| Opening for the Season starting this Thursday
We are opening the market for the season starting Thursday, May 2. Please be patient with us as we start. We will not have all our typical grocery items or baked goods ready for a few more weeks. But they are coming!!
We look forward to seeing you this week! |
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| Days and Hours Open for May
Thursday – 9 am to 6 pm
Friday – 9 am to 6 pm
Saturday – 9 am to 6 pm
Sunday – 9 am to 4 pm
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – Closed
Wednesday – Closed |
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| Today is May 1 or traditionally “May Day” as it is referred to around the world. This spring holiday celebrates the return of spring as well as the return of our market season for the year.
Last Sunday we held a May Day Flower Basket event for families. Children were able to make a May Day flower basket to hang on someone’s door and start a May Day tradition. Sue led them through decorating a pot, selecting a marigold or pansy flower, and planting it to give to someone special. Thank you to all who were able to stop by and participate.
Save the Date! We will be doing another event on Saturday, May 11, when children are welcome to make a Mother’s Day pot. There is no charge for this fun learning experience.
Saturday, May 11, from 11 am to 12:30 pm
Below are some photos from last Sunday’s event. |
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Asparagus
We have fresh picked asparagus and you will find it pre-bagged on the market in various sizes by pound. It is coming in nicely now thanks to the consistently warm weather. Thanks for your patience during the last few weeks when it froze twice due to the cold nights causing limited quantities.
If you are looking for bulk quantities to freeze or can, (over 10 pounds) please call ahead so we can get your order ready. 269-244-5690. Call or follow us on Facebook for updates on asparagus availability. We may have limited quantities available if the weather gets cool again. |
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| Recipes – There are many great ways to cook asparagus. Take a moment to visit our Asparagus Recipes page on the website for ideas and various ways to cook it. |
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Rhubarb
Tangy rhubarb on hand for pies, custards, and other favorite recipes. If you have never tried making a rhubarb crisp, this is the year to try this delicious dessert. Rhubarb sold by the pound. If you are looking for 5 pounds or more, please order in advance so we can get it ready. 269-244-5690. |
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Bankson Lake Produce – arriving Friday afternoon
Fresh spring vegetables – Just Lettuce, Spicy Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Kale, Radishes, Mushrooms, and Carrots
Straw Bales
We just got a load of straw bales, perfect for your gardening needs.
Baked Goods
Frozen baked goods in the freezer – “bake and enjoy” fruit pies and stromboli’s, and “just thaw and enjoy” donuts, apple crisp, and cookies. We will also have a limited amount of baked goods, cookies, muffins, and some breads for the weekend.
Watch for our expanding line of baked goods over the next several weeks.
Today we started making rhubarb pie, which we only make in the spring when there is fresh rhubarb! |
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Alcohol
We have most of our alcohol products stocked for you – wine, hard ciders, and spirits. Pick up a bottle (or two) for Mom of her favorite! Our spring rhubarb hard cider is in production and coming soon.
Grocery
We have many of your favorite grocery items in stock. Returning are potato and tortilla chips, crackers, pretzels, jams, jellies, salsa, flavored mustards, snacking cheese, yogurt (pints and quarts), honey, maple syrup products, olive oil, and several salad dressings.
Introducing hand-crafted popcorn – arriving on Saturday!
Made in Grand Rapids and adapted from her Great Grandma Schultz’s original recipe, Hamlett Lavender Farm owner, Regina Hamlett has created some memorable flavored popcorns that you can enjoy!
Pairing her favorite plant, Lavender, which she grows, with her favorite food, popcorn, was a match made in snacking heaven! We highly recommend you get a bag of Lavender Lemonade for a nice Mother’s gift. We also have Cheddar Gold and Birthday Cake flavors. |
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Gifts
Our local artists have been bringing delightful Spring and Mother’s Day art and gift items. Check out our displays of gift items we know Mom (and you!) will enjoy. We also have gift certificates available.
Artwork and Handmade Creations
We have many pieces created by members of the Three Rivers Artist’s Guild and other local artisans. Many are one-of-a-kind and are the perfect gift for Mom or someone special. |
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Hanging Baskets
Come see our nice selection of hanging baskets that just arrived from a local greenhouse in Portage. We have many of your favorites as well as some new florals! Get some now while the selection is at its best! Reminder, we no longer carry bedding plants (vegetables or flowers). |
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Candles
New this year we are carrying handcrafted candles made by Flowerfield Farmstead in Three Rivers. These lovely candles are scented and include embedded dried flowers from their farm. |
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Dogs are Welcome – but not everywhere
We appreciate these customers here last Sunday who kept their dogs off the market while they shopped.
Just a reminder, we love dogs also, but we can’t allow dogs on the market because we process food here. Well-behaved, dogs on a leash are always welcome to be on the farm, not just inside the market. Thank you. |
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| What’s Happening on the Farm |
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| The Kent Eatery was here this morning to pick up asparagus and rhubarb to put into their menus this week. Yum! We sent them back with a hanging flower basket to bring a little Spring into their restaurant from us! |
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Fruit Update
Last week was a worrisome week with nightly temperatures going below freezing. Since everything is about two weeks early this year due to those unusually hot days in April, the orchards and vineyards across southwest Michigan were in bloom. Most farms have suffered frost damage on fruit, and we are still assessing the extent of the damage here on our own farm. As you drive out to the farm, you will still see apples in bloom. |
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Greenhouse Plants
Our greenhouse plantings, thankfully with furnaces, are loving the sunny days. Everything is growing like crazy. Below you can see how tall our tomato plants are. On the left are everyone’s favorite multi-colored mini-tomatoes, already as tall as Beth. On the right are the regular tomatoes growing. |
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| Most of our field vegetables have now been moved outside of their cozy environment to “harden up” for planting in the field. We are planting at a furious pace, stopping only to pick asparagus! |
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Spring Planting
Many of you have wondered what the long rows of plastic are east of our market along AL Jones Road. In other years they have not been as visible due to taller plantings next to the road. This is our black plastic mulch where we plant the vegetables. Drip line hose is underneath the plastic to keep the plants watered more efficiently and consistently. The black plastic mulch also prevents weeds from growing. |
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| This week we tried something new – we planted green beans in the plastic mulch for the first time (they normally are planted directly into the soil). We are hoping this means we will have green beans earlier as the plastic helps retain the heat as the seeds sprout and come up. You can never have green beans early enough in most of our customers’ opinion! |
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Prepping the Market
Any staff who is not picking asparagus or planting has been in high gear cleaning, organizing, planting our flowers, and getting the market set up for our opening. Getting all the flower beds and herb garden planted is a work in progress, so patience please! |
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| Free pallets – Help yourself! Pallets available in the parking lot area. |
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Returning Students at Work
The semesters at Western Michigan University and Michigan State University finished last week allowing our three college students to return. Please make sure to welcome Blake, Kate, and Alyx back with us for the summer. |
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| All of us are excited to be open again and look forward to seeing your smiling faces that we have missed all winter. Hope to see you out this weekend, the weather looks perfect! |
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Thank you for your continued support and for buying local. Everyone at Corey Lake Orchards wishes you a happy May Day!
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