About Us
Lake Breeze Organics is a small family run farm located near the western shores of Lake Michigan. Here in Southwest Michigan the climate allows us to cultivate a broad range of specialty crops. The water is clean and pure drawn from an aquifer 200 feet below sand, rock, and clay. The water quality is unlike any other we have seen in Michigan. This pure water is used to irrigate fields and to wash greens. Our greens always come washed and dried.
At Lake Breeze Organics we now have over 16 acres in mixed certified organic production. As a part of our long term crop rotation we have six of these acres in alfalfa cover crop at all times. We have both been passionate seed collectors for many years and are always in search of the very best heirlooms from around the world. Many years of growing experience has allowed us to create an all-star list of produce that has been proven to perform in our area. Our specialty crops are tried and tested in smaller quantities before we grow them on a larger scale. Each year we experiment with many new varieties and only a few make the permanent planting list. We offer a wide variety of specialty fruits and vegetables including blueberries, strawberries, apples, cherries, Asian pears, and more. A stone fruit orchard planted two and three years ago has a very good chance of providing us with our first harvest of peaches, nectarines, pluots, apriums, and cherries. We are working with a few other organic farmers in Michigan to successfully grow organic stone fruit in small scale orchards. Each year we grow at least 50 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, a long list of hard to find gourmet greens, and specialty vegetable crops from around the world.
We believe in growing nutrient dense produce that is only possible by taking the time to nurture the soil. We use sustainable practices on our farm that include making high quality composts from a mix of different cover crops that are grown on our land. Our green manure composts help us to replenish the soil greatly reducing the need for expensive organic fertilizers that are shipped long distances. Fertilizers only feed the plant and not the soil. They also must be applied over and over again. It is our philosophy to feed the soil and the plant if necessary. Food with superior taste comes from soil that is alive. It is believed that healthy soils provide the correct balance of nutrients for plants to slowly feed on. Crops can be grown by applying large amounts of fertilizer but the end result is a product high in nitrogen and low in taste. This is why it is very difficult to replicate the home garden taste on a large commercial scale. Large growers are not willing to spend the time and money needed to feed the land. They choose to feed the plants only.
Our produce is sold at the Saturday Evanston Farmers market, also at the new Evanston Wednesday Central St market, and through our Summer CSA program. Our CSA features drop locations in both Chicago and Evanston. The 2012 CSA program has only a limited number of shares and now is the time to sign up. The 2012 CSA season is scheduled to begin June 6, 2012 and will run weekly through September 26, 2012.
It is our goal to provide local organic produce to communities in need of real health food. Our crop selections show our passion for quality produce. We hope you enjoy our food as much as we do. For more information on special events and produce sales, be sure to sign up for our newsletter.