ABOUT THE FARM
Spirit of Walloon Market Garden is located in beautiful Boyne City, Michigan, nestled alongside Walloon Lake. The farm started on a compact 1/4 acre in the summer of 2014. Since then, we have grown to 1.3 acres in production, built seven unheated four-season greenhouses and one heated transplant greenhouse, and grown thousands of pounds of fresh produce for our community.
Spirit of Walloon is primarily a sustainably-produced vegetable and cut flower farm, but we also grow strawberries and herbs. Our passion lies in growing the most delicious and beautiful varieties of vegetables and flowers for our community. We are constantly experimenting with unique crops, and always have something new on the farm. We focus on an ecologically and biologically-based production system that prioritizes soil health, as well as plant and insect biodiversity. We recognize that it’s the responsibility of farmers to be good stewards of the land, and to shape a system that fits well into the existing landscape. We remain ever-conscious that the crops themselves are only one part of a more complex agroecosystem that requires nurturing.
We sell all of our produce locally through our on-site farm stand, three farmers' markets, seven restaurants, two public schools, and a vegetable subscription service. We are committed to the concept of growing better, not bigger. We are proud to be farming in a way that conserves and protects the natural resources of Northern Michigan.
Some of the growing practices we embrace are:
Soil Health Management
If absolutely needed, we only use Organic Materials Review Institute-approved pesticides. These products use biological organisms or botanicals in their modes of action, which is healthy for our soil, our consumers, and our beneficial insects. We do not and will not use products that harm our pollinators. We love bees, and have a hive of our own on-farm.
Have questions? Contact us! We are completely transparent with our growing practices.
Spirit of Walloon is primarily a sustainably-produced vegetable and cut flower farm, but we also grow strawberries and herbs. Our passion lies in growing the most delicious and beautiful varieties of vegetables and flowers for our community. We are constantly experimenting with unique crops, and always have something new on the farm. We focus on an ecologically and biologically-based production system that prioritizes soil health, as well as plant and insect biodiversity. We recognize that it’s the responsibility of farmers to be good stewards of the land, and to shape a system that fits well into the existing landscape. We remain ever-conscious that the crops themselves are only one part of a more complex agroecosystem that requires nurturing.
We sell all of our produce locally through our on-site farm stand, three farmers' markets, seven restaurants, two public schools, and a vegetable subscription service. We are committed to the concept of growing better, not bigger. We are proud to be farming in a way that conserves and protects the natural resources of Northern Michigan.
Some of the growing practices we embrace are:
Soil Health Management
- Soil building through cover-cropping.
- Remineralizing the soil through the use of rock minerals.
- Spreading compost and love.
- Frequent soil testing.
- Crop rotation.
- Minimal tillage .
- Utilization of exclusion techniques including row covers, insect netting, clay applications (instead of spraying pesticides.)
- Promotion of beneficial and predatory insects through insectary and biodiversity strips.
If absolutely needed, we only use Organic Materials Review Institute-approved pesticides. These products use biological organisms or botanicals in their modes of action, which is healthy for our soil, our consumers, and our beneficial insects. We do not and will not use products that harm our pollinators. We love bees, and have a hive of our own on-farm.
Have questions? Contact us! We are completely transparent with our growing practices.