At Argus Farm Stop, our primary goal is to foster a thriving local food economy by supporting small, local Michigan farmers and increasing food access for our community. One key element in achieving this goal is collaboration with local organizations that prioritize food access and sustainability. A great example of such an organization is A2Zero, a program through the City of Ann Arbor focused on creating a climate action plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. The plan includes a variety of sustainable solutions, one of which is rethinking how our communities approach food waste and consumption.

This February, Argus Farm Stop hosted the third annual Farm Stop Conference, bringing together farmers, policy makers, entrepreneurs, and pillars of local food systems across the country. The conference exists to encourage people nationwide to start their own farm stop, providing them with resources and connections as they navigate their journey toward strengthening local food systems. Since the conference started in 2024, attendance has nearly tripled. I spoke with Casey Miller of Argus Farm Stop about what it takes each year for her and Argus Farm Stop’s team to organize this major event.

We may feel inclined to believe that for local farmers, winter signifies a period of quiet, rest, and preparation for spring’s growing season. This is often far from true. Storage crops make up a significant part of a farmer’s fields and keep a paycheck coming back to them through the frost-ridden months. Storage crops, which are crops that can be cured and stored long-term, are widespread in our diet and have kept people fed for generations because of their ability to keep through winter. Farm stops also play a significant role in keeping us fed through these cold months, allowing local farmers to sell these crops year-round, and amplifying local produce when many have forgotten about it.

For farmers like Norm Holtz, winter is their busiest selling season. Holtz Farms, located in Ida, Michigan, relies heavily on sales of storage crops while Norm’s fields lie dormant under feet of snow. Potatoes, onions, leeks, and squash take center stage at Argus Farm Stop during the winter months, thanks to the investment Norm and other local farmers make in their crops long before they make it to our market.

Norm Holtz took over his family’s centennial farm in 1980. His family was growing grain crops at the time, but Holtz gradually transitioned into growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Holtz discovered these to be more practical choices in terms of the farm’s success, as they could better serve local farmers markets year-round. “In Spring there are tulips and daffodils. Summer brings green beans, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.” Holtz shared that while he grows vegetables and flowers because of their practicality, they are also what he most enjoys growing.

Pączki Day is a tradition with a history almost as rich as the treat itself. Pączki are dense, cake-like donuts that are fried, filled with jam or custard, and covered in powdered sugar. It is a centuries-old Polish Catholic tradition still celebrated today in both Poland and the United States. This will be the eleventh year that Argus Farm Stop participates in the tradition. Employees of the farm stop spend the morning of Pączki Day covering themselves in powdered sugar as they package over three thousand pączki for Ann Arbor residents to enjoy. The pączki are baked and delivered to us by Crust Bakery, located in Fenton, Michigan. The bakery bakes at least eight thousand pączki each year, and have maintained their own Pączki Day tradition since 2014.

As we near the end of the year, people across Southeast Michigan prepare for the holidays by crafting gifts and making plans to see loved ones. Locals gather ingredients to prepare classic, cozy dishes, and kitchens across the country fill with the aroma of roasted hams and turkeys and freshly baked pies. This winter season, bring something local to your dinner table with two underrated holiday staples: Michigan-grown chestnuts and hazelnuts. 

At Vicary Road Farm, located in Southeast Michigan, Virginia Rinkel and her husband grow a wonderful variety of fresh, sweet chestnuts and hazelnuts. The chestnuts are delivered to the cooperative they belong to, Chestnut Growers, Incorporated. Virginia told us all about how Vicary Road Farm got started, the nature of chestnut and hazelnut farming in Michigan, and how CGI operates.

As we prepare to gather our friends and families around a table full of fresh food, we spend a lot of time preparing for the traditional centerpiece of Thanksgiving; Turkey. Instead of buying your turkey from the supermarket, consider buying from one of our local farmers at Argus Farm Stop. Local birds are grown ethically and with careful consideration for what will create the highest quality. To learn more about what goes into local turkey raising, Alex Blume and I recently spoke with Lucas Dickerson of Webbed Foot Pines about his turkey growing practices, and why his turkeys are some of the best you can buy for this upcoming holiday.

As the weather begins to cool and leaves change color, a very special fruit makes its way to Argus Farm Stop. North America’s only native fruit tree yields its harvest in the form of the Paw paw, a fruit that is native to the American Midwest. Despite living in the Midwest for the past seven years, I had never heard of a paw paw until I began working at Argus Farm Stop. I have thankfully come to understand how special this fruit is. It has a custard-like texture, and tastes like a cross between a banana, mango, and papaya. Alex Blume and I spoke with one of our paw paw farmers, David Swain, about his process for growing and harvesting this novelty fruit.