Dollar Lake Farm invites you to join our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), a partnership between farmer and consumer.  Each week members receive fresh picked fruits and vegetables grown on our farm using natural methods.   If a tomato that tastes like a tomato and a salad mix picked at peak vitality appeal to you, then search no further.

Farm Shares 

Stay tuned for our  2012 offering

Please email, dollarlakefarmATlive.com (replace AT with @)or call us at (231) 499-9479 for more information or to schedule a tour of our farm.  We are closed on Saturdays.

WHY 

Farming is a simple way to promote personal health, the health of our environment and our local economy while enjoying food that is grown to be delicious instead of aesthetically pleasing and able to transport well.  The concept of CSA evolved to foster a strong sense of community and re-establish a sense of connection to the land according to ATTRA (attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/csa.pdf).  See “About CSA” on our parent website, csafarms.org for a full description of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) format. 

The intent is to develop direct relationships with farmers to reconnection to our environment where our food comes from.  The small scale, local agriculture of our grandparent and earlier generation has been lost in the last three decades in favor of imports.  Today we are dependent on energy intensive transportation networks that do little to strengthen our local economy.

The following are some economic agricultural statistics:

·         If every household started spending just $10 a week of its current grocery budget on locally grown foods, more than $37 million each week would remain within Michigan.

·         When $1 is spent locally, that $1 benefits three to seven local businesses before leaving the local economy.

·         The impact of Michigan agriculture on the State economy is $63.7 billion and growing.

·         Michigan produces more than 200 commodities on a commercial basis, making the state second only to California in agriculture diversity.

While direct farmer-to-consumer arrangements offer many benefits, it also embraces limiting foodstuffs to eating what is in season locally. It also forgoes economies of scale for qualities of vitality, taste, security of our food supply, etc. 

Brad and Patti Link own and operate the Dollar Lake Farm.  Brad is a Civil Engineer that due to the economy has been underemployed and is now a full-time Farmer.  Patti takes care of her elderly mother which is nearly full time affair. 

In partnership with Woodland School, our next-door neighbor, we manage a garden plot on school grounds.  This partnership provides teaching/demonstration opportunities without taking away teacher resources from the mission of education.  It is meant to be an example of how Woodland School and the surrounding community can mutually gain from one another.  We will incorporate the harvest into the CSA, market and other sales.  If you are interested in getting involved with this or other garden related efforts (i.e., wildflower beds) please contact Mr. Tarsa at school. 

About Dollar Lake Farm 

We carved this small farm out of the woods adjacent to Dollar Lake beginning in the spring of 2005.  Like pioneers, we cleared trees, prepared plots and planted lawn and garden garden.  The 2008 season was our first at the market and was very successful.

Dollar Lake is one of the many State Forest lakes in the 80,000 acres of Pere Marquette Sate Forest Land surrounding our farm.  It is a 37 acre “kettle” lake in a MDNR designated NO WHEELED MOTOR VEHICLES ALLOWED area.  The North Country Trail (New York to North Dakota hiking trail) traverse the northeast side.  Other opportunities for biking, hiking and skiing include:  the Muncie Lake Pathways and the Shore-to-Shore Riding-Hiking trail is just south of the lake; VASA single track mountain bike trail and VASA ski trails 1.5 miles northwest, and the Sand Lake Quiet Area a mile east.

We care for our soil where our food comes from.  We are good stewards of our environment.  We worship our Lord God with all our heart, mind and body.  We love our neighbors as ourselves.