Memorial Day
As we enjoy time off from work spent with friends and family over a backyard meal, let us not lose sight of honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Thanks to all of you who have served or are serving our country!
When we are Open
Reminder on our days and hours: Open 9 am to 6 pm every day, including holidays. Closed Tuesdays. To call us with an order or a question: 269-244-5690.
Happenings on the Farm
This has been a busy week of digging hundreds of holes into the ground! Our focus has been on planting a new strawberry field, more onions, more tomatoes, herb garden, and even trying to get some of our flowers planted in the many beds we have around the market. We also got a little rain – and while it soaked into the soil quickly and then it was dry again, any rain was a welcome relief along with the cooler temperatures. Please send your best positive vibes, thoughts, and prayers for these next few nights of cold temperatures with a chance of frost!!
Below are dill plants in the herb garden.
Plants for Your Garden
It is not too late to get plants into your garden! However, get them now as “plant season” will soon be over. We have plants for your gardens, patios, and special beds grown by Schramm’s Nursery in Portage as well as those we grew in our own greenhouse. The selection is limited. You can always call us before you come out to make sure we have what you want, and we can hold it for you. 269-244-5690.
Lettuce Bowl Special, now $10 each (normally $15). We have a special this weekend on our lettuce, spinach bowls and arugula bowls – already made, just let grow, cut, and new leaves grow back. Guess we made too many! Come get one for you and one for a friend!
Strawberry Plants. If you are looking for strawberry plants, this is the last weekend to get them. Call us if you want us to hold them for you. We have “how to plant and care for them directions” to provide you. Doesn’t everyone want a little strawberry row in their yard to eat them fresh???!!
On the Market
Asparagus. We expect asparagus to go another 10 days to 2 weeks, depending on the weather. Stock up now if you want some to can or freeze and be sure to include fresh asparagus in your Memorial Day menu! It helps us to get it ready for you if you call ahead for larger quantities (10 lbs. or more). Call us at 269-244-5690 to place an order.
Rhubarb. Rhubarb is plentiful now also. We are also taking orders for larger quantities (10 lbs. or more).
Bankson Lake Farms Produce. Dan will be bringing us fresh lettuce mix, lettuce heads, mushrooms, green onions, spinach, radishes, turnips, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, and parsley this weekend.
Grocery Items. Assortment of local cheese, yogurt, eggs, jam, jelly, salsa, maple syrup, honey, and more.
Greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers. We are picking a few each day so patience please as we wait for them to ripen! They taste delicious!
Early Strawberries. We have early strawberries grown by Yoder’s on the market. We hope to have them through the weekend, but their availability is on a day-to-day basis. Call if you would like us to hold any quarts for you (269) 244-5690.
CLO Strawberry Update. Probably none ripening until the second week of June. Check back for more details on already picked and u-pick; pricing is TBD. We are taking preorders now for flats and will call you when they are available.
Fresh Cut Flowers. Faye will be bringing fresh cut flower bouquets for the weekend in two sizes – small ($10) and large ($17).
Bakery
Donuts. For the holiday weekend we will have donuts on Saturday and Sunday. Last weekend some of you got donuts that were too small, and we apologize for this. We have been training new donut makers and we promise to get better and make it up to you! The current flavors are Vanilla, Cherry, and Blueberry. Stop by this weekend and get fresh donuts while they are still hot.
Fruit Pies. This year our pies are frozen “take and bake” only; we no longer offer “ready to eat” pies. Having them frozen allows us to offer a full variety of pies every day the market is open, not just on weekends. If you are driving far, bring a cooler or insulated freezer bag. The pies are simple to bake, ready to bake when you need them, and give your house a mouthwatering aroma! So far customers are liking this better. The pies are hot right out of your oven, plus extra pies can be tucked in the freezer for that time when you need a dessert! Baking directions are included on each pie.
Varieties available: Apple, Dutch Apple, Blueberry, Cherry, Cherry Berry, Peach, Rhubarb, and Strawberry-Rhubarb.
Slushies. Enjoy a Strawberry, Mango, Strawberry-Mango mix, or Cider.
Update on our Bakery
Many of you have asked about the bakery plans, when will it reopen, why just the limited bakery items, and more. Our bakery is currently in transition from being just a bakery, to better using the space for having additional items.
Reopening the Bakery. As most of you know from being inside our bakery, the space is small. It is not feasible for us to open the physical space with the current COVID capacity limits for indoor spaces so we will continue to bring the baked goods out to sell on the market as we did last year.
