The Whole Field • Volume 5 • No. 3 • New Moon • February 18, 2026

In Our Present Joy • 19" x 19" • printed on Nepalese Lokta (tree bark) paper

Tinners' Hares and Rowan in Red • 10" x 10" • printed on Japanese Ho-Sho paper

The Wheel of the Year • 13" x 13" • printed on light peach Kitakata paper

Rachel Snowdon • Lino Prints 

A Seed Worth Nurturing: A NW-MI Hazelnut Primer (ZINE!)

by Taylor Reed

Here's a quick teaser of the hazelnut zine XH will have on offer soon. We're still sorting out the details, but you can expect physical copies available at Crosshatch locations (8th St TC Commongrounds office and XH Meeting Place + Mercantile in Bellaire), events and gatherings, and, eventually, a digital download if you'd like to print and assemble your own or share it with someone who might. 

Curious about how to assemble a zine like this? It's simple: after printing double-sided, make one cut, one fold, and add one staple (or thread binding), and baby, you've got a... sixteen-page mini booklet. The introduction is excerpted below. 

In 2020, our family moved to a new place. The threat of being without adequate housing loomed over us before we arrived, but when we got here, we sensed a shift. Pressure, confusion, dead-ends, and urgency felt dark, but upon unloading our possessions here, tangible potential and opportunity, ways forward, seemed to grow. And in these foothills of the Glacial Hills, in soil a bit barren and not too deep, something else grew: hazel shrubs.

The previous owner had begun the makings of a hedgerow, tracking down from where we now store our firewood, along the contours of the property line past where once stood a livestock barn, long ago burnt to the ground, eventually to the massive silver maple marking the corner of the property.

Hazelnut, ninebark, hazelnut, ninebark, hazelnut, with spring flowers beneath. These shrubs, often used in conservation plantings to promote biodiversity, habitat, and food for wildlife, also play a role in small-scale subsistence nut endeavors, as well as larger, mechanically harvested, commercial-scale operations. I write this pamphlet primarily as a reflection on the two former examples, as the hazel thickets that were here before us seem to fit those models.

Although this is a pocket primer on hazelnuts, it’s also a broad reminder of unknown potential ahead, places where light breaks through and paths appear, of what’s worth cherishing and what’s worth sharing. My hope is that it serves as an inspiration, one hinged to something grounded and true...

The Warp — Ideas and Inspiration

|| 1 || If you check out Rachel Snowdon's background, the artist behind the lino prints above, you might wonder why we've featured a London-born, Devon, UK-based artist for this particular edition. Well, Rachel's wonderful work is not only showcased at the top of this email—it also graces the front cover of A Seed Worth Nurturing. Rachel was kind enough to let us use her Cob Nuts print (cob nuts, hazelnuts, and filberts are all more or less synonymous, depending on how deep a rabbit hole you want to explore), and it seemed like a perfect fit to share some of her other work here. 

As a side note, we've also had the pleasure of sharing work from Birmingham, UK-based David Benjamin Blower in this newsletter, who happens to share similar influences like the Arts and Crafts movement, folklore, ecology, and folk music. For a quick example, his song "The Gentle Strong" from The Book of Bare Life & Returnscontains the refrain "No Wealth But Life," a line from fellow English-person John Ruskin, who happened to serve as a philosophical pillar of the Arts and Crafts movement. 


|| 2 || What's a zine? "A zine, short for fanzine or magazine, is a DIY* subculture self-publication, usually made on paper and reproduced with a photocopier or printer. Zine creators are often motivated by a desire to share knowledge or experience with people in marginalized or otherwise less-empowered communities."  According to Josh Barton, MSU's zine librarian, “In the same way as punk music, kids took the means of production into their own hands. At the time, they didn’t have social networking websites to build a scene with, so there needed to be some sort of other infrastructure built.” You've still got time to make your own for some swapping and camaraderie if you like—the Detroit Zine Fest is coming up on May 16th, while the Grand Rapids Zine Fest is on August 8th. 

|| 3 || Let's wrap this up with some XH voices from elsewhere: 

-Here's Brad on season 3 of the Roundhouse Foundation's podcast, Funding Rural, talking about Crosshatch. 

-The Top Five Issues Impacting Northern Michigan Farming in 2026, from Northern Express, features input from Daniel on the state of Ag in this state today. 

-The Art of the Harvest: Cultivating community through farming and creativity, an article from Rural Innovation Exchange, features Amanda and Brad and their take on Crosshatch's work and influence in this region. 

The Weft — News and Events

We’re heartened by a wide-range of expressions of resilient communities and gatherings. Here’s a smattering of regional events and happenings that reflect that diversity, collected for your consideration. Choose your own adventure!

|| 1 || Antrim Writers Series presents: Teresa Scollon.
- Reading and Book Signing. Wednesday, Feb. 18th, 7-8:30pm, at Bee Well Mead & Cider, Bellaire, MI. 

