Edible Michiana

Small Farms, Big Changes

• Photo by Peter Ringenberg

  Molly Muchow, farm manager at Verdant Hollow Farms in Buchanan, Michigan, says Verdant Hollow expanded its reach during lockdown with online ordering and expanded deliveries and drop sites, making it easier to get the farm’s wares to customers without forcing them all to come to the farm.

• Photo by Peter Ringenberg

  Sunchoke Farm in South Bend, Indiana, shows that fresh produce and flowers can be grown and sold in an urban setting, in this case on the city’s northwest side. CSA customers can pick their weekly baskets up right at the farm, and customers can shop the farm’s produce at the South Bend Farmers Market and Portage Farm Stands

• Photo by Peter Ringenberg

  Chad Gard—who owns and operates Hole In The Woods Farm in Culver, Indiana, with his wife, Xenia Czifrik—talks with a customer at the Mishawaka Farmers Market. Hole in the Woods quickly pivoted to online ordering, among other things, to get food to customers during Covid-19 lockdowns.

• Photo by Peter Ringenberg

  Synergy was key for Verdant Hollow Farms in Buchanan, Michigan. Garden manager Heather Smith is responsible for filling flower CSA orders with a variety of flora and color, while the farm offers meat, produce and eggs, among other things, alongside it.