Open Air Farms, S Town Line Road, Cedar, MI (2025)

10/28/2025

Welp. About last night… guess lettuce is done for the season 🦌🥬

Sometimes it’s insects. Sometimes it’s weather. And sometimes… it’s the damn deer.

A small fence failure turned into a big deer dinner — two 100’ beds of fall lettuce, gone overnight. Jaz fenced in this half acre with a two-layer electric fence earlier this season, which kept us protected up until last night.

We don’t cry over losses like we used to, but dang, it still stings. Farming sure has a way of keeping you humble — and always moving forward.

10/22/2025

Look who came BACK to visit — how about some farmer-to-farmer appreciation for Candi + Mark!

Some of our biggest cheerleaders and supporters are other farmers — the ones we swap equipment with, talk numbers with, and lean on when the season feels tough (and maybe text in a panic about an upcoming frost). Every conversation with Candi + Mark leaves us both inspired and grounded.

Whenever they’re up north from Detroit, they make it a point to stop by the farm in Cedar — they’ve seen it grow from mostly a hay field to where we are now. Words of affirmation and encouragement from fellow farmers fill our cups to the brim (and sometimes refill them with coffee before heading back out to the field).

We’re so grateful for their friendship, their farm, and the work they’re doing with the — building bridges between rural and urban agriculture. It’s a future we believe in and are excited to stay connected to. 🌱

Note: I couldn’t say “farmer-to-farmer” without thinking of the late Chris Blanchard of the — a resource that was instrumental in our early learning and inspiration when we were diving into this world of agriculture. Still available and totally worth a listen! Thank you Chris!!!

09/23/2025

⬆️ Actual footage of your farmer, Jaz + Fall crops in the fields

🍂Fall CSA sign-ups close this Friday 9/26! ✨Delivery starts next week: Fridays (TC) + Saturdays (Detroit).

Join us and taste the coziest season of them all with your farmers — Jaz + Ris 💛 (link in bio)

09/16/2025

👆🏾This is first-gen farming. This is starting from scratch.

This weekend we found ourselves in Shelby Township, dismantling a FB Marketplace 8x12 walk-in cooler, loading it into a U-Haul, and hauling it back Up North (while also double-checking when our last tetanus shot was). Was this our first time spending a weekend moving random, heavy farm things? Not even close.

𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴? Land access is one of the biggest barriers for new and beginning farmers. And while we’ve found a way onto land, we’re building the farm from the ground up. Having zero infrastructure adds a whole other layer of complexity—water, electricity, storage, equipment, irrigation, cooler space…the list goes on.

These are things many multi-generational farms already have in place. And honestly, if we had to do it all over again (and our budget could swing it), we’d try our best to purchase an existing farm. If you or someone you know is in that stage, here’s a natural plug for who helps Michigan farmers with exactly that.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘄? 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.

✨𝗕𝗢𝗡𝗨𝗦: We also met Fred—a retired farmer, jack-of-all-trades, and total gem. He shared stories from his family’s 58-year farmstand and even rolled in with his hi-lo to move some of the cooler panels. His generosity and camaraderie were the highlight of the weekend!

09/10/2025

🍂 Last call to join the farm this season — We’re headed into the final stretch of the year, and we’d love to share it with you, the coziest season of all.

Our Fall CSA runs Oct 3 – Nov 22 (8 weeks):
✨ Seasonal veggies from our farm to your door (delivery included)
✨ A note from us each week with recipes, storage tips, and stories from the fields
✨ The option to add on extra veggies each week through our online farm store

We’d be honored to feed you this fall. 💛
👆🏾tap the link in our bio to learn more

08/26/2025

Somehow our 3-year anniversary 𝙐𝙥 𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 culminated with sharing our farm journey in a room of our peers last week at the — just down the road from the farm, in Glen Arbor, where we’re seasonal vendors . Kinda cool, right?! We’re still buzzin. ✨

There haven’t been any anniversary toasts or cheers quite yet. It’s been summer harvests, Tuesday Farmers Markets, relentless attempts to control beetles/worms/moths, CSA packing + deliveries, and much more. And in many ways, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. We’re growing and sharing food, while defining (and redefining) what it means for us to be farmers.

We know the realities too — many first-gen and beginning farmers (just like US) leave within their first 5 years. Climate change increasingly shapes our work. Financial strains of running a small business. The overwhelming mental health challenges experienced in agriculture.

So to be where we are today—we are immensely grateful. Grateful to nurture this space in 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶-𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘, and for every friend, neighbor, customer, CSA member, local org & fellow farmer who continue to make this possible.

𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙞-𝘾𝙐𝙇𝙏𝙐𝙍𝙀!

07/31/2025

A mid-summer hello from your farmers—we’re still here y’all ☀️

What we’ve been excited about lately:

🌧️ 𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡! After two dusty, dry summers, we’ve actually had some real rainfall this year—almost 1x week (we’ll take what we can get)
🥬 𝗞𝗔𝗟𝗘! Some of the best we’ve ever grown. Lush, BIG, thriving.
👩🏾‍🌾 𝗙𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗣! Jaz has two amazing folks on the farm this summer (plus an occasional neighbor) and one helper keeping seedlings + microgreens going downstate.
🏔️ 𝗦𝗨𝗚𝗔𝗥 𝗟𝗢𝗔𝗙! Big news right down the road— is bringing new life to the old ski resort.