- Poetry Writing Workshop. Thursday, Feb. 19th, 1-3pm, at Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire, MI.
Find more details and register at the links above. The first 25 registrants will receive a free copy of Teresa's poetry collection, No Trouble Staying Awake. 

|| 2 || Small is Beautiful: Living Large in a Tiny House. Feb. 22nd, 1pm, Glen Arbor Arts Center. "In 2012 Leelanau County couple Rolf and Mari von Walthausen decided to move from their 2,000 square foot home into a 240 square foot tiny house. The couple will talk about their radical resizing -- how and why they did it. The program, Living Large in a Tiny House, is free, and is offered as part of the GAAC’s INteriors exhibition. Read more here."

|| 3 || The Ship Yard: Agnes Su & The Country Band. Tuesday, March 3rd, 5:30-7:30pm at The Alluvion. Ship Yard is a community artist program supporting emerging local musicians. Be among the first to experience our region’s rising talent and support their journey as they set sail as artists! Find more on the evening and featured artists here. 

|| 4 || Inland Seas March Cafe – Beech Trees & Passenger Pigeons: A Love Story. March 3rd, 10-11am. Held at the Capt. Thomas M. Kelly Biological Station in Suttons Bay, MI. "Join Jess Piskor for a presentation and discussion of his work on Passenger Pigeons and Beech Trees. It is a one-of-a-kind love letter to these two surprisingly interrelated species... Expect dramatic narration, physical props, original art, and a lively question-and-answer period. If you love birds, forests, sculpture, and local history, this Cafe is for you. There will be no PowerPoint." Find more details and RSVP here.

|| 5 || Michigan Good Food Fund and MSU Center for Regional Food Systems' Emerging Farmer Learning Series. "Not only must farmers juggle soil health, growing seasons, and pests, but they must also manage many facets of running a business. This free, 7-week webinar series explores key business skills for Michigan growers... These virtual sessions will be held on Wednesdays from 12-1:30pm, March 4-April 15, 2026." Find more details on the session topics here and/or register here. Bonus: Crosshatch will host group viewings for this series at our Commongrounds office space (414 E 8th Street, 2nd floor, "The Grove" in Traverse City). Come for free coffee, no tech setup to worry about, and in-person connection with other farmers and farm supporters in the room.

|| 6 || Indigenous Food Sovereignty Summit. April 6-8th, at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center in East Lansing. Find details on the gathering, co-hosted by Michigan State University & University of Michigan, celebrating "Indigenous food systems, cultural resilience, and community-driven solutions for food sovereignty" here. 

|| 7 || 2026 Grower Educational Series: Whole Farm Crop Insurance. Presented by the NE Michigan Healthy Food Initiative. Thursday, Feb. 26th, 11am-12pm. "This session on Whole Farm Crop Insurance will focus on understanding production risk and how farmers can strategically transfer that risk through insurance tools designed to protect the entire farm operation." Find more on the session here, and register here. 

|| 8 || Food Literacy for All—January-April 2026. "Launched in 2017, Food Literacy for All is a community-academic partnership course based at the University of Michigan. Structured as an evening lecture series, Food Literacy for All features different guest speakers each week to address challenges and opportunities of diverse food systems. The course is free and open to the public." Find the series schedule, more details, and instructions for registration here.

|| 9 || Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant Program. "Direct financial support is available for farmers who seek to join our effort to mitigate climate change through agroforestry." Click here to find out more about the payment-per-acre-based reimbursement program focused on implementing projects like "Alley cropping, Forest farming, Riparian forest buffers, Silvopasture, Urban food forest, and Windbreaks." Applications are now being accepted and are due March 3rd. 

|| 10 || Happenings at The Alluvion Between Now and the Next Whole Field include: Here:Say Presents: Modern Love, The Jeff Haas Trio feat. Laurie Sears + Lisa Flahive, Alla Boara, The Alluvion Big Band with Very Special Guest Bob Mintzer, Big Fun, Keith Hall Brazilian Jazz Trio with Chico Pinheiro, Interlochen In Town: An Evening of Woodwind Chamber Music with Piano, Funky Uncle, and Ship Yard Series - Agnes Su & The Country Band. 

Find more information at thealluvion.org. 

sponsored by:

Desmond Liggett Wealth Advisors is a mission-driven, fee-only wealth management company with a simple purpose: to generate exceptional value for the individuals, families, small business owners, and non-profit organizations they serve. Desmond Liggett Wealth Advisors believe in and adhere to triple-bottom-line analysis for portfolio investments, ensuring that they review how a company’s environmental and social values impact its long-term resilience and, consequently, value.

Crosshatch’s The Whole Field is a biweekly (meaning roughly every other week) human-written newsletter. We aim to provide engaging, thought-provoking content that’s worth your time. Click here to subscribe to our mailing list.

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