Producer

Hello from Andrea's Acres! This is my third year with Ypsilanti farmers markets as a farmer. The last two years I was trying out the name Maybee Farms, but I always allow for alliteration. I operate this small farm of 5 acres in Maybee with the occasional assistance of my husband and two kids. My farm goal is full circle, sustainable farming that emphasizes biodiversity in a small space. Sort of the antithesis of the giant monocultures that make up the bulk of modern farming. I have a flock of chickens that freely wander the property foraging, and fertilizing, and eating up the bugs. Some of my produce plans will take a while to get to market (come on fruit and nut trees!), but in the mean time I plant a wide variety of veggies from microgreens and kale to tomatoes, peppers, parsnips and pumpkins.

As a very small enterprise, I do not have any certifications or formal documentation of my farm practices. That said, my practices fit within integrated pest management. Practices such as crop rotation and companion planting are the first goal, and pesticides are a last resort only, and are always organic. Diatomaceous earth and Bt are my primary tools there, and both are used in a limited and targeted manner. Soil fertility is also managed organically with a focus on crop rotation and compost (thank you chickens!). Additional soil amendments are as needed and organic approved.