You may have noticed we haven’t been at or as much. That’s because we’ve been heads down, hands deep growing for our 𝗖𝗦𝗔 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀. Each week we harvest, pack, and deliver nearly 40 shares to homes across Northern Michigan + Detroit. Our CSA members have made so much of this season possible 💗

Not to worry though—once the hot crops start showing off, we’ll be back in Glen Arbor and Detroit with eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, and maybe even some mushrooms 🍄‍🟫
——
𝗢𝗸, 𝗼𝗸—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝘂𝗴, 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗲’𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼𝗼 👩🏾‍🌾🧑🏼‍🌾👩🏾‍🌾🧑🏼‍🌾 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘊𝘚𝘈 (8 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴) 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘥-𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵.
📨 Sign up for our farm newsletter for updates—link in bio.

05/08/2025

𝗪𝗵𝗼’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿? Us—𝗝𝗮𝘇 & 𝗥𝗶𝘀… or at least we’d like to be! 👩🏾‍🌾👨‍🌾

If you’ve ever wanted to know your farmers, eat with the seasons, or support small, local agriculture—𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗦𝗔 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂!

When you join, you’re not just getting fresh veggies (though they will be fresh as hell). You’re actively participating in the local food system—an ecosystem that keeps farmers farming, neighbors nourished, and the land loved.

Our farm is only as strong as the community we reach. Our regional food system is sustained and expanded by folks like you supporting local farms and small businesses.

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗦𝗔 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄! Detroit + TC
Want us to be your farmers this season?

Visit out website or DM us with questions—we’d love to feed you!
https://www.openairfarmsmi.com

05/07/2025

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 — 𝗥𝗶𝘀

📍𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻: Kailua, HI (I miss the beach every day)

🫚𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗪: GINGER! It smells amazing and makes me feel like I’m back home. Close second: Peonies—because they’re gorgeous and they smell amazing too.

🎵𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺: I enjoy silence😌 Or, if I’m feeling feisty and pruning tomatoes then I’ll listen to . Nothing like a little murder mystery to pair with pruning.

🏠𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿: Farming. Mortgage industry professional. I know how to spell “mortgage” without Googling it now. Growth!

🚜𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴:
It all started when my friend casually mentioned she wanted to grow most of her family’s food. I said “cool,” she helped me start a backyard garden, and then one day I woke up with a whole farm. Apparently, that’s how hobbies become businesses. Also, farming hits all my favorite things: planning (love a spreadsheet), experimenting, getting dirty outside, and harvesting the literal fruits of our labor.

05/05/2025

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 — 𝗝𝗮𝘇

📍𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻: La Plata, Maryland

🍆 𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗪: Eggplant! It’s actually the inspiration for our farm’s colors. I didn’t grow up eating it, but when we started growing eggplant in our first year, I was blown away by how prolific it is—and let’s be real, purple crops are just COOL.

🎵𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺: Farm podcasts ( ), NPR ( ), 90s R&B, 2000s hip-hop, and funk

💼 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿: High school English teacher, college access and success coach, and I even dipped my toes in the craft beer industry

🚜𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴: My partner—Ris! Farming became their passion, and I tagged along because I just really like being outside. But what made me go 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗜𝗡 was realizing the daily, direct impact a farm can have—that WE could have. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 we grow shapes the soil and the environment. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 we grow ends up on someone’s table, in their body—which still kind of blows my mind. Farming has shown me how personal the farm-to-table cycle really is, and I want to keep deepening that connection—with the land, with food, and with our community.

03/13/2025

This farm is Detroit Made #313

Detroit will always be a part of our story. It’s where our roots (literally 🌱) first took hold—where our careers began, where our love unfolded, and where this farm found its FIRST supporters. If it weren’t for the love and support we got from The D, we might have never had the confidence to chase this crazy dream of ours and grow this farm!

So as we plant new roots (again, literally 🌱) Up North, Detroit will always be home in so many ways. And we’re grateful to still have the opportunity to share our produce in and around the city, and we can’t wait to welcome more folks out on the farm Up North! 🌲🚜

Cheers to you, Detroit—now and always! See y’all this spring! 🌷🥕🥬

💡Fun Fact: Detroit (the Midwest) was quite literally our middle point—Jaz from the East Coast, Ris from the West WEST Coast. This city is where our story together began. 💗

02/27/2025

Let’s talk about 🥚🍳🐓
Dolly. Rosie. Bitty. Cooper. Carolyn.

These were our backyard chickens. When we first jumped into farming, we went full throttle yall—chickens and all (even though we don’t even really like eggs). But for those who enjoy meat, milk, or eggs, experiencing animal husbandry firsthand is a powerful lesson—and sometimes, pretty fun!

Caring for animals is a completely different experience from growing carrots or sunflowers:
✅ Sourcing + amending feed
✅ Understanding the literal pecking order
✅ Building coops + chicken runs
✅ Cleaning + predator-proofing
✅ Daily opening + closing the coop
✅ Health monitoring + care

And this is just for a tiny backyard flock.

Right now, there are farmers on the frontlines of a devastating bird flu outbreak. Millions of laying hens have been lost, and while most consumers feel this through rising egg prices, the impact runs deeper—farm workers are losing their flocks, their livelihoods, and in some cases, even facing health risks themselves.

Maybe like us, events like these have you thinking about the fragility of our current food system. So what can you do❓Support small farms. Buy local. Know your farmers and their farming practices. And remember that behind every carton—every meal—there are real people working hard to keep food on our tables.

Open Air Farms

10/28/2025

10/22/2025

09/23/2025

09/16/2025

09/10/2025

08/26/2025

07/31/2025

05/08/2025

05/07/2025

05/05/2025

03/13/2025

02/27/2025

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