Swag Spotting – Korean War Vet

Photo credit: Kim Schwaiger

Port Oneida

Looking for a spot to take a fall color tour?  This time of year, it’s as if the leaves decide to color coordinate with the vibrant siding and rusting metal of the old barns, corn cribs, and farmhouses at Port Oneida Rural Historic District (located a few miles north of Glen Arbor along M-22). It’s well worth a visit.

Harvest Party Meadowlark Farm

Photo credit: Kim Schwaiger

Sunday was the annual harvest party at Meadowlark Farm, a CSA (community-supported agriculture) near Lake Leelanau.   Fresh apple cider was pressed.  Pumpkins were picked.  Michigan beer and wine were enjoyed.  The attendees shared amazingly tasty dishes and kids ran around on the land that fed them oh so well over the summer.  Aside from the enjoyment of the company, the food, and the location, the evening also served to reaffirm my choice to be a member in this CSA.

We all know we should eat more veggies, right?  There are plenty of ways to do that, some requiring more effort than others.  The CSA method reminds me of a sign I saw once at a craft fair next to some simple bird baths made of pots.  It read, “Yes, you could make these; But you won’t”.

Yes, I could go to the farmer’s market bright and early every Saturday morning but there’s a chance (a good one) I’ll instead choose to stay in my pajamas and drink oodles of coffee.  I could head to Oryana and wander around in the veggie aisle, but most likely I will be overwhelmed by the choices, and without having planned out any recipes, I’d probably walk away with a few tomatoes and lettuce.  Being part of a CSA means a box of veggies is delivered with my name on it each week and with it comes the obligation to not let it go to waste.  In an effort to do so I’ve tried things I never would have otherwise; sun pickles to use the gobs of cucumbers and fresh dill…I even learned that ratatouille was not only a Disney movie, but a dish I could make with the eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini and onion in my box!

In exchange for what amounts to about a $30/week investment each Tuesday from June through mid-October I get to open up a box full of fresh, locally-grown, organic vegetables and herbs and do so with the excitement of a child opening a present..wondering about what will be in season that week.

A typical box contains a variety of the standards (washed salad greens, kale, cucumbers, carrots, garlic, bell peppers, beans, tomatoes, basil, potatoes) and added to the mix on occasion some more unusual items like garlic scapes, kohlrabi, sunshine squash, etc. (that thankfully tend to come with a suggested recipe!).

Think you’re ready to try your hand at some sun pickles??  There are many local CSAs to choose from.  You can’t really go wrong with more veggies, more local, and more harvest parties.

Swag Spotting – Meadowlark Farm

Esch Beach

Photo credit: Kim Schwaiger

Did you know that in 1889, the first murder in Benzie County occurred in the then town of Aral, now the site of Esch Beach?  The murderer’s motive?  High taxes.  In the 1880s Aral was a small logging village with a mill pond that was formed by damming Otter Creek where it now opens into the beautiful waters of Lake Michigan. The mill operator, Charles Wright, had refused to pay taxes, arguing that they were too high and were restricting the mill in its rivalry with Edgewater.   As the local deputy and township treasurer attempted to apply a writ of attachment to the mill’s logs for the unpaid taxes, Mr. Wright shot them dead.  He then paid his employees their wages and disappeared into the woods.  A telegraph explaining the situation went to Frankort.  Who would come to address the two bodies (kept out of the direct sun by umbrellas put up by the townspeople) and the escaped culprit?  The prosecuting attorney and sheriff commandeered a steamer ship in Frankfort and arrived in Aral with their posse.  It was believed an Indian handy-man, Lahala, knew of Mr. Wright’s whereabouts, but he refused to talk.  Members of the crowd put a noose around Lahala’s neck and hoisted him in the air.  He was let down and given a second opportunity to speak.  He refused and was lifted off the ground again.  Under the threat of a third time he agreed to cooperate.  Mr. Wright was found and jailed.  The governor of Michigan later commuted his sentence after eleven years served for reasons unknown. Upon his release, he found his former wife and scared off her new husband.  The Wrights were rumored to have moved out West, but remained as part of the area’s lore for years to come.

Remember Esch Beach when you get your tax bill and need a place to get outside and take in some relaxing blue skies and water.

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