The Harvest
Everything Harvest is Here!
The Harvest at Bowers Farm extends from May through October. Many of our plants are started in our greenhouse, along with extended growing seasons in our hoop house. The larger gardens are planted during the typical Michigan growing season and maintained as natural as possible.
Our farm store is open to the public and we welcome anyone to come purchase our farm products. Scroll down for more information on Harvest Club.
Follow our Harvest Instagram account for up-to-date information surrounding our harvest.
Vegetable Availability
We have a short season for growing vegetables here in Michigan, but we pack a lot in. This chart is meant to give you an idea of what we grow and when it is in season. Crops are projected to be available when they are highlighted in green.
Notice that peak season in Southeast Michigan is July - September. During that time period you can expect to see the largest variety and abundance in our store.
Please note: Vegetable availability when you visit the store will depend on many factors including weather, pest & disease pressure, demand, and other variables. We will do our best to make sure there is a bountiful selection whenever the store is open, but we can’t guarantee that any specific crop will be available on any specific date.
How We Grow
The vegetable fields are managed by our Agriculture Production Coordinator, Kate Debs. Kate joined the Bowers team in May 2022 and has over 10 years of experience growing vegetables on a number of farms, including running her own small farm for four years in the Upper Peninsula. Kate loves working outside and growing food for her community.
Kate is joined in the vegetable fields by Patty Watson. Patty joined Bowers in January 2022 and is a farm guide during the school year, teaching students who visit the farm about the importance and history of farming. She is currently pursuing an associates in Liberal Arts and a certification in fruit and vegetable production and management at Michigan State University. She intends to obtain a bachelors in agronomic sciences. Patty has 2 years of professional growing experience.
Although we are not certified organic, all of our growing experience and philosophy is centered around organic practices. We prioritize healthy soil as the most important aspect of growing healthy and vibrant plants and employ many practices in order to care for and improve our soil. These include adding compost, cover cropping, crop rotation, and minimal tillage. We do not spray herbicides or pesticides on our vegetables. We love to talk about farming so we welcome questions and curiosity about our growing practices.
Questions? Email kdebs@bloomfield.org
Want access to fresh, local veggies? Our farm store is open to the general public and we keep it well stocked with our produce. Check here for store hours.
Harvest Club
Share in the bounty of our harvest and enjoy a great deal on fresh produce in our Harvest Club
A mash up of a traditional CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and a modern subscription plan; the Harvest Club is great way to source fresh and local produce for your family while supporting Bowers School Farm.
Why you’ll love it
A great deal on fresh produce grown right here on the farm
The flexibility to choose the vegetables you’d like to pick up whenever the farm store is open
An opportunity to get more in touch with the seasons by eating what we grow in our own local climate
A great way to support Bowers School Farm while eating well
How it works
Decide what size is right for you and purchase using the button below
Visit the store (Fridays and Saturdays) April through November and use your Harvest Club Credits to purchase Bowers grown produce
You choose exactly what you want from our seasonal harvest each time you visit — select as much or as little at a time as you want
Keep in Mind
Excludes special single event sales (Native Plant Sale and FFA flower baskets) and u-pick events.
Please note that while other farm products, such as meat and eggs, will be available for purchase, your Harvest Club Credits can only be used for produce.
Purchase the right size for your family. Check out the examples below and if you are unsure please feel free to reach out with questions.
Be sure to use your credits by November. Unused balances will be forfeited at the end of the year and do not carry over to the 2025 season.
Eating local vegetables means following the cycles of our season. The harvest that we bring in from the fields is continually changing. Expect our selection to include the most variety during peak harvest season (July - September) and a more limited variety early in the season (May - June). See the Vegetable Availability Chart above to get an estimate of what we expect to harvest when.
We do not ration your credits in any way throughout the season. You can use them all in August or you can spread them out evenly over the course of the year. We recommend periodically asking what your balance is at check out so that you can make sure you are on track to use your credits by the end of the year.
What 2023 Members say about Harvest Club:
-
"I enjoyed the interaction with staff and supporting the farm. And the ability to choose which vegetables I wanted and how many."
-
"We loved being able to support the Farm and the quality and variety of the vegetables available. The staff is so friendly and our children always looked forward to stopping by to pick up our vegetables for the week."
-
"I loved seeing what was available each week and being able to try some new things. Prices were reasonable and the items were so tasty and fresh. "
Sizes and pricing
Small - $200
You’ll receive $200 in credits to spend on vegetables in the store. Each time you use your credits, you’ll receive 10% off the retail price.
We recommend a small for a one or two person household, or a small family who is just getting started eating locally.
A small member who visited the store every other week April - November would spend an average of about $14/week, which might include 1 bunch of carrots, 1 bunch of beets, 1 bunch of scallions, and a pint of cherry tomatoes.
Medium - $400
You’ll receive $400 in credits to spend on vegetables in the store. Each time you use your credits, you’ll receive 12% off the retail price.
We recommend a medium for a two or three person household that eats a lot of veggies or a four to six person household that eats less veggies.
A medium member who visited the store every other week April - November would spend an average of about $28/week, which might include 2 heads of lettuce, 2 heads of broccoli, 1 pint of snap peas, 1 pint of raspberries, and 1 cucumber.
Large - $600
You’ll receive $600 in credits to spend on vegetables in the store. Each time you use your credits, you’ll receive 15% off the retail price.
We recommend a large for a large family who eats a lot of vegetables or anyone who likes to can or freeze their produce.
A large member who visited the store every other week April - November would spend an average of about $43/week, which might include 2 bunches of carrots, 1 bunch of celery, 2 pints of tomatoes, 3 peppers, 2 summer squash, 2 pints of onions, 1 bunch of kale, and 2 bulbs of garlic.
Example: You purchase a medium share for $400. When you visit the farm store in June, you pick out 2 bunches of carrots and a bag of spinach. The marked price (or general population price) for these items is $10. When you check out you tell the guest services associate that you are a Harvest Club Member. The associate rings you up with your discount and member number. Since you get 12% off the retail price, $8.80 is subtracted from your credits. You now have $391.20 in remaining credits.