As the summer days fold into September, the little signs of fall pop up. A necklace of starlings perched on electric lines, a hint of red in the dogwood leaves, and the first white blossom glowing on the sweet autumn clematis. Each symbol of fall prompts a response, from the canned tomatoes and pears filling the pantry shelves to the split logs in the woodshed. Like most of you, we look forward to potlucks, reading more books in the evening, and the beauty of autumn foliage. Yet, as certain songbirds migrate south, I miss hearing their calls and the flashes of orange and block as orioles visit our feeders. But the other night, a little screech owl announced his presence in the trees near our home, and I look forward to hearing the Great Horned Owls calling throughout the night.

Shipping has resumed!

We are now shipping blueberries to zones one and two on Wednesdays. Please visit our online store and locate your zone. You can always pick up a box at the farm and we still have quarts of maple syrup for sale. Please text or call us for a pick up appointment.

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/

Interested in a juicy watermelon? Hustle to Born and Raised Organic’s produce stand on M 89, and pick up a melon for these last warm days. You will also find fantastic peppers, tomatoes and beautiful cabbages perfect for making into sauerkraut.

Seasonal rental only five miles from Lake Michigan

If you are longing for a night in the country, check out The Orchard House, a seasonal rental operated by Born and Raised Organics. Fall on the Lakeshore is mild and the sassafras trees glow with their red or gold mitten-shaped leaves.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572618913705

As the weather cools, enjoy a moment on your deck or porch, drinking in the glory of fall.

A couple of days ago, a customer asked if we were worried about the recalled frozen blueberries marketed by GreenWise Organic. A quick search showed me that those blueberries were grown in South American, probably in Chile or Peru that have large blueberry farms. I could not find out if they were certified organic. Once again, it is good for customers to know their farmers and ask questions. I assured the customer that our berries are safe and here is why.

To earn an organic certification requires that both our irrigation water and the water used in our packing house are tested each year. In addition, the inspector looks over our berry packing line for cleanliness and any areas where blueberries could be trapped and mold. Unlike some growers, we use our blueberry shaker only on our bushes, instead of doing custom harvesting for another grower who might not test his farm’s water. We also do not sort any other farmers’ blueberries on our inspected packing line. Plus, for years I have joked that I am quality control! I watch every blueberry that falls in our thirty-pound boxes as they are weighed, Then I tape the boxes and stack them on a pallet, ten to a layer, six layers high. Most pallets are placed in our large walk-in freezer or are shipped that day to an inspected freezer located about twenty minutes south of our farm. The freezer supplies us with their certification that we must present to our inspecting agency. Again, our certifying agency looks at every detail of our farming practices.

Pleasant Hill Farm has been certified since 1977. Years ago, we belonged to the Southwest Chapter of Organic Growers of Michigan, a fantastic group organized for learning, cooperative buying of organic products, and certification. John and I served on the certification committee where we established standards and discussed what organic practices should be allowed? At that time, only California and Oregon had a certification process, but the folks in Michigan recognized that at some time in the future, farmers would need to prove that they farmed organically. Sadly, Organic Growers of Michigan folded around 1990.

The August farm newsletter displayed our Organic Certificate, and if anyone would like a copy, please email me. If you have any questions, please contact us.

While I regret that thousands of folks have suffered from the recent outbreaks of food born illnesses, I hope that these incidents will nudge folks to seek out their local farmers or find a family like ours that grows certified organic food and ships it to your door.

Shipping Season Starts on September 2nd!

Because of the cooler temperatures in Michigan, we decided our first shipping day will be on September 2^nd. I have turned on the ordering buttons for Zones One and Two, plus scheduled the period for each date. Please let me know if you run into any problems.

Preparing the Poppy Field

In earlier newsletters, I have described how after the poppies die, John disks the field and then plants buckwheat as a cover crop or “green manure”. Here is a photo of buckwheat in bloom, attracting a Monarch butterfly. Just before the plants go to seed, John will disk them under, allows them a few weeks to decomposes, and then plants our wildflower mixture.

Maple Syrup

We have plenty of maple syrup to sell and it makes wonderful gifts. Please make an appointment for a pickup time.

Born and Raised Organics

Has juicy watermelons, incredibly sweet muskmelons and tasty, sweet corn, plus tomatoes, peppers and other treats. Usually, their stand is open Friday through Monday, but this week Danica opened it every day because they have so much produce to share. Stop by and pick up fresh food for dinner. Bon Appetite!

The fall rains have begun which we need to refill our ponds. I walked out with my yellow umbrella and enjoyed the showers. Have a glorious weekend.

This past week, a pair of Red Tail Hawks have circled over the farm. My first thought was of the great Shawnee Chief Tecumseh because legend explains that Red Tails announced the arrival of the Native American who traveled throughout the Midwest. Then I remembered an evening about thirty years ago as we drove the last load of third cutting alfalfa hay to our barn. Again, a nesting pair of hawks soared above us, shrieking as they approached our wind generator tower where three baby hawks perched. The parents had chosen our pastoral Pleasant Hill as the place where their babies could practice flying. Now, the agitated parents warned their offspring to leap and fly away from the noisy tractor and trailer.

Flap, flap, flap. One little hawk stretched his wings, hovering near the tower. Another jumped and glided towards his parents as they begged him fly. The third lifted off and rose into the sky and its siblings trailed after him.

While last week, I did not see any young hawks join their parents twirling over a hay field, they called to their babies hidden in our sugar bush, encouraging them to join them in their dance.

