The man at dawn
in spring of the year,
going to the fields,
visionary of seed and desire,
is timeless as a star
-Wendell Berry
The long & narrow 6.5 acres of land that we call Five Oaks Farm has been in the family since the mid-80s. Decades before we came the property had been farmed with a few cows, pigs and chickens. The out-buildings and land were in neglect, and while holding down full time jobs we were able to reclaim a portion of the land year by year to grow our own food.
Changes came rapidly beginning in 2004 when in response to the growing local food movement we co-founded Michigan's first all local- all organic & GMO-free farmers market, the Sweetwater Local Foods Market. Meanwhile in 2006 we added a 96 x 30 ft hoophouse to the property, rebuilt the barn and added a greenhouse to the back of it.
Our growing practices have always followed the Rodale dictum of healthy soil=healthy plants=healthy people. Striving to go beyond organic we've begun to incorporate both biodynamic and permaculture sensibilities into our efforts; to think of the farm as a whole living thing to which we belong, and to which we hope those who come after us will continue on.
Update Spring 2014: Last year we started a CSA, with deliveries to Sweetwater. For our second year we have some big changes coming. After successfully developing Muskegon's very first urban CSA farm Dustin Anderson will be returning to the farm he grew up on to assume the position as Farm Manager for Five Oaks CSA. As Farm Manager for McLaughlin Grows Urban Farm of Muskegon for the last three years he has constructed two hoophouses, a large compost operation, installed overhead and drip irrigation to all growing areas, and in 2013 opened a second farm to provide veggies to the local schools and installed Muskegon's first on-farm Aquaponics project.
His immediate plans include adding a second moveable hoophouse, with drip irrigation, large scale composting and an Aquaponics operation, all with the goal of maximizing yields and adding value to the CSA. This spring we will add chickens to the farm, both for their eggs and for the valuable manure and work they do in keeping weeds and pests at bay. Future plans include bee-keeping and goats.
This new enlarged vision for our farm will put us in the center of the movement towards a more homegrown sustainable food system and we are excited to begin this new phase of our farms development into a successful, thriving CSA. With your commitment as CSA members we know we can. Early contributions are essential to enable us to get a jump start on the coming season. Please look over the Share Options and consider investing in the exciting future of Five Oaks Farm today!
*Our relationship with our members is very important to us and we love to share with members about the vegetables we grow and about our plans for 2014. If you have concerns or questions, we hope you will always feel free to call us any time.
in spring of the year,
going to the fields,
visionary of seed and desire,
is timeless as a star
-Wendell Berry
The long & narrow 6.5 acres of land that we call Five Oaks Farm has been in the family since the mid-80s. Decades before we came the property had been farmed with a few cows, pigs and chickens. The out-buildings and land were in neglect, and while holding down full time jobs we were able to reclaim a portion of the land year by year to grow our own food.
Changes came rapidly beginning in 2004 when in response to the growing local food movement we co-founded Michigan's first all local- all organic & GMO-free farmers market, the Sweetwater Local Foods Market. Meanwhile in 2006 we added a 96 x 30 ft hoophouse to the property, rebuilt the barn and added a greenhouse to the back of it.
Our growing practices have always followed the Rodale dictum of healthy soil=healthy plants=healthy people. Striving to go beyond organic we've begun to incorporate both biodynamic and permaculture sensibilities into our efforts; to think of the farm as a whole living thing to which we belong, and to which we hope those who come after us will continue on.
Update Spring 2014: Last year we started a CSA, with deliveries to Sweetwater. For our second year we have some big changes coming. After successfully developing Muskegon's very first urban CSA farm Dustin Anderson will be returning to the farm he grew up on to assume the position as Farm Manager for Five Oaks CSA. As Farm Manager for McLaughlin Grows Urban Farm of Muskegon for the last three years he has constructed two hoophouses, a large compost operation, installed overhead and drip irrigation to all growing areas, and in 2013 opened a second farm to provide veggies to the local schools and installed Muskegon's first on-farm Aquaponics project.
His immediate plans include adding a second moveable hoophouse, with drip irrigation, large scale composting and an Aquaponics operation, all with the goal of maximizing yields and adding value to the CSA. This spring we will add chickens to the farm, both for their eggs and for the valuable manure and work they do in keeping weeds and pests at bay. Future plans include bee-keeping and goats.
This new enlarged vision for our farm will put us in the center of the movement towards a more homegrown sustainable food system and we are excited to begin this new phase of our farms development into a successful, thriving CSA. With your commitment as CSA members we know we can. Early contributions are essential to enable us to get a jump start on the coming season. Please look over the Share Options and consider investing in the exciting future of Five Oaks Farm today!
*Our relationship with our members is very important to us and we love to share with members about the vegetables we grow and about our plans for 2014. If you have concerns or questions, we hope you will always feel free to call us any time.