AlphaWolf Homestead

11/12/2025

While winter brings a whole new set of challenges to the farm it sure is pretty. For a little bit at least 😂

11/05/2025

Absolute last thing we harvest before winter is Jerusalem Artichokes. This particular variety is Red Fuseau, thus it’s red color rather than the normal white. I planted 5 tubers in the spring. I didn’t water, fertilize or do anything besides stick them in the ground. We were rewarded we 8-12’ stalks with hundreds of flowers this summer and about 20lbs of tubers. I pulled each stalk and had 5-7 tubers beneath each. They can be cooked anyway you would a potato. My personal favorite is to fry them up like chips with garlic, cilantro and salt! Absolutely amazing native plant that requires no attention.

10/29/2025

Good news!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1NyG1Z25tb/?mibextid=wwXIfr

GREAT NEWS!!! MDARD is proposing to regulate the following species and their cultivars (effective January 2026):

Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) – Restricted
Glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus) – Restricted
Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) – Restricted
Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) – Restricted
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) – Prohibited
Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) – Prohibited

You can help!! But your quick action is necessary!! Let your voice be heard:
email your comments before 9:30 a.m. on November 5 to:
[email protected]
-or-
share them live during the public comment session. Join remotely at 1-248-509-0316, Meeting ID 702-217-188 #.

09/30/2025

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3m0X9hOB0j/?igsh=ZjZoaGp0eXZpaTFi

09/27/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1VMMhCsTbW/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Even Horrocks has gotten in on the pawpaw game!

We’ve got Paw Paw fruit! If you’ve never had it, come give it a try. It is known as the largest native tree fruit in the US!

09/25/2025

From pawpaws to Jerusalem artichokes! Not only are they a pretty flowering plant that needs no special treatment, they will grow anywhere, native to Michigan, provide tasty tubers like a potato, they also provide an amazing late season source of food for our native bees.

09/24/2025

We had an amazing time at Pawpaw Festival in Paw Paw Illinois this past weekend. The festival was well ran and the crowd was massive. We sold everything we brought with us which was double of our stock from last year! We took 5th in the largest pawpaw competition. Clearly we need to grow more Potomacs😂. Not even a thunderstorm could deter people from getting their pawpaws! Thank you to Austin Cliffe and Shawn Beck for organizing such a fun event. Thank you to Whitaker Tees for making us look nice in our shirts. We will have ripe pawpaws at the farm for the next week or so and hopefully persimmon after that.

09/19/2025

Tiniest helped collect pawpaws for the Pawpaw Festival in Paw Paw Illinois tomorrow! Weather is beautiful and they are just starting to ripen up. Was able to collect about 40lbs of them though. 175 trees also loaded up for future pawpaw growers. I hope to see plenty of people there.

09/09/2025

I’m having a I grew too many pawpaws sale. I usually sell my seedlings for $25/tree. These seedlings were grown in a communal pot rather than their own so they are 8-12” tall. 1 for $10 or 3 for $25. Pickup only. I have 40 available you will need 2 for proper pollination.

09/02/2025

Jerusalem artichokes are starting to bloom. Most have reached 8-9 ft tall.
🌻 Did you know Jerusalem artichokes are native to Michigan?
🐝 Their bright yellow blooms show up late in the season, giving bees a last boost of food when most flowers are done.
🌱 Low-maintenance and tough as they come—they thrive with almost no care, year after year.
💪 Deep roots fight erosion, feed the soil, and keep the ecosystem strong.
🥔 Bonus: the tubers are packed with prebiotic fiber and have a nutty, potato-like taste.

Nature’s powerhouse plant—rooted in Michigan. 🌾

08/29/2025

It’s peak elderberry season here in southern Michigan. Elderberries are native to Michigan and are one of the easiest plants to forage for. They make great replacements for the area left open after you rip out all those invasive honeysuckles and autumn olives. Not only will the wildlife thank you but so will your neighbors with all the syrups and jelly’s you can make with them. What are some of your favorite things to make with elderberry?

08/27/2025

Planted out one of the largest seedlings of the year today. This was a Chappell x OP seedling. Seed was planted 2-14-25 and is over 2’ tall and still growing, although I don’t expect much more growth out of it this year. I have many more seedlings available though most will be going to the Pawpaw Festival in Paw Paw Illinois next month.