Farm news:

Because many people are worried about the parasite infecting lettuce and perhaps other produce, I explained on Facebook that in order to be Certified Organic, our water must be tested. Both our irrigation pond and the water used on the blueberry processing line are test by an independent laboratory each year. Because Born and Raised Organics uses the same water sources, their produce should be safe. In fact, the produce is irrigated by tubing laid under the plastic weed barrier, so only the plants’ roots touch the water. Rain is the only other source for the water reaching our plants. We hope that soon the outbreak of the parasite will dwindle and folks no longer have to worry about it

August is the month where I spy the first hint of red on the swamp maples’ leaves, a foretaste of fall. Each day, we lose two minutes of daylight, and I look forward to earlier sunsets and not working after eating dinner. Several mornings in the upper 50’s remind us that soon we will exit the house wearing long sleeves and sweaters.

Born and Raised Organics will have sweet corn for sale in about five days, and their early muskmelons are now available. John sampled one and claimed it was terrific. Pretty soon, the watermelons will be ripe, too. Meanwhile, check out their produce stand on M89 for tomatoes, peppers, onions, beans and homemade items.

Shipping season:

We will resume shipping in early September and I will turn on the ordering buttons on the last weekend of August. Thank you to the folks who have called and asked when they could order blueberries. We still have boxes of frozen berries that you can pick up at the farm.

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/

Have a wonderful August, full of fruit and shooting stars.

Along the back roads of our county, splashes of orange daylilies line the ditch banks or reveal where a home once stood beneath spruce trees. Blue chickery sparkles against the tangle of green and a few Queen Anne’s Lace bloom. Mid- summer simmers with heat domes and ripening blueberries.

Here are the links for upcoming you pick dates.

July 16: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-64686884-youpick#/

July 17: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-64694805-friday#/

July 18: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-64694842-youpick#/

July 23: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-64731647-youpick

July 24: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-64731737-youpick

July 25: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-64731814-youpick

We will pick the next weekend, and I will create those links sometime next week. The cost is $3.50 a pound, the same price as last year. Please remember that due to our remote location, we cannot read credit cards, so please bring cash or checks.

And if you forget to sign up, just come and pick!

When will you ship again?

Come September, we will scan the extended weather forecast and turn on the ordering buttons in our online store. Usually, we ship the Wednesday after Labor Day. I will remind everyone in the August newsletter about a potential start date. In the meantime, you can arrange a time to pick up a box of blueberries at the farm. Or perhaps come pick fresh berries and take home a box of frozen.

Born and Raised Organics will have produce to purchase by mid-July.

Before we know it, the goldenrod will bloom and the swallows will fly south!

Then the baby goats explode out of the goat barn, racing into the pasture, leaping, gamboling, chasing each other around the field. Undoubtedly, they fill their tummies with their mother’s milk and celebrate a day filled with camaraderie and mouthfuls of grass. July 1^st marks the triplet’s one-month birthday and every day they grow wilder and rambunctious. My grandchildren and friend’s children and grandchildren continue to visit the triplets, petting and holding them until the babies wiggle away. For over forty-five years, we have enjoyed sharing the joy of baby goats with our friends and family.

Thirty-five baby chicks arrived last week, and my first morning chore is to feed and water them. They will soon transition from their box in our basement, which Turnip and Puca eye suspiciously, to a larger box in the former sheep shed. Meanwhile, Sophia loves to hold a chick, who will become a tame hen.

You pick blueberries will begin around July 16^th and soon I will send out a separate newsletter with a sign up sheet. The price this year is the same as last year: $3.50 a pound. As always, we are not open on Sundays.

Many customers continue to purchase boxes of frozen blueberries at the farm. Please email or text us to make an appointment for a pickup time and date. Thank you!

Shipping to zones one and two will resume in early September, depending on the heat level during that first week.

We have plenty of maple syrup waiting to pour over pancakes, sweeten yogurt, or muffins.

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/

Today, MLive posted a feature about our poppy field that is still blooming. You can read more at: https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2026/06/red-white-and-blue-poppy-fields-are-in-full-bloom-in-west-michigan-and-free-to-visit.html?outputType=amp.

Born and Raised Organics

Their early sweet corn is almost at knee-high; tomatoes and cucumbers are blooming. One weekend, Carlos and Ian planted 400 watermelon plants. While I repost their news on our farm Facebook page, please follow Born and Raised Organics for their latest news. They advertised a Holland pickup site, so check out that development.

The Orchard House

Looking for a farm retreat when the woods turn red, orange, and yellow? Check out Born and Raised Organic’s Verbo as a quiet place to rest and soak in the beauty of fall. Because Lake Michigan warms the lakeshore’s air, frost doesn’t strike here until mid-October, and produce abounds from late melons to pears, plums, squash, and you name it.

Finally, a few farm photos. See you soon for you-pick!

Every day brings email messages, phone calls or comments on our Pleasant Hill Farm Facebook page asking if the poppies are blooming? Each day, more poppies bloom and by the middle of June the field will be a sea of red petals. I bumped into a family looking at the flowers and they asked if these were the type of poppies that make a person sleepy? No, these are the poppies written about in this famous poem about the fields where soldiers were buried after World War I. A legend explains that the poppy seeds were dormant until soldiers dug countless graves for the fallen. The digging brought the seeds into the sunshine and they burst into beautiful red poppies. This is one reason we plant poppies, to honor our son and to recognize that the poppy symbolizes those who fought and died.

Please remember that we ask that people not to walk or make paths through the memorial. Here are the opening stanzas of the poem. In 2020, a veteran read the poem at the poppy field.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields. By John McCrae

Are your organic strawberries ripe?

