The Whole Field • Volume 5 • No. 9 • New Moon • May 16, 2026
Where the Light Gets In • Hailey Becker
LED tube lights, 3D printed angle flanges • Photo Credit: Vadu Rodrigues • 2025
I planted pussy willows two weeks ago. I think they’re a pretty underrated shrub; I’ve always loved them for their soft, grey, buds, and as an adult, their presence reminds me that my grandmother’s birthday is near. But I suspect they go relatively unnoticed, especially if you’re not hanging out with curious children or ecologists in the Northern stretches of North America. My latest fascination with them has been over their ability to feed early pollinators, and their potential as a dewormer.
I’ve been working for more than half a decade now to reduce the parasite overload in my sheep and help them regain their strength, and given that I’m not one to jump to chemical dewormers, I’m investigating long-view, perennial methods that integrate easy treatments into daily flock activities. Another local farmer mentioned once that he cuts a load of willows each Spring as sheep fodder, and that this seems to wipe away any problems. Many young shoots and bitter greens do contain enough tannins to help knock back internal parasites, so I’m giving it a try.
Unfortunately, despite being surrounded by wetlands, healthy pussy willows are scarce here, or simply inaccessible, so I had to bring the apothecary to the barn. Reaching out to friend and local native plant specialist, McKay, I had hopes of receiving between two and ten potted plants. In hindsight, I see why his method was better, but it was still a bit of a shock when he said, “I’ve got 100 cuttings in a bucket for you.”...
The Warp — Ideas and Inspiration
|| 1 || Where the Light Gets In, the other-worldly art installation featured at the top of this email is intriguing at first glance, but consideration of the roots of the piece takes it a notch further: the trees lit with strobes were trees marked for removal. Hailey Becker’s work stopped me and made me think—the very process I wrote about in First Slow Me Down, Then Move Me. Strangely enough, if you take a look at that essay, bullet-point #4 of the introduction is an allusion to a line from Leonard Cohen’s Anthem. That’s right—just like Hailey Becker’s Where the Light Gets In.
My friend and colleague, Katrina, sent along a write-up on Becker’s work last month. While the piece focused on Hailey’s nutshell-centric installation, the thrust of the work explored was similar. Art meets forestry, an aesthetic foray into ecology. If you remember what organization sent you this email, you won’t be surprised to hear that’s an intersection worth paying attention to. I like to think my own little contribution, the hazelnut zine A Seed Worth Nurturing, fits in there too. Stop by XH Meeting Place + Mercantile in Bellaire next Saturday if you want a physical copy.
|| 2|| What Lasts (or: On a Legacy of Garlic), the write-up above, is a dispatch from a farm in New York state. Kia-Beth considers the lasting impressions and shapes we leave, dependent upon what we choose to nurture. I didn’t expect it to relate to a podcast on wooden cradles (thanks again, Katrina!) that Shaker communities crafted for adults. I mean, really, given the subject, I had no idea what the cradle talk would have to do with, full stop. Turns out, there is a through-line, even beyond the New York State origins. The artists who curated the exhibition intended it to be a space of both contemplation and nurture, a space “to believe one is contributing to the sustenance of the future.” The exhibition, part of a Shaker museum pop-up in Chatham, New York, does this by showcasing the coffin-sized cradles built to facilitate a kind and gentle way to show up for those close to death. The rocking motion alleviated bedsores and allowed the infirm to stay in their homes. Those movements comforted those who lay in them, both historically and at the pop-up.
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 || Memorial Day Weekend Happenings at XH Meeting Place & Mercantile (Bellaire).
-Seedling Sale. Friday, May 22nd, 2-6pm. Check out Torch Lake Co-op's seedling sale on tables in front, beside, and behind XH Meeting Place & Mercantile, as well as a Crosshatch table where you can purchase goods from local artists and ask our new general manager, Elizabeth Manning, questions about the space.
-Open House + Pop-Up. Saturday, May 23rd, 11am-4pm. Find the XH table mentioned above, along with Elizabeth and other staff, and more opportunities to step inside and learn more about the space at 221 N. Bridge St.
|| 2 || Antrim Writers Series, presented by Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology: Reading and Book Signing and Fiction Writing Workshopwith Katey Schultz. Wednesday, May 27th, 7-8:30pm at Bee Well Mead & Cider, and Thursday, May 28th, 1-3:30pm at Grass River Natural Area. Find more information at the links above.
|| 3 || The Long Memory Project: Farmland. Commongrounds, TC. "The Long Memory Project’s (LMP) mission is to cultivate the passing down of our community’s stories. Not just the ones considered worthy enough to make headlines and history books, but the small acts of courage, action, good governance and community building—the songs, poems and stories that help us understand where we came from, who we are, and what we envision for our future—both regionally and beyond." Work will be on display until June 6th.
|| 4 || The Ship Yard: CLAIRVØYANT + SARA HARTLEY & SAMBA DTuesday, June 2nd, 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.
|| 5 || Substance Misuse and Farming Webinar. May 19th, noon-1pm. "Join Michigan State University Extension Educators for an informative session that explores how opioids affect the body, the current landscape of the opioid crisis, and how substance use can present itself in different ways. We will also examine how loneliness in farming can worsen pain and contribute to substance use risk. The session will close with a focus on protective factors and practical strategies to support overall well-being." More info and registration here.
|| 6 || Mark your Calendars! The 2026 Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference is coming to downtown Bellaire, Oct. 4th-6th. Find more on the theme ("Culture Keepers") and the conference here.
|| 7 || The 2026 NMSFC Farm Job Board—Check out this year's opportunities here. Submitting positions is strongly encouraged. Please share in your networks, and keep an eye out for more openings that might be a good fit for you or someone you know.
|| 10 || Happenings at The Alluvion Between Now and the Next Whole Field include: Randy Napoleon & Waking Dream, Big Fun, The Janice Keegan Trio ft. Bryn Roberts & Jack Dryden, The Jeff Haas Trio featuring Laurie Sears + Lisa Flahive, Mark Lavengood's "Prine Time" John Prine Tribute Concert, Brandon Fitzpatrick & The Element with special guest Jordan Hamilton Trio, “Folkroom”with Emilee Petersmark, i.am.james., and Loren Johnson, and The Alluvion Big Band.
Find more information at thealluvion.org.
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