The Whole Field • Volume 5 • No. 17 • New Moon • September 11, 2026
Now Only Memories • 10" x 8"
Night and Day • 11 3/4" x 6"
Some Days the Dragon Wins • 12" x 10"
Laura B DeLind • Linocuts
The Heirloom Apple Conservancy:
A brief overview (& invitation!)
(I was there too, I promise.)
Past:
On the northwest corner of Forest Home township, where Antrim County's Bellaire and Central Lake meet, sits a 4.5-acre, fenced-in, organic apple orchard in the woods. It's spotlighted in this winter pruning video we put together a few years ago, so while you might not have yet visited, you might have laid eyes on it. The orchard was established some twenty years ago and features antique apple varieties such as Snow Apples, Stayman Winesaps, Grimes Goldens, Newtown Pippins, Wolf Rivers, and Somersets on a variety of rootstock. Over the years, sheep have graced those acres, along with beehives, native wildflower plantings, and other trees, like peaches and pecans. Those who started the orchard and have cared for it since are ready to pass along stewardship responsibilities, which is where Crosshatch enters.
Present:
We have a lot going on in Bellaire and elsewhere, which is why we wanted to take a measured approach to orchard adoption regardless of how perfect a fit it seems. We're in the middle of a trial run of sorts, and are aiming to get a better idea of how our own capacity and communal interest in maintaining the space shake out. Last weekend, we held a small initial workday focused on "liberating" the orchard, as it hasn't received as much care in the last few years as it warrants. The result from the hearty crew wielding chainsaws, loppers, and a manual-powered tree-pulling "puller bear" was wonderful.
Future:
While we pulled plenty of autumn olive, cleared aspens, moved debris, and cleaned up fence lines, there's still plenty left to do before we celebrate, harvest, and reflect. We're holding another work gathering on Saturday, the 19th, sometime in the afternoon or evening, and we'd love more hands. If you're interested in making it out or have any questions, let me know by emailing taylor@crosshatch.org and we'll make sure you're in the loop as we iron out the details. And of course, if handwork amongst good company isn't in the cards, this isn't the only orchard-driven Crosshatch opportunity that Saturday—there's a botanical journaling workshop taking place just down the road at King Orchards.
The Warp — Ideas and Inspiration
|| 1 || On the occasion of Wendell Berry's passing, two notes from others:
a.) Perhaps you have a story to tell about the inconvenient beauty that emerges when someone dares to speak as if what’s happening is really happening. Wendell did that, again and again. It is the work of making culture, and it must be conceived, carried to term, and labored over by each generation anew. The burden Wendell carried so faithfully now rests at the feet of the living.
The kids are listening and watching us for clues. They haven’t yet gotten the memo that becoming ancestors worth remembering is beyond the scope of ordinary humans like you and me. With enough courage and practice, perhaps we’ll not let them down this time around.
Thank you, Wendell. I am sitting here beside a bookshelf full of words that you carefully harvested and stacked for people you would never meet. I remember you. I have been sustained by your labors. I am grateful. -Adam Wilson, The Peasantry School Newsletter
b.) I don’t write like Wendell Berry—nobody really does—but I’d say I write because of the man. While the concept of a ‘land ethic’ has existed as long as folks have been stewarding earth, Berry’s work puts it where everyone can see it—makes it tangible with his words. He gave writers like me the permission to pursue common ideas like place, memory, and the spirit of soil with reverence and gravity. -Benjamin Bramble, The Fox Holler Almanac
|| 2 || Laura DeLind's prints featured above might strike you as familiar—maybe that's because her two-color, landscape linocut Sustainable graces the promotional materials for this year's Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference. The conference is less than a month away and features a screening of Farming While Black, a keynote by Rosebud Bear Schneider, a live performance from Seth Bernard, fantastic sessions and workshops, a revamped vendor area, tours at Daybreak Dreamfarm and Providence, and more. Here's where you can find tickets.
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 || The 2026 Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference is coming to downtown Bellaire in less than a month (Oct. 4th-6th.) Find more on the conference, the Culture Keepers theme, and all of the happenings AND get your tickets here.
|| 2 || "Show and Tell" Tour for Farmers - Cattle and Sheep Regenerative Grazing. Monday, September 14th, 6-8pm, Misty Acres Farm (Benzonia). Curious about regenerative grazing? Already a practitioner? Whatever the case, this is an opportunity for farmers, new and established, to meet, tour, learn, and share. Find out more and register here.
|| 3 || Growing a Stronger Food System for All: Through the Seed Awards, Michigan Good Food Fund’s Stakeholder Board awards seed grants ranging from $5,000-$20,000 to eligible businesses in the food and farm sector.
Applications for the next round of funding opened on September 7, 2026. Sign up for the email newsletter to stay up-to-date on this round of funding. For more information regarding the Seed awards and application process visit https://migoodfoodfund.org/support-for-entrepreneurs/seed-awards/#info
|| 4 || Botanical Journaling at King Orchards, Saturday, September 19th, 1-4pm, King Orchards (Central Lake). Join Elizabeth Manning and Jack King for a walking tour of King Orchards and botanical journaling workshop. Supplies provided. Find out more and register here.
|| 5 || Ship Yard is on its way back! A program of Crosshatch at The Alluvion, Ship Yard is a way to support upcoming songwriters in our region. The application is free, and accepted artists receive:
-a high-quality audio and video recording (including files for later mastering) of your performance
professional head shots from photographer Tyler Franz
-a high-quality space to perform
-a generous and attentive audience
-lots of technical support
-a $50 /musician stipend (capped at $250/band)
|| 6 || U.P. Happenings:
-Upper Peninsula Folklife Festival, Oct. 2nd-4th, Marquette.
-Fresh Coast Film Festival, October 15-18, Marquette.
|| 7 || Cozy Cottage Felt Embroidery Workshop. Saturday, October 17th, 1-4pm, Grass River Natural Area (Bellaire). Stitching, ornaments, scrap felt, instruction, and more, all at Grass River Natural Area, led by Kim of Fran and Judy. Find more and sign up here.
|| 8 || Bees!
-Grand Traverse Beekeeping Club: Pesticide Awareness for Beekeepers, by Andrew Russell. Tuesday, September 29th, 6:30-8:30pm, 3400 Veterans Drive, Traverse City. Find more from the GTBC Facebook group here.
-Little Traverse Bay Beekeepers Guild: Annual honey tasting and the ins and outs of cut-outs. Tuesday, October 6th, 6-8pm, Bear Creek Township Hall in Petoskey. Find more here.
|| 9 || Happenings at The Alluvion Between Now and the Next Whole Field include: Funky Uncle + DJ Ras Marco, The Jeff Haas Trio feat Laurie Sears + Lisa Flahive, Nate Smith (two shows), Big Fun + DJ Ras Marco, and Up North Pride “QUEERStory” Pride Week Event.
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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