Actually, the strawberries belong to Born and Raised Organics, the farming adventured managed by our son, Carlos and his wonderful wife, Danica. So please check out their Facebook page or call: 616-340-7989 for mor information. They are picking berries for orders and the first day of you-pick is June 4^th.

Orchard House

If you are interested in renting The Orchard House, located on M89 at the edge of the farm, again, please contact Danica about current availability. Remember that the farm is only five miles from Lake Michigan, and near Hutchins Lake, which is great for small children.

Blueberries

We still have a good supply of frozen blueberries that you can pick-up at the farm. You can either pay us at pick up or use the online form to pay with a credit card. At this time, we assume that you pick blueberries will begin around the middle of July depending upon the weather.

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/

Maple syrup

We have a large supply of maple syrup, so please pick up a quart or two. They cost $25 a quart.

Meanwhile, the roses and peonies in my garden are blooming, and we are eating plenty of Swiss chard and kale. The blueberry bushes have bloomed so the rented beehives will leave this week. It is hard to believe that in less than six weeks, we could have ripe blueberries. Enjoy the wonderful month of June!

During these misty days, we walk with our heads down, eyeing the earth for morel mushrooms. They are elusive and blend in with the leaf litter. Years ago, we found them in the woods, but now they hide at the edge of my garden or under the clothesline. One time, on a foggy morning, John wandered through his parents’ apple orchard, picking a peck of morels, the most we have ever harvested in one day. This morning, he presented me with this haul, collected in his straw hat.

Shipping:

Our last day for shipping will be May 6^th and after the harvest, we will resume shipping sometime in early September. As always, you can pick up 5#,10# and 30# boxes at the farm, but please make an appointment so we will be here when you arrive. You can order online if you prefer or send us a text 616-502-7545 or an email through this website. We have plenty of maple syrup that you can order online or buy at the farm. https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/shop.php

If you live on the Eastern side of Michigan:

Pure Pastures is an organic grocery located at 1102 Ann Arbor Road, Plymouth, Michigan 48170. Yesterday, Gary picked up a load of our blueberries to sell at his shop. If you want more information, please call 734-927-6951 or check out their website.

Poppies:

The seedlings are growing and the poppy field will bloom during June. As always, we ask that folks do not walk into the flower field, and the city asks that people park off the cemetery roads. We want to ensure that local residents can visit their loved ones’ graves.

Farm News:

Supposedly, frost will strike us for the next three nights. So, after we cover certain beds in my garden, we will help Carlos and family unroll frost blankets on Born and Raised Organic’s strawberries. When they are ripe, I will post on our Facebook Page and in the June newsletter.

Busy in the goat barn! Last week, our young doe, Tullie, gave birth to one large baby, a girl. I was checking on her every hour, but she surprised me. A young friend of ours named the baby, Gertrude, but we are calling her Gertie. Near June, our other doe, Betsy will give birth.

May you enjoy the month of May, from blooming lilacs to the returning song birds and migrating warblers. But watch out for ticks!

At this time, we assume that our last shipping date will be on May 6^th, unless the weather turns hot during the first week of May. To ensure that you have a stash of frozen blueberries for the summer months, please order for shipping on either April 22 or April 29^th. Of course, you can always pick up a box of frozen blueberries at the farm, and you can order through the website if that is more convenient.

While we are saddened by the tornado that touched down in the Otsego/Plainwell area last night, we are thankful for the rain. Last year at this time, the ditches in the blueberry bog were dry, signaling that a drought had arrived. Today, water is rushing through the ditches, overflowing the ponds and huge puddles linger between the rows of blueberry plants. We are so thankful for God’s provision.

Because this is a short note, I will add several photos from current farm life. Here is the website link:

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/

Hopefully in ten days, I will have photos of baby goats to post on our Facebook page. Enjoy the freshness of spring!

A wise farmer friend once told us that winter droughts lead to summer droughts. During the winter of 2024-2025, our farm received slightly more than half the usual snowfall. Instead of seventy inches of snow, only forty inches fell. Few spring rains left puddles and the ditches in the blueberry dwindled. Our sugar bush did not yield many gallons of sap. When fall rains arrived, I stood on our porch, drinking in the sound and moist air.

This winter, we averaged our normal snowfall, and water ran in the ditches. Sudden cloud bursts filled the ponds where Canadian geese, wood ducks, and beavers live. Sunny days and frosty nights made the sap run and run and run. During a three-day stretch, we hauled between 500-700 gallons of sap each day. John boiled madly, trying to empty out tanks quickly as the trees refilled them. Family and friends toted buckets of sap to our collecting wagon, while listening to the flocks of Sandhill Cranes spiral overhead. After John filtered the last boiling sap, he had made 73 gallons of syrup. So, if you need maple syrup, let us know!

While we tend to think of summer as a time of abundance, early spring gives us long days, carpets of wildflowers, and a symphony of bird song.

Now, the goats spend much of their days grazing in the pasture. By the end of April, Tulle will kid and families will arrive so their children can play with the babies.

Blueberries:

Shipping to zone three has ended until late October. We will continue shipping to zones one and two until early May or when the weather grows too warm for safe shipping. All year, we provide frozen berries for pick up. Please contact us to set up an appointment for purchasing blueberries.

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/

Poppies

The seedlings are growing and because of the rain, the field should be lovely during the month of June. Here is a link to a wonderful article about the poppy field. https://share.newsbreak.com/hpaqinjw

The Orchard House: Thinking about visiting the Fennville/Saugatuck area for a weekend or a week in the summer? Born and Raised Organics rents their recently renovated 1880’s farmhouse located on the farm. For more information, please call 616-340-7989 or visit their Facebook Page for photos. There are still openings during Holland’s May Tulip Time Festival.

