Garden" series, Starting a Home Food Garden from Scratch.

This session, intended for beginning gardeners, will cover the basics of getting a home food garden started. Bring your ideas for what you’d like to do with your space (containers, garden plot, edible landscaping, raised beds, etc), and presenters can work with you on achieving your goals. A home food garden is easier to get going than you might think…why not start now? Instructor: Mike Davis, Advanced Master Gardener Volunteer.

MSUE Leelanau is hosting a series of eleven educational events this spring, utilizing environmentally sustainable garden practices. The programs are intended for beginning gardeners, focusing on home-scale food production. Classes are taught by knowledgeable local gardeners, farmers, and volunteers, and will be held at a variety of locations, including the Leelanau County Governmental Center and the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station. Participants may sign up for just one or several sessions. The programs are being offered free of charge, however $5 per person donations are suggested to help cover costs. Advanced registration for individual programs is recommended, and may be completed by calling MSUE?Leelanau at 231?256 8323. Information about this series is also posted at: www.msue.msu.edu/leelanau. Or click here for the informational flyer.