The Whole Field • Volume 5 • No. 18 • Full Moon • September 26, 2026
Please, I Have No Where Else To Go • 11" x 14" • Fabric & Watercolor on Canvas
Where it All Ends • 11" x 14" • Recycled Materials & Watercolor on Paper
The Perfect Plot of Land • 11" x 14"/17" x 20" • Recycled Fabric, Cardboard, & Watercolor on Paper
Jacqueline Essmaker • From the ECOCIDE collection
"...After taking in the rich culture and history of a movement at the Algoma Art Museum, it was obvious how the Group of Seven’s impact reached into the present day. Their images and contributions to Canadian culture were equaled only by a select group of hockey stars and politicians. Servicemen and women overseas in World War II had an assortment of works by the group in their barracks, common areas, and mess halls as reminders of the unique homeland they wished to protect. School children grew up with prints of The Jack Pine, The Solemn Land, and A September Gale adorning classroom walls, overseeing the education of thousands of Canadian youth. The modern move of great artworks done by cultural icons and celebrities starkly contrasts the Group of Seven’s sensibilities of a greater art for a diverse people. It was a dedication to the common folk, the struggling hearty people of the north, whose spirit the Seven wished to encapsulate. The ideals and work flowing from these permeated the rest of our time within the Algoma Region of Canada. We traveled to Wawa, witnessed the art that would define a nation, and became educated on the wild and rugged places that formed a cultural awakening...
The Warp — Ideas and Inspiration
|| 1 || Last year, Crosshatch printed a small run of booklets containing a selection of essays and artwork previously featured in the Whole Field. After some editing and slight revisions, the inaugural edition of Woven will soon be back in print. Pre-orders are available here now.
Also, if I'm in promotion mode, I've gotta point to the Small Farm Conferenceschedule here. The Antrim County-hosted event is going to be lovely, and the crew has been putting a ton of work into ensuring a great experience. Tickets are available here.
|| 2 || I was struck, as I went about my days last week, by different versions of the same question over and over:
Close to home, State Rep. Betsy Coffia asked, "If caring about each other and our beautiful home is not the point of being here… What is?"
And in my inbox sat an invitation to listen to John Mark McMillan's latest Flirting with Enchantment podcast. The episode: a faith-based, wine-exploring, rootedness-centric edition titled "What's a person for?"
Even Woven, the collection of writings plugged above, speaks to the same question as it pines for Hatchquarters, Crosshatch's long-term land-based project, to take shape as "...a living forum for learning together what people are for...". That fragment is a reference to Wendell Berry's essay collection What Are People For?, which, as you might have guessed, is also referenced in the podcast above.
I suppose I should be paying attention to the quandary. Let me know your thoughts if you've got 'em.
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 soon (Oct. 4th-6th.) Find more on the conference, the Culture Keepers theme, and all of the happenings AND get your tickets here.
|| 2 || Save the Date: U-Pick Heirloom Apple Conservancy Harvest, October 10th. An informal harvest gathering and celebration culminating Crosshatch's community orchard trial (explored recently in the WF, Vol. 5, No. 17). Time tbd, more details to come.
|| 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 close on September 28th. For more information regarding the Seed awards and application process visit https://migoodfoodfund.org/support-for-entrepreneurs/seed-awards/#info
|| 4 || 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)
|| 5 || Straw to Gold: How Flax Becomes Linen, with Bev Thorne. October 3rd, 2026, 10am-12pm, Wagbo Farm (East Jordan). Delve into a communal tradition of processing straw into fiber and then durable yarn. Hands-on tool use, and more. Find more details and register here.
|| 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, Wellness Wednesdays @ The Alluvion with Amelia - Kick Off Your Shoes And Groove, The Jeff Haas Trio feat Laurie Sears + Lisa Flahive, Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, Kiefer, Djangophonique - Django Stories, and the Traverse City Design Week 2026 Closing Celebration.
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.
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