The Great Lakes: In March, Belt Publishing released a Great Lakes Anthology, On an Inland Sea, edited by Michael Welsh, the editor-in-chief of The Chicago Book Review. My essay, SAND, appears in the collection which has garnered good reviews. If you love the Great Lakes, this collection illustrates the beauty, wonder, and overpowering vastness of the waters surrounding Michigan.

Thunderstorms just rolled through and dampened the earth so I can soon plant beets and peas. May you find joy in this month of renewal and blessings.

Fifty years ago, on Valentine’s Day, John and I drove off in our yellow Datsun in pursuit of supplies for tapping our maple trees. Someone had told us about two older brothers living by Gobles who sold spiles, sap hydrometers and ran a large evaporator.

As a child, I had noticed metal buckets hanging from the row of maple trees that lined the neighbor’s driveway next to my Grandparent’s small farm. I had peeked into one, studying the clear liquid that did not look like maple syrup. When I read the sugaring off scene from The Little House in the Big Woods, I understood that Laura’s Grandfather had boiled the sap until it turned into sticky syrup.

On our adventure we drove roads bordered by tall snow drifts sprinkled with dirt and gravel thrown up by the snowplows. Near the sugar supply place, a generator sat on a trailer, growling as two men wielded electric drills and bored holes into maples trees. At Root Brothers, steam poured out of a tall chimney rising from pole building. We entered a small shop with bins of metal spiles, hanks of plastic tubing, and a jar filled with small white pills. Behind a counter, a fellow with gray hair counted out twenty-five spiles and dumped them into a small paper bag.

“How can I help you?” He looked up at us.

“We want to make maple syrup,” John said.

The man eyed us. “Have you ever tapped a tree or boiled the sap.”

“No, but we want to learn,” I said.

Mr. Root outlined the basic process of tapping trees and collecting the sap. Because we lacked an evaporator, he suggested that we haul the sap to his outfit. He would test the sap’s sugar level, credit us for the gallons received, and we would pick up syrup in either jars or gallon tins.

“You don’t want to boil the sap inside your house because the steam will peel off wallpaper and warp wood.”

Wallpaper did not cover the walls of our half of a duplex built for migrants, but we did not want to harm the place.

“So, those men were tapping maple trees? Isn’t it early for sugaring?” I added a little green recipe book costing a quarter to our pile of spiles.

“No, we started two days ago.”

We were late! We zoomed home, pulled a brace and bit from the farm shop. At the top of a hill covered by a sweet cherry orchard, four huge maple trees grew. We drilled each tree, and sap oozed out as the flakes of wood spiraled out of the hole. A spring miracle. John hammered in spiles, and I licked the first faintly sweet drips. We had salvaged two-gallon tins can from the local fruit cannery and hung those on the trees. Sunlight glinted off the metal as the sap pinged against the bottom. Canadian geese flew overhead and near a patch of bare earth, a robin scratched the decayed leaves.

At the far back of the farm, we tapped eight maples, part of a fence row that a previous farmer had planted. On sunny, mild days, the sap flowed up the tree, and we dumped the gleaming containers into a large metal tank. Frosty nights drew the sap back towards the trees’ roots. For the next couple of weeks, we hauled sap to the Root Brothers and brought home jars of maple syrup.

Over the next couple of years, our sugaring methods evolved. John built a small foundation of cement blocks that held a two-foot by four-foot stainless steel pan. We stoked a fire beneath the pan where sap boiled until it turned into dark syrup. Lifting the pan full of hot syrup was challenging, so time for a change. Eventually John and our sons built a sugar shed and we invested in our current evaporator.

The back pan has deep flues that hang down into the fire, so the sap boils rapidly. As the sap turns into syrup, it flows into the front finishing pan where it turns into tiny bubbles. John tests the syrup with a hydrometer, then filters it through a felt cone, and cans it in mason jars.

Can I come watch John boil syrup? Sometimes if we boil on a Saturday, then I post on our Facebook Page that everyone is welcome to brave our muddy driveway and see the process.

When will we have syrup for sale? Probably in a week to ten days, depending upon the weather. The coming warm-up will stall the flow of sap until the night time temperatures fall below 32. I will post on our Facebook page when we begin selling our syrup

I need blueberries, do you still have them in stock?

Yes! You can either visit our website and order a box that we will ship to your door, or order a box that you pick up on the farm. Other folks prefer to call or text us to create a pick up time. 616-502-7545

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/

When will the poppies bloom?

The poppy fields bloom in June. I write updates through this newsletter so everyone knows how the fields are growing.

One last photo of the family tapping trees together. Even five-year-old Sophia suited up and stomped through the snow. Only a few days later, the temperatures soared to 60 degrees and both Ian and Sophia preferred wading in mud puddles.

Are you dreaming of springtime? Orchard House is available for weekends or a week long stay. Fennville sits at the edge of the Allegan State Woods. In late April, we love to hike the Swan Creek Trail because of the wildflowers…spring beauties, Jack-in-the-Pulpits and many others. Or if you love bird watching, many warblers fly through this area in April and May. Mount Baldhead is the perfect place to see the warblers. Contact. VRBO: https://t.vrbo.io/YVzKxKasnWb

Do you love reading about the Great Lakes?

Belt Publishing just released: On an Inland Sea, a collection of thirty-three essays written by folks who have lived or still live on a Great Lake. My essay, SAND, is included and weaves together local history, geology, and my personal connection to Lake Michigan. The Millions listed the anthology as one of their most anticipated books of the year.

https://beltpublishing.com/products/on-an-inland-sea

Enjoy these longer days with the first signs of spring. Sandhill Cranes, Robins, and Bluebirds have returned to the farm.

