Produce
Dancing Crane Farm
David and Natasha Gill
348 Lawson Rd.
Skandia, MI 49885
906-942-7975
Dancing Crane Farm is the dream of David and Natasha Gill. Founded in June of 2003, the farm is located in the heart of Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula. We grow a wide variety of fresh seasonal produce using ecologically sound and
sustainable farming practices. From our bee hives to our vegetable gardens, synthetic chemicals are never used on our farm.
Dukes Farm
Gabriel Caplett
254 Dukes Road; Skandia MI 49885
County – Marquette
906-942-7325
I have always enjoyed gardening, working outdoors and working for myself. I was also motivated by a desire to remain in the Upper Peninsula, where I was born and raised. I grow Certified Natural Grown vegetables, fruits and herbs as well as annual seedlings. Many varieties grown are heirloom varieties, most of which have been grown in northern climates for generations.
Flannel Duck Gardens
Ryan Backlund & Kim Donaldson
N16071 Hansen Ln. Apt 2
Wilson, MI 49896
906-497-4207
We offer vegetables, flowers, plants, and also chicken eggs. We are open May through October.
High Post Farms
Matt Miotke
2546N North Gulliver Rd; Gulliver MI 49840
County - Schoolcraft
906-283-3262
Although not certified, High Post Farms raises all its vegetables organically. Our cows and chickens are mostly organic but we do buy commercial grain and locally grown hay. The farmer we buy hay from reassures us he doesn’t spray and that fertilizer was only used when the fields were first planted (years ago). Our chickens receive very little grain throughout the late spring, summer and early fall. They have acres and acres of free range. The cows and rabbits provide synergies for the chickens also. We strive for a sustainable, bio-diverse homestead. We won’t even use Rotenone or other supposedly organically permitted sprays or dusts. We subscribe to Sir Albert Howard’s philosophy that all we need is already on our place.
Our gardens are alive with nutrients and ready for our sweet corn (which played to great reviews at the Marquette Co-op), heirloom corn and open-pollinated corn. We also seem to grow wonderful, very large onions in three popular varieties: Walla Walla (big and sweet), Yellow Storage, and Purple Burger Meisters (big and sweet and purple). Our tomatoes have been praised to be as sweet as our corn. We grow heirlooms, standard and paste tomatoes. We usually plant at least 5 or 6 varieties.
People who eat our veggies always seem to say they are the sweetest – be it corn, onions, tomatoes or any number of other veggies. We wonder if this is due to limestone, which is very close to the surface here. We are not sure, but we are pleased with our great soil and our sustainable systems. We are trying to become more sustainable with more open pollinated varieties allowing us to raise and save our own seed. We have a greenhouse already which allows us to start all our own plants (keeping another degree of organics) and when available we buy organic seed.
Hyer Farms
Jim Hyer
306 Kunde Rd; Skandia MI 49885
County – Marquette
942-7546
Hyer Farm welcomes you to purchase vegetables and maple syrup at the farm. We do not use synthetic chemicals in the growing of our produce. We enjoy the fresh taste of our own naturally grown produce. We are also pleased to provide this to the local community.
We offer naturally grown produce that includes corn, squash, beans, rhubarb, carrots, cukes, cabbage, beets, tomatoes, basil, parsley, cilantro…
Grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides or chemical herbicides. The use of these chemicals allow farmers to grow more and better looking produce that can be sold at attractive prices. However, some people believe that produce grown without the use of these chemicals is nutritionally and environmentally superior. The produce I offer is grown without the use of these chemicals.
MarJayMik's Acres
Mike & Mary Jayne Richmond
18740 Co Rd 533; Rock MI 49880
County – Marquette
942-7866
Marjaymik’s Acres is a family-run operation. Natural farming practices are used including organic inputs and OMRI listed products. We have owned our property for 20 years and have always used natural methods. We use intensively grown beds in our main garden and use field garden tillage in 2 other field gardens to separate the open-pollinated crops. We raise chickens for eggs and manure and sheep for manure and natural grooming of the area outside of the gardens. We make our own compost from pasture areas and use biodynamic preps on the compost and all garden areas.