Limited Baked Goods. As we transition our bakery, we chose to make only our signature items – fruit pies (frozen, to take and bake), cake donuts, shortcakes for strawberries and slushies. However, we know that many of you are disappointed that we are not doing our breads, cookies, and other goodies. Our physical space constraints make it difficult to produce more than small batches of baked goods, all of which were made by hand and labor intensive. This model has not given us the business efficiencies we need.
Supplemental Baked Goods. So, to fill those needs, we have carefully selected two local suppliers so we can offer you a wide selection of high-quality baked goods. Through Yoder’s we will have homemade Amish fry pies, cookies, breads, and cinnamon rolls. Through Gluten Free Sensations we have an assortment of baked goods for those wanting gluten-free products. We are going to try to have these products every day that we are open.
Bakery Transition. Currently we are evaluating other ways to use our baking and food processing space. We are exploring being able to offer sandwiches, salads, cut-up vegetables, soups, and other prepared or semi-prepared foods. Some of you have let us know you would like the convenience, and an excuse to get out of the kitchen on a hot summer day! And one of our goals is to someday offer a true farm-to-table dinner! These and other ideas are currently under consideration. Please be patient as we work towards offering you an expanded product line. Feel free to tell us what you’d like to see!
Introducing Yoder’s. We are excited to announce that starting this weekend we will be carrying selected baked goods from Yoder’s Country Market in Centreville. Many of you are already familiar with Yoder’s – a family-friendly deli, bakery, salad bar, donut shop and market. The quality of their products is superb and was a critical factor in our decision to partner with them. We were looking for a bakery to supplement our baked goods with products that are as good as our own. We have known the Yoder family for many years and have watched their bakery operation grow into the large, commercial bakery that it is today. We love that as they grew, their home-made (all from scratch with their own recipes) baked goods have stayed true to their commitment to quality–translated as truly delicious! The CLO staff have been busy “taste testing” Yoder’s baked goods to identify what we hope will soon become your favorites!
- Amish Fry Pies (pocket-sized, half circle pie): Apple, Black Raspberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Lemon, Peach, Red Raspberry, Strawberry-Rhubarb
- Breads (pre-sliced, ready to use!): Dill, English Muffin, Italian Cheese, Jalapeno Cheddar, Multigrain, Raisin Cinnamon, and Sourdough.
- Cinnamon Rolls with vanilla icing
- Cookies: Chocolate Chip, No Bake Chocolate/Peanut Butter/Oatmeal, Molasses, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, Sugar Cookies, and Whoopi Pies.
Yoder’s Country Market; Centreville, MI https://www.yodersofcentreville.com
Spirits, Wine, and Hard Ciders
We have a nice selection of alcohol produced on the farm.
- Fruit brandy in 375ml and 750ml sizes
- 2 sweet wines – Double Cherry and Peach and Honey. Look for several drier wines coming soon!
- Hard cider in 12-ounce bottles. You can purchase them individually or mix and match them in a discounted 4- or 6-pack.
Rhubarb Hard Cider. Our rhubarb hard cider is available in 16.9-ounce bottles. This is a tart cider that many of you enjoy! It is a seasonal offering so be sure to get yours before it disappears.
Teacher Appreciation Gifts
As the school year ends, it is time to remember the teachers who have done extraordinary work during this pandemic. Consider giving a gift of appreciation, and we hope that you will support our local business. We have put together a variety of gift options for you. While a traditional teacher gift has been a shiny red apple, and while we are partial to apples ourselves, it is not apple season. However, you will find some items on a gift table marked with red apple sticky notes.
Stop by and peruse our gift table to purchase or to be inspired. Allow our staff to assist you and make note of your desires so we can arrange to have your teacher appreciation packages together in a timely fashion.
Products for gifts include local honey, maple syrup, soy candles, herb plants, jams, jellies, and salsas. Additionally, we have loads of hanging baskets, bedding plants, meat sticks, cheeses, artwork, bags, cards, and more for you to customize your token of appreciation. And as always, we have gift certificates in any amount.
COVID Guidelines
We are following operational guidance from the CDC as well as State and local health rules. We are an open-air market and masks are optional though we encourage you to wear them if you have not been vaccinated. Our staff has been vaccinated and are not required to wear masks. Please note that we also follow food safety rules that regulate how produce is harvested and packaged.