I am to blame for my son’s love of ducks. Many years ago when Carlos was five, we went to a local hatchery to pick up our order of chicks. Dozens of boxes filled with chicks lined the waiting room and the air vibrated with cheeping. Above the cacophony, the worker shouted.

“Would your boys want some ducks?”

I nodded and concentrated on filling out my check. When we reached the car, I realized what I had agree to.

Ducks

In contrast to chicks who gobble their food and snuggle into a fluffy mass, ducklings dabble in their water, drenching themselves. Usually, their mother rubs her oil onto the ducklings’ down to protect them. Otherwise, a human must dry off the soaked duckling.

Carlos became the surrogate parent and when the ducklings could survive being wet, he and his webbed-footed friends splashed together in a large washtub. This bonding flamed his enthusiasm for fowl and when he could manage the print, he studied Raising Poultry Successfully. While I washed dishes, he quoted passages from the book such as the ten important reasons why our homestead needed more ducks.

His collection of ducks flourished and included Peking, Rouen, and English Call ducks breeds. After seeing the movie, BABE, he yearned for those long-necked Runner Ducks to complete his flock. One day, his father returned from the feed mill with a scrap of paper with the name of a farmer selling Runner Ducks. That evening, we drove down a farm lane and spied a pen with thirty quacking ducks.

“You can have the lot for $30,” the woman said.

A few pairs floating on our pond would be great, but we didn’t need thirty Runner Ducks quacking for corn. Carlos and his older brother captured six and we sped home where we shooed the ducks into a small shed.

The next morning, the lads opened the shed door and shooed out the ducks. But instead of heading to the pond, the runners raced down our driveway. My sons waved their arms, whereupon the ducks increased their speed and left the boys panting for breath. Then we noticed the one Runner duck swimming in the pond, calling for his friends.

After breakfast, my sons hopped onto their mountain bikes and searched the farm. I walked along the miles of ditches in our blueberry bog, watching for a head to peek over a clump of quack grass.

“Coyote bait,” I declared and trudged home.

That evening, we returned and purchased five more runner ducks for Carlos. He kept them in their little shed for several days before propping open the door. They waddled to the pond and joined Carlos’ other ducks, including the lone runner left from the previous batch.

A few days later, I walked our half-mile driveway to fetch our mail. There, I spied footprints from webbed-feet heading east towards a secluded section of our pond hidden behind pine trees. I strolled over and scanned a pastoral scene. The runners were dabbling and diving. I counted beaks, one…two…three. Our newcomers had found our wayward ducks and that evening they escorted the flock back to our side of the pond. At last, the run-away ducks had reached their finish line where Carlos tossed handfuls of corn, welcoming them home.

About seven years ago, a pair of beavers moved to the farm and fell many of the soft wood trees bordering our back pond. Sometimes John spied them swimming when he went at dawn to start our irrigation system. Finally! On an overcast morning during the first week of January, I was nosing around the pond and heard something smack the water. A beaver! I dashed to where the sound came from and saw him swimming back and forth near his recently built lodge. If you visit our farm Facebook page, you can see a video of the beavers.

Here is the link to the video: https://www.facebook.com/reel/2024854058082792

We are still shipping frozen blueberries to all three zones.

If you live in the Saugatuck area, you can stop by and pick up a 5# 10# or 30# box. Please call ahead, 616-502-7545. Or you can order online at

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/

When will we have maple syrup available?

Good question. With the recent deep cold and heavy snow, we probably will tap our trees closer to the end of February. But we never know when the sap will first run.

Looking for a quiet weekend retreat?

Consider booking a weekend at The Orchard House run by Born and Raised Organics. The cozy farmhouse on the edge of our property provides pastoral views, dirt roads where you can walk on the farm, and a homebase located close to Saugatuck, South Haven, Holland and of course Fennville.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572618913705

Stay warm and cozy like Puca and Turnip. The days are longer, the chickens are laying more eggs, and before we know it, sugaring season will have arrived. God bless, Joan

After two days of gale force winds that blew a semi-truck off an overpass near Saugatuck, I appreciate today’s calm. A few snow flurries sift from the low clouds hanging over the lakeshore. On Christmas Day, John and I walked the narrow tarmac that winds along a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, and we spotted thousands of arctic sea fowl. A hundred years ago a birder wrote that the Scoters and Yellow-Eyed ducks migrated to what the locals called the Douglas Shoals. Sometimes we spy birding enthusiasts, with their scopes aimed at the Lake, searching for some other rare duck that joined the flocks.

On our farm, chick-a-dees, nuthatches, tufted titmice, and goldfinches populate our bird feeders while downy woodpeckers hang on the block of suet. But each evening, I spy a dark parade of wild turkeys marching up from the blueberry bog. They gobble the seeds that the small birds scattered, and the juncos failed to eat. Then single file, they traverse the snow, until they fly up into a favorite tree and roost. Everywhere I ski, turkey tracks pock the snow. In fact, turkeys, coyotes, and deer trot down my trail as if my skis plowed away the snow for their benefit. I suppose they view my ski trail as the tracks I leave behind.

Since the winter solstice, the sun sets almost eight minutes later than it did on the shortest day of the year. Most of the minutes occur in the evening, and in about two weeks, we will sense the difference. Come February, my chickens will lay more eggs than the one I find every evening. We cherish winter because the season offers time for cross-country skiing, learning new tunes on our instruments, reading, and sewing quilts. But we know that by the middle of February, the sap will run and we will boil syrup.

