Sleeping Bear Dunes - Leelanau

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Calendar of Events

•Leelanau Wine and Food Festival
•Orvis Fly Fishing School
•Patriotic Music Free Concert
•Meet The Winemakers
•Great Lakes Photo Tours
•Empire Asparagus Festival
•National Cherry Festival
•Dune Climb Concert
•Traverse City Film Festival

Leelanau Peninsula Wine, Food, and Music Festival

Leelanau.com

The annual Leelanau Peninsula Wine, Food, & Music Festival will be held this Saturday, August 13 from noon to 6 PM at Haserot Park in Northport. The event features wines from the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas, one brewery and one hard cider vendor, music from Dawn Campbell and food from area restaurants. The $15 admission includes a souvenir glass and 2 wine-tasting tickets. For more information visit the Leelanau Peninsula Chamber of Commerce or call 231.271.9895.

Also in Northport on Saturday is the annual Northport Dog Parade, which starts promptly at 1 PM. The theme for the 2010 Dog Parade in Northport is "Dog Gone With the Wind". The parade is open to all, but only those who have registered will be eligible for prizes. Advance registration is $5 and is available in Northport at Dog Ears Books, The Pot of Gold Re-sale Shop and the Old Mill Pond Inn. Late registration begins at noon on parade day and is $10 per dog. Judging takes place at the Mill Pond before the parade. Bring the kids, the dogs & the entire family. Prizes for all! For more information, please call David Chrobak at 231-386-7341.

Friday Night Live

Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau

Streets are closed to traffic for hands-on activities, fire engine rides, strolling performers, food and family entertainment. Starting every Friday evening from 5:30pm - 9pm on Front Street in downtown Traverse City. For more information contact (231) 922-2050

Farming in Northern Michigan: Web-Based Seed Exchange

A web-based seed exchange digitizes the age-old practice and makes farming in Northern Michigan a bit more local.

Apr 12, 2011 Jeff Smith

Farming in Northern Michigan: Back in the day, a farming region naturally evolved a local seed stock tailored to the particulars of its growing conditions. Northern Michigan farmers kept seeds from their biggest and best produce. They traded seeds with other Northern Michigan farmers at seed exchanges. Each year, produce improved.

But then, same old tale ... big companies took over, Northern Michigan farmers bought seed from nation suppliers, and the connection to specific regions like Northern Michigan vanished. Now Benzie farmer Craig Schaaf and his compadres in the local organic farming movement have set out to take the venerable seed exchange idea and go digital with it: a web-based seed exchange where farmers can buy and sell seeds from produce that grew grand and luscious right here in Northwest Michigan.

For consumers, especially local food mavens like Traverse City chef Myles Anton at Trattoria Stella, the seed exchange will mean steady progress in quality of produce. And for farmers, it could mean more income. "A butternut squash sells for about 75 cents," Schaaf says, "but it has about $24 worth of seeds in it." Check the exchange at MLUI.org.

Tumbling tumbleweeds

As we wait for some female New Zealand Red bunnies to surface, we are currently fattening up our two males beyond belief. They seem fairly content without girlfriends. Of course, it's hard to say whether they really miss the ladies or not? They are cuddly and keep my daughter occupied. She grooms, trims nails, and cleans cages. She is looking forward to breeding them and having baby bunnies.

We feasted this week on fresh chicken and then made chicken soup out of the leftovers. I look forward to having some more chickens in the freezer before the snow flies.

If you are interested in experiencing naturally raised chicken, pork, or beef---please contact the Hubbell Farm and make an order.