Both of us were raised from farm families and have both gardened and farmed throughout our lives. We love to have our hands in the soil and keep the soil natural and organic for healthy and great tasting produce.
Marjaymik’s Acres is a community supported agriculture, kitchen garden type operation. We deliver fresh produce, flowers and fruits in season every week to our customers' homes. We feed certified organic feed to our livestock and plant certified organic seed for our garden produce. We use biodynamic preps on all our gardens and compost along with diverse green manure plow down to control weed growth. Hand and machine weeding is also used when needed. We have our soils tested every year to monitor our soil inputs. Our goal is to give our produce the richest soil environment we can so it can be healthy, tasty and beautiful. We like to think that we are shepherds tending our flocks and gardens. We are proud to be providers of produce and members of the Marquette Food Co-op. It is a fantastic way to provide great food to the Marquette County area.
Northern Sky Orchards
Jerry Bishop
26304 M-28
McMillan, MI 49853
313-640-8243
I started my orchard (on M-28, 8 miles East of Seney) in 1990, and have more than 2 dozen apple varieties, a number of pear and plum varieties, and am starting some cherry trees.
When starting my plantings, I had wood chips hauled in as mulch, and have continued to add spoiled hay and composted manures throughout the years. I was a registered organic grower with the new defunct OGM – a registered grower was someone who provided information and documentation to describe the care and growing techniques used to harvest their crop. I’ve made every effort to produce the highest quality produce without using synthetic spray or fertilizer materials. I think that the quality of my produce is ever improving as I observe the results of my pruning, fertilizing, crop thinning, etc experimentation. I strive always to have the highest nutritional content and flavor in all the foods that I produce. I feel that anybody who samples my tree fruits will taste the quality that results from the great efforts I put into my production.
Rock River Perennial Gardens
Elsie Bunce
PO Box 316
Chatham, MI 49816
906-439-5746
My products are fresh, organic, chemical-free, and were grown from seeds that I have collected. I also have many heirlooms.
I have 50 plus varieties of herbs including over 20 varieties of basil. All culinary and/or tea herbs. My garden consists of multiple raised beds for herbs harvested for sale. The rest of the garden is planted in vegetables, mostly for us with overflow going wherever. If I have to water the garden I use a drip system to decrease electrical and water usage (we have a well). I use only organic fertilizer and Integrated Pest Management. This means monitoring the plants every day for disease and insects. I use beneficial insects instead of pesticide. Diseased plants are destroyed. Fresh herbs are picked the morning of sale or late the evening before. Each leaf is inspected and placed in a biodegradable container called a clamshell and labeled. Since no chemicals are used on the plants there is no need to wash them off before packing. In fact I do not pick the leaves when they are wet. They are kept cool in a refrigerator until they are delivered to the Marquette Food Coop in the morning. All season, I pick only the best leaves of the herb plants for drying. They are air-dried or dried in a dehydrator then stored in large glass jars. Growing and offering new varieties each year is a must.
Seeds and Spores Family Farm
Jeff Hatfield & Jeff Chiodi
724 Greenfield Rd; Marquette MI 49855
County – Marquette
906-458-8616 or 249-2158
Seeds and Spores Family Farm is a small diversified farm located South of Marquette on the banks of the Chocolay River. Our farm consists of fields, pastures, woods, swamps, ponds and meadows. Our main focus is growing 5 acres of vegetables. We also grow shiitake mushrooms and woods-grown ginseng. The farm includes a flock of laying hens, Scottish Highland cattle and Shetland sheep. We seasonally raise pigs and turkeys. We grow food for our subscription members, the Marquette Food Co-op, and local restaurants. We also sell produce at the Marquette Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.
Our interest in organic farming grew out of the search for pure food. The quest for fresh and chemical-free food soon led us to the desire to produce our own. This is our 10th year farming in the area, and we are inspired by the community's positive response to and support of our endeavors.
Seeds & Spores strives to create an integrated farm organism. All of our produce and livestock are raised using only natural and authentic farming techniques. We are creating a living, mineralized soil to grow healthy plants to nourish healthy people. Pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, or growth hormones are never used on our farm. Seeds and Spores is committed to provide quality local food to help sustain our community and environment.