In 2026, Pleasant Hill Farm celebrates 50 years of organic agriculture. Back in October, we spoke to the Holland Area Senior Professionals, an organization that hosts educational lectures. We talked about the history of the organic movement in Michigan and especially on our farm. The group recorded the session, and here is the link if you wish to view our presentation.

Remember that in addition to shipping frozen blueberries every Wednesday, you can also pick up a 5 pound, 10 pound, or 30 pound box at the farm. Please either call, text, or email us to make an appointment for pick up. 616-5027545

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/

Enjoy these snowy days, knowing that the sap will run before we know it.

December 2025

Even though a few snowflakes drift upon the farm, John is pulling galls from the blueberry bushes.

While there are not as many galls as in past years, he needs to finish the job before another major storm arrives, and snow blankets the bushes. Of course, there are plenty of “inside” jobs such as building a new gate for the goats. Baby and even teenage goats can squeeze through the lower gap of our ancient gate, and our new doeling, Tulla, likes to bounce off it. Despite being constructed from one by eight boards, our one-ton oxen respected it, but not this young goat. We are thankful that because of the mild fall, our goats grazed until Thanksgiving. Today, I spread straw in their stall so that the goats will have fluffy beds on these cold night.

Shipping news for December

Every year, John attends a large exhibition focusing on growing fruits and vegetables. The day of seminars for organic farmers is December 10^th. So, we plan to ship only on the 9^th that week and then resume a normal shipping schedule.

Because of the Christmas holiday, we will not ship on Wednesday, December 24^th. Otherwise, the shipments would sit somewhere in a warehouse and need an extra travel day before they would arrive.

We plan to ship on December 30^th to one day zones. After New Years, we will return to our normal shipping schedule on Wednesdays until early May. Here is the link to our farm store.

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/shop.php

If anyone in your home likes to read, please consider giving them an autographed copy of my book, Wedded to the Land, a collection of farm essays. The book is available in our farm store.

Looking for winter rental located near Saugatuck and Holland? Born and Raised Organics has vacancies for January. Please check out Orchard House and take a winter retreat. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572618913705

Holland just opened a wonderful ice-skating rink and ribbon, only 20 minutes from Orchard House. https://www.holland.org/holland-ice-park/

After three days of gale force winds, I appreciate the stillness of the snow. This morning, a Great Horned Owl called as I let Turnip out. Standing on the front porch, the owl’s call rippled over the farm. Deep and haunting, he alerted all creatures of his territory. May you feel that same stillness as winter eases across the country.

https://downtownholland.com/attractions/holland-ice-park/

Even on an overcast day, a golden glow shelters the farm because of the numerous oak and maple trees. Several pin oaks surround our home, and I watch the tawny shade of a lion’s fur creep over their leaves. Each day, a bit more green fades until the golden leaves shimmer in the northeast breeze. Bluejays snatch the pin oak acorns and zip off to store them for the winter while a black squirrel leaps from branch to branch, carrying a clump of leaves to his nest. All day, acorns ping against our roof. The mast looks like brown gravel scattered around our dirt driveway. Old timers said a heavy crop of acorns predicted a hard winter, but a little research told a different story. During a warm, dry spring, the oak trees created more pollen that resulted in an abundance of acorns. We definitely struggled through a long drought that began during the winter and flowed through the spring, summer and early fall. But recently heavy rains have revived our pasture where the goats graze in the slanted sunshine. During the summer heat, Annie and Betsy hid from the sun inside our goat barn and only visited the pasture during the late evenings. Recently, we brought home a yearling doe, Talle, who has made friends with her older siblings.

Blueberry shipping

We continue to ship every Wednesday to zones one and two. We will start shipping to zone three next week. Please use the below link to order and you can always pick up a box at the farm.

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/

Thanksgiving

Like the past two years, we will not ship on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving because then boxes of blueberries would sit for a day in the Grand Rapids warehouse. If you need blueberries, please order them so they ship on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.

Farm scenes and owls

While the songbirds have flown south, several owls pronounce their territory as they seek a mate. One night, three Great Horned Owls called from different locations on the farm, including one perched in a pine just west our house. And after a lapse of years, I head a Bard Owl’s wavering voice call: Who cooks for you? One of my favorite memories is when my corgi, Robin Goodfellow, our two kitties, Fergi and Rory, stood on our sofa, staring out a window at a large beech tree. I joined them and looked into the intense eyes of a Bard Owl who watched my pets with the same fascination.

Have a golden November and a wonderful Thanksgiving. Joan

Now that the sun sets earlier, we no longer go back to work after supper, and the chickens head into their coop by 8pm. For several nights, I have heard either the Great Horned Owl or the Bard Owl calling, truly signs of fall.

Every year, I experiment with something new in my garden. This year, I planted blue popcorn. Born and Raised Organics is selling it at their stand. October 4th and 5th are their last days to be open for 2025.

At the end of October month, we will speak to the Holland Area Society of Professionals about the evolution of our farm. In 2026, Pleasant Hill Farm celebrates 50 years of organic farming! Being the storyteller in the family, I am writing out notes about certain farming practices. If you haven’t heard of compost tea, here is a short description of what John created.

Back in the 1990s, John read how to make compost tea which is filled with beneficial bacteria and nematodes, plus fungi and protozoa. At first, we visited pet stores seeking a strong enough pump to stir the tea, but we didn’t find a suitable pump. Finally, he cobbled together an aeration system to infuse oxygen into his brew. His recipe for Soup for the Soil varied. For his first attempt, he dumped composted manure from our team of oxen into a fiberglass tub along with five hundred gallons of pond water, baking yeast and molasses. The brew bubbled for several days, and just before a rain, he sprayed it onto our blueberry plants.

