Article and photo by Donna Iverson In the summer, fresh salad greens are difficult to come by as they grow best in cool weather. For example, the arugula in my community garden bed has gone to seed. And its leaves are no longer tart but bitter. In August, I find my greens at the local farmers market instead. Often that means purchasing a bag of mixed greens, which in summer contains a lot of oak and red leaf lettuces and tatsoi. Tatsoi is an Asian leafy green variety in the cabbage family. It is a close cousin to the better known bok choy. You can identify it by its large spoon-shaped leaves. Tatsoi has a sweet nutty flavor and is high in vitamins and calcium. It contains twice as much calcium as milk. In the garden, you can plant Tatsoi seeds in late summer. It needs about 3 to 5 hours of direct sunshine. When harvesting, pick the larger outer leaves first and add it to salads or stir fries. It is a cut and come again veggie. If you are a container gardener, it needs a minimum two gallon pot. Other Asian greens you might like to try are Muzuna, Choy sum, Gai lan (broccoli), Gai choy (mustard) and Ong choy (spinach).
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The Fremont Area District Library will continue to offer fun and educational events this summer. Just a reminder that Summer Reading for adults and teens ends on August 1st, and children can continue turning in their reading logs until August 10th. Here’s what’s coming in August:
On July 11, 2024, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission approved the scheduled deer hunting regulations for this fall. The full package of regulations includes updates that won't begin until after the 2024 seasons have ended; those updates will be explained at a later date. The commissioners and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources thank everyone who gave their time, insight and feedback to the work of the DNR's Deer Management Initiative, which contributed to many of these regulation changes and decisions. The following updates apply to the fall 2024 deer hunting seasons. (For ease of reading, the acronym DMU is used throughout for deer management unit.) Upper Peninsula
Lower Peninsula Extended archery season
Other clarifications
Questions? If you still need information or assistance, learn more at Michigan.gov/Deer or contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-WILD (9453). Local Author John E. Hudson at Fremont Library
Live @ the Library, a series of events including author visits and informational presentations at Fremont Area District Library is thrilled to host local author John E. Hudson to present his book, Afghanistan – A Year in Pictures, Missions, & News with the Special Operations Command. John E. Hudson served for 6 U.S. Presidents in his 35+ year career and held numerous senior leadership positions as a Commanding Officer of two Reserve Units and also led a team of over 200 personnel supporting the warfighter in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. He held a top secret security clearance during his Air Force and Navy careers and received numerous awards throughout his career. His book, Afghanistan – A Year in Pictures, Missions, & News with the Special Operations Command is not just a book. It's a tribute to the bravery, professionalism, and sacrifice of the Special Operations Command, who carried out some of the conflict's most critical and challenging operations. Get ready to be immersed in a year of intense missions, cultural exploration, and the unbreakable bond forged in the heart of Afghanistan. Books will be available for purchase. This event will be held in the Fremont Library’s Community Room on Tuesday, August 6th at 7:00 p.m. Article and photo by Donna Iverson So what is a ground cherry? Turns out, ground cherries are actually tomatoes. They resemble tomatillos in appearance. They taste like a cross between a tomato and a pineapple. Look for them this time of year at your local farmers market. A member of the nightshade family, ground cherries are ready to eat when they fall to the ground. They produce a husk that must be removed prior to consumption. Hence their name: ground cherry. A native of Mexico, ground cherries are an annual that can be planted from seed but self sow once they are established. Their hardiness zone of 4 to 8 includes Michigan. Once ripe, you may have to compete with squirrels and chipmunks at harvest time. They also attract bees. Disease and pest resistant, ground cherries like full sun and rich moist soil. They will require watering in a regular basis. Frost kills the plant. Ground cherries can also be grown in pots, that are at least 8 inches deep. Upper Peninsula Presentation at Fremont Library
Live @ the Library, a series of events including author visits and informational presentations at Fremont Area District Library is thrilled to host Janet Kasic to present a program called “Where Eagles Fly: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.” Explore the Wilds of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which Michiganders refer to as Gods Country. It offers unspoiled forests, waterfalls, coastal villages, and a rocky terrain. Discover the hardy individuals and a culture unique to this northern wilderness they call home. This event will be held in the Fremont Library’s Community Room on Tuesday, July 23 rd at 7:00 p.m. Friends Summer Book Sale at Fremont Library