Over the years, his methods and systems have evolved from a pallet tank laced with pipes and topped with a gizmo that looks like Tom Terrific, to the current tank heated by plastic tubing. Alaskan humus, seaweed, and fish emulsion have enhanced the teas that feed the soil. When the tea is brewing, bubbles smelling like mushrooms spill over the sides of the tank. Most of the mixture benefits our blueberry plants, but often John sprays some on our little orchard and my garden. As John says, healthy soil grows healthy plants that yield healthy food for people.

A couple of weekends ago, Carlos and his cousin, Kris extracted honey that Born and Raised Organics offers at their produce stand. Here are a few photos from a fun family time.

Do you belong to a book group or knitting group that sometimes takes a weekend retreat? Orchard House will be open for guests during the winter. Folks like to cross country ski in nearby Saugatuck State Park or in the Allegan State Game Area. Most restaurants serve guests on weekends. Or if you belong to a quilt group, a new quilt shop opened in South Haven! They have a delicious supply of fabric and yarn.

If your book club stays in Orchard House, please consider reading one of my books and inviting me to speak. In January 2026, a book club will visit the area and asked me to talk to them about my novels. You can find out more at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572618913705 or call 616-340-7989

Fall shipments

Sometime in late October, we will start shipping to zone three. The weather forecast determines when we can safely ship boxes over a three day period. Below is our website address where you can order:

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/

Another experiment is gardening was planting Canadian Gooseneck Squash which are an heirloom that tastes wonderful. I plan to grow them again next year. May the coming days bring you colorful fall foliage and pumpkin muffins!

Farm life keeps us entertained and challenged. Each day around noon, I check on our goats, chickens, and pigs to ensure that everyone has water, hay, feed and that they are safe. John loves sausage and bacon, so every other year, we raise a couple of hogs. The current pair have rooted through their paddock and created a mud hole where they wallow on hot days. They run to their feed pans when John calls, “Milk time!” Like the old timers, we feed extra milk and whey to the pigs or chickens.

I had just talked to our two female goats when I realized that Pinkie the pig was outside the pen. The other day, I noticed how the duo had played with the little gate into their pen and could wobbled it around. Pinkie strolled around the barnyard and a few seconds later, the black spotted hog sauntered out. I called John who was twenty minutes away, planning to pick up the chicken crates we had left with the Amish family who had butchered our birds. He turned around and headed home.

I knew that if the hogs wandered down the two-track into the blueberry bog, we would never catch them, but a pack of coyotes would. I hopped into my car, and “herded” them away from the path to the bog. For the next twenty minutes, I angled the car at various locations so the pigs wouldn’t take the path around the pond, or venture into my flower garden. Boredom most likely prompted their escape, so they enjoyed meeting the chickens protected by a fence, rooting up tasty plants and eyeing the goats. About that time, John rolled in with a couple of wooden pallets in the back of his truck. He jumped out and called the pigs who ran to him. I dashed into the house for milk, their favorite food. They recognized the milk bucket and headed back to their feed bowls. Now two stakes hold the pallets held in place that have replaced the gate. We opened a small door that allows the hogs to roam northern goat pasture and to feed on grubs. For now, the barnyard is quiet.

September 10th, first day to ship blueberries.

Depending upon the temperatures, we plan to ship blueberries on September 10^th. This weekend, I will turn on the ordering buttons for zones one and two.

https://pleasanthillblueberryfarm.com/

The Big Melt Down

Last May, at the FedEx warehouse in Grand Rapids, someone did not check in about eight 30# boxes. The shipment sat in the warehouse for thirty-six hours before someone tracked them down. We had called several times to discover why we were not receiving notices about the boxes. A kind soul went looking and found them sitting in the sun at 88 degrees. So, we returned everyone’s money who did not receive their shipment. Because of that fiasco, we will use the Styrofoam shipping containers for now. We have still have some green foam insulated boxes and come November, we ship some orders in them. Our hope is that eventually we can offer customers a choice of which container they prefer, but at this time, we can only afford to buy a supply of the Styrofoam shipping boxes.

Beekeeping update:

Last night, Carlos and his cousin, Kris, along with Ian and Sophia lifted frames filled with comb from the hives and extracted the honey. They first opened the comb with an electric hot knife. The kids loved dipping their fingers into the honey dripping out of the combs before the dads fitted the frames into the extractor. A sweet family moment!

Literary news:

During the month of September, my publisher is running a giveaway of 100 ebook copies of Ae Fond Kiss. If you haven’t read my latest book, here is your chance to win a free copy!

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/420476?utm_medium=api&utm_source=giveaway_widget

Born and Raised Organics:

If you live in the Holland, Michigan area and are searching for organic produce, drive on down to Fennville. Carlos and Danica have a wide variety of vegetables, including amazing sweet corn.

Until October, have a wonderful September as we enjoy the first days of fall.

God Bless, Joan

Adam Bede, by George Elliot.

For those of you not familiar with traditional tunes, here is the hornpipe, Harvest Home. I love seeing the different tartans.

In Ireland and Scotland, August first is called Lamas and celebrates the harvest and beginning of fall. I love this scene from the novel, Adam Bede, that depicts golden barley in bundles heaped on a wagon, transported to a storage shed. While most grain fields in southwest Michigan are harvested with a combine, you can still see bundles of oats stacked in small shock on Amish farms. This past spring, we sold our Little Red Hen, a self-propelled antique combine that once harvested wheat, oats and rye. The straw became bedding for our goats and oxen, and the animals ate the oats.