The Friends of the Fremont Area District Library are busy preparing for their annual used book sale, which will be held during the National Baby Food Festival in the library’s Community Room. The sale will begin Wednesday, July 17th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. with a sale for Friends members only (memberships may be purchased at the sale). The public sale will be held on Thursday, July 18th from 9:00-4:00 p.m. and Friday, July 19th from 9:00-3:00 p.m. Shop tons of used books, movies, puzzles, and items from the Friends Gift Shop for super cheap! All proceeds from the sale go to support library programming and library materials for children, teens, and adults. Join us July 17th-19th and discover a treasure! Summer Reading Adventure Continues at Fremont Library
The Summer Reading Program at Fremont Area District Library is in full swing, and all ages are still welcome to sign up to begin earning prizes for your reading. Children can earn a free pizza, free ice cream, a toy, a free book, Whitecaps, Rise, and Griffins passes, and entry into the grand prize drawings for an RC car, birthday party at NorthPointe Gymnastics, a trip to Boyne Mountain, Avalanche Bay, Skybridge Michigan, and more! Teens can earn free entrée from McDonald’s, ice cream from Koffee Kuppe, pizza from Spanky’s, order a free book, and for every book they read, they can enter for chances to win many prizes from local restaurants and stores. Plus finishers will be entered into the grand prize drawing for a $100 Meijer gift card or a paddle board! Adults can earn a free ice cream or drink from Koffee Kuppe, sunglasses or candy, a free book from the Friends Gift Shop, and for every book they read, they can enter for chances to win many prizes from local restaurants and stores. Grand prize drawing options are a $100 Meijer gift card, Oakley sunglasses, and a 6-month gym membership at Tamarac! The Summer Reading Program is important in helping to prevent the “summer slide,” which is the tendency for students to lose some of the achievement gains they made in school the previous year. So grab some books, have fun reading, and come to our free events this summer! Children’s July Events Storytimes for babies & toddlers (up to age 3) is on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m., through July 31st. Family Storytime (up to age 5) is on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m., through August 1st. There will be NO storytimes on July 17th & 18th. Saturday Storytime will be on July 6th at 11:00 a.m. On Summer Game Day, we’ll have fun games for the whole family to play in the Children’s Department and on the patio on Thursday, July 11th from 1:00-3:00 p.m. During the Baby Food Festival, we’ll have a Drop-In Craft on Wednesday, July 17th from 10:00-12:00 p.m. We’ll also show an afternoon movie (title coming soon) on July 25th at 2:00 p.m. Our very popular Discovery Tuesday programs will take place in the Community Room on Tuesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. and last 45 minutes to 1 hour. On July 2nd, magician Brad Lancaster will do a show including music, magic, puppetry, storytelling, and comedy. On July 9th, Air Zoo will explore the furthest reaches of your imagination and the science of space. John Ball Zoo will bring in animals on July 23rd. On July 30th, we’ll have our Children’s Summer Reading Finale to wrap up the summer with crafts, games, activities, treats, and prize drawings! Teen/Adult July Events On Thursday, July 11th at 6:30 p.m., the Artsplace will be at the library for you to Paint an Adventure Mug (REGISTRATION REQUIRED) for ages 11-adults. A Mario Kart Competition (REGISTRATION REQUIED) for ages 11-19 will be in the Community Room on Thursday, July 25th at 6:30 p.m. Participants will race to compete for the top 4 prizes! Try your hand at cupcake decorating with Ericka Freriks at our Teen Summer Reading Finale on Thursday, August 1st at 6:30 p.m. and be there for prize drawings! For the events that require registration, call the library at 231-928-0256. We’ll have a Movie Monday on July 8th at 2:00 p.m. to show Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (PG-13; 1 hr 55 min). Snacks provided! Junk Journaling will be on Tuesday, July 9h from 5:30-7:30 at the south tables along the parking lot. The new Books & Bites book group will meet on Wednesday, July 10th at 10:00 a.m. to discuss The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. New members are welcome and this book group enjoys free breakfast pastries and coffee while discussing books! Fit for Life Exercise Class will take place on July 1st, 8th, 10th, 12th, 22nd, 24th, 26th, 29th, and 31st from 12:00-1:00 p.m. This is a free exercise class for all levels of fitness. The Friends of the Fremont Area District Library will have their annual Summer Book Sale in the library’s Community Room during the Baby Food Festival. Shop tons of used books, movies, and puzzles! The sale will take place on Wednesday, July 17th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. for Friends members only (memberships may be purchased at the door), and open to the general public on Thursday, July 18th from 9:00-4:00 and Friday, July 19th from 9:00-3:00. Janet Kasic will present a program called Where Eagles Fly: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Tuesday, July 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room. Explore the Wilds of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which Michiganders refer to as God's Country. It offers unspoiled forests, waterfalls, coastal villages, and a rocky terrain. Discover the hardy individuals and a culture unique to this northern wilderness they call home. Cruisin Creamery brings an old idea to a new venue