During August, we focus on shaking, grading and packing our blueberries into thirty-pound boxes. Sixty boxes are stacked on a pallet and the full pallets are stored in a local freezer warehouse. Whether you stop by the farm or order online, these are the boxes you either carry home or find at your front door. On an average day, we pack about a ton of blueberries every hour, over and eight-hour day. After our workers depart, John needs about three hours to pressure wash our sorting and packing line. While we are grateful for every blueberry harvested, we are also thankful when the end of August arrives, and we can park the blueberry shaker in a shed.

When will we resume shipping? We usually ship the first week in September after Labor Day which means our first shipping day is September 10.

Where are Pleasant Hill Blueberries sold locally? You can find our blueberries at Nature’s Market in Holland, the Harvest Health stores around Grand Rapids, and in Kalamazoo at the People’s Food Coop plus Sewall’s. North of Traverse City, Bear Creek Organics sells our berries, and Farm to Freezer imports them to the east side of Michigan. And you can always pick up a box at the farm.

Lastly, if you have read my latest novel, Ae Fond Kiss, please consider rating it on Amazon and leaving a few kind words. Thank you.

https://www.amazon.com/Ae-Fond-Kiss-Tennessee-Cumberland/dp/1685135420/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

Puca waiting for the you pickers to arrive.

Born and Raised Organics: Mark your calendars for organic sweet corn and watermelons displayed at the Born and Raised Organic’s Produce stand. Plus, they have heaps of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and other vegetables to turn into a wonderful meal.

By the time September rolls in, the swamp maples will have turned red and the goldenrod will burnish the landscape. Happy August!

This summer I am growing okra because an eighty-nine-year-old African American friend from my church asked me to raise okra and collards for her. I didn’t know that Michigan would enter a drought or that we would see an uncommon amount of 90 degree days. The okra and squash love it….the okra is hidden by the popcorn which will yield little blue kernels My grandkids will enjoy eating it. And Miss Maggie was thrilled with her collards and keeps asking about the okra. The buds were not read to pick today, so I added green tomatoes into her Sunday basket that includes a dozen eggs.

The temperatures will be brutal this upcoming week, so maybe the okra will bloom soon. Meanwhile, I haul hoses around my yard and garden watering constantly because the drought continues. John spends his time setting up our traveling irrigation system to help out the struggling blueberry bushes.

Because of the heat, we will have fewer days of you pick this week. Last year, on a hot day, we heard sirens and an ambulance zoomed up my driveway and down to the blueberry bog. Then two police cars raced in. John took off in his pick up and followed them to where a man had fainted due to the heat. His wife had called 911 which is how the first responders found her a half mile or more into the farm. Thankfully, the man did not have a heart attack or stroke, but was overheated. For this reason, when the weather predicts sun and 90 degrees, we are closed. We want our customers safe and healthy. Please pray for rain and cooler temperatures.

July 22 link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-57599799-pleasant

July 25 link

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-57599825-youpick

July 26 link

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-57599946-youpick

For those of you living far from our farm, I’ll add a few photos for you to enjoy

Have a blessed week and stay cool out of the sun.

Hi Friends,

I realize that some of you live in NYC while others stare at the Tennessee mountains or the wheat fields of Kansas. But for those of you who live nearby or will visit our little corner of Michigan, here are the next opportunities for you picking blueberries. The current variety is Blue Crop, a large tangy sort of berry. The price is $3.50 a pound.

July 17th

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-57524492-pleasant

July 18

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-57524665-pleasant

July 19

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-57524741-pleasant

t

the days, locked in each other’s arms seem still.” William Carlos William.

Like most of the country, July brings hot days and muggy nights. Thankfully, Lake Michigan cools our temperatures a wee bit and encourages us to jump in the refreshing waves. For many years, the Lake was the best location for watching the Fourth of July fireworks.

After eating cherry pie at our friends’ house, we four adults grabbed towels, quilts and our children’s hands. On the mile walk to the lakeshore, we strolled by marinas filled with sailboats and yachts. We tramped by cottages where families dined on porches in the summer community of Macatawa, where Baum wrote The Wizard of Oz. The sound of the waves pulled us to the beach where we spread our towels and quilts on the sand. Scores of families played Frisbee, as older children dashed into the waves. Sometimes John swam with our boys, other times we walked along the shore as everyone waited for the sun to sink below the shimmering horizon. Boats chugged out of the channel into Lake Michigan, hoping to gain a stellar location for viewing the fireworks.

Finally, twilight descended, and a whirling comet rose from the Holland Pier and soared into the western sky. A boom echoed off the sand dunes. Silver starbursts. Red and green chrysanthemums. Gold whirligigs. The crowd cheered and clapped. For the finale, multiple fireworks wrestled overhead, creating a swirling riot of purple, blue, red, green, silver and gold.

We trudged back to our friends’ home, strapped our sleepy sons into their car seats and rolled home, filled with the glory of fireworks and Lake Michigan.

You-Pick: We will begin you-pick around the middle of July. At this time, we assume the price will remain $3.50 a pound. I will send out a Sign-Up Genius form about five days earlier. If you have a problem understanding the form, please email me the day and time you would like to come pick and I will add your name to the form. Please remember that you do not have to add children under twelve to the form. Just bring your kids along so they can enjoy the farm.

Here is the signup link for you pick on July 16th

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45ABAE2CA6FA7-57426955-youpick

What if it is raining? If only light rain falls, we stay open, but if there is a severe weather warning, we will close. We want everyone to remain safe.

Will you have freshly picked blueberries available? Maybe. IF we can hire a few pickers, and that’s a big if, we will offer a limited amount of five-pound boxes of picked berries, one box per customer. Watch future newsletters for more information.

Will you have maple syrup for sale? Yes. Quarts cost $25.