By Ken DeLaat My love for ice cream emerged at an early age…and it never left.” -Ginger Rogers It was a hot Saturday and my daughter Lesly was erecting a temporary fence in an attempt to deter a pair of recent resident rabbits who had already trimmed the beans and peas. We began hearing a soft tinkling of familiar music. The tune wasn’t familiar but the experience was what jangled my memory center. It was an ice cream truck. I would know the sound if I hadn’t heard it for decades because it was the sound that could bring our neighborhood to an absolute halt when I was a kid. Ball games were temporarily put on hold, jump ropes fell to the ground, kids climbed down off trees and everyone ran to their houses in an attempt to cajole a dime or quarter out of our Moms or Dads I looked toward the road, but it wasn’t a truck at all.. It was a boat. Lesly knew who they were (I swear she knows nearly everyone) and called them to make a return trip to our dock. The Cruisin' Creamery crew (Chelsea, Jade, Eric, Josh and their kids) motored back and we scored a pair of frozen goodies while chatting it up with the trio making the rounds of Hess Lake. Loved the concept so it was decided to send out a few questions for the CC crew. How did this get started? Can you bring us from idea to first launch? Eric noticed an ice cream truck visiting northern Michigan lakes on 4th of July. Immediately he called Josh to start brainstorming on how we can take an ice cream truck and put it on the water. Soon "The Cruisin' Creamery" was born. We began searching for the right boat. After finding the right boat, we began renovating to make room for our freezers and generator. Along the way we installed a new flooring and decking. Painted the entire boat. Quickly, Memorial Day weekend 2024 arrived and we set out on Fremont Lake for our first trip. Where does the ice cream come from? We sell "Ice Box Brand" ice cream bars and popsicles. They are made with best in class ingredients in Whitehall, Michigan. Where was the first creamery cruise? Our first trip out was on Fremont Lake. Since we have visited Hess Lake, Brooks Lake, Sylvan Lake, Emerald Lake If you have lakes you’ve visited more than once are you developing regulars? Yes! We have had people message us on our social media platforms asking us to return to their house for some delicious treats. Tell us your flavors and what are the early favorites? We sell Ice Box Brand specialty bars which include: Green dragon, Cookie Dough, Key Lime Pie, Caramel Cashewlicious, Summertime S'more Ice Box Brand classic bars: Vanilla, Chocolate, Bluemoon Smitten Mitten Ice Pops: Blueberry Bliss, Strawberry Sunshine, Tropical Trio We even have Gluten Free and Dairy Free options! More importantly, can you share a schedule of where you plan on visiting in the near future? We don't have an extended schedule of where we will be. However, people can visit our facebook page "The Cruisin' Creamery" for up to date information about where and when we will be on the water. Photo and article by Donna Iverson
Farmers markets are places of discovery as much as places to buy farm-raised fruits and veggies. This past Saturday, I was looking for anything out of the ordinary. Then I spied a pile of long green snake-like curly shoots. When I asked the farmer what they were, she said “Garlic scapes.” “That’s what I’m here for,” said the man in line behind me. “What do you do with them?” I asked. “Chop them up, sauté them and sprinkle them on pasta,” he answered. “Delicious,” he added. Turns out, garlic scapes are only available for a few weeks in early summer. Farmers cut off the shoots that grow out of the underground garlic bulb. That way, the bulb grows bigger as the energy is funneled downward. Other plants that have scapes that you might be familiar with are leeks and scallions. Scapes are also found on plants of many families, including Amaryllidaceae, Asphodelaceae, Balsaminaceae, Liliaceae, Papaveraceae, Droseraceae, and Violaceae. Taste wise, garlic scapes are not as pungent as garlic bulbs, but stronger than chives. They can be added to pasta dishes, salads, soups, sauces and quiche. Cooks also purée them and turn them into pesto. Garlic scapes store in the refrigerator for about three weeks and can be frozen. In the freezer, they keep for about a year. The garlic scapes pictured here were grown on the Tortoise and Hare organic farm in North Muskegon. |
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