Farm 651: Sowing sustainability in Cedar

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor

Never underestimate the power of the Internet, the promise of good wine or the beauty of Leelanau County.

The first two brought Junie Zou and Jason Roggensee from their home southeast of Phoenix to a Leelanau Peninsula wine trail event last fall. The third compelled them to purchase 80 acres along County Road 651, a quarter mile south of Cedar. They named their new property “Farm 651,” and Roggensee said they’re building their concept for the land around sustainable farming and building practices and “what’s good for the environment.”

Since March, the pair has planted apple and cherry trees, grown rye grass as a cover crop, had a culvert built across a creek, (to access trees on the opposite side that need management), hired excavator Brian Weber to grade the land, and partnered with Mark Poineau of North Haven Construction to build an energy-efficient concrete block “farm store” that will double as an April-to-October residence for them for the next few years. Later this month, work will begin on a carriage house that includes storage and guest quarters.

“Most wine-producing regions are cost-prohibitive,” said Roggensee, a 34-year-old real estate broker, general contractor and wine lover. He added that Leelanau County’s fertile land and “perfect seasons” lend themselves to the couple’s pursuit of sustainable farming, but he also noted that agriculture in this area just can’t survive without a niche.

“It’s really a tough animal there, because it’s too expensive for farmland or residential,” he said of the large, undeveloped tracts the couple saw here during their search. “It’s a shame; there’s a ton of unused land,” he continued. “I’m not a big advocate of lots of development, but the land could be donated or used for nonprofits or land conservation, converting a portion of a lot for agricultural use.”

Ideas stream from Roggensee, who watched his Arizona cotton-farming community become a bustling city. The nearby town of Gilbert, where he lives today, is the eighth fastest-growing district in the nation. Roggensee and Zou are in a mixed-used, self-contained community that sits on an old farmstead and integrates a neighborhood of homes with retail stores, restaurants, offices, churches, a private school, orchard, garden plot, farm stand, green space and town square.

They would like their new farm to connect with community members, too. A farm store will invite customers inside to browse shelves lined with produce grown on the property, with jams and pies perhaps made by Zou (a “fantastic cook and baker”) in the central kitchen, and with pre-made mixes she has discovered during her culinary pursuits. Ideally, some of their land would be set aside for use by nonprofits, to teach farming techniques. Roggensee has contacted SEEDS (a nonprofit research, design and educational organization that encourages development of ecologically sustainable environments) in Traverse City about the latter, but found he needs to address liability issues concerning third-party use of tractors, farm implements, etc.

Roggensee wants to help change the public’s perception that green-built, energy-efficient homes are more expensive — a conclusion he said is reached by those who have seen the market’s overpriced homes or who are unfamiliar with sustainable construction practices. (Visit www.farm651.com to read his regular blog posts about the farm’s progress, including its sustainable buildings and systems that cost no more than typical construction.)

Rogensee and Zou aren’t farmers or even gardeners, but they’re doing their homework. Rogensee consulted with the owner of Chateau Fontaine winery about the best type of grapes to grow on his site and has had his soil tested twice. He took a class last month on hop growing offered through the MSU Extension. People from SEEDS will help them construct a deer fence and prepare the soil for gardening. It’s this help from others that has impressed them the most.

“We really, really like the people there,” he said. “We knew all our neighbors in the first five days. When you know three-quarters of the people in town, it gives you a safety perspective.”

As far as their perfect vision for the farm in 10 years: “We really have no expectations,” he said. “We really just want to be comfortable in our surroundings and friends. If we have to change our plan or go in a different direction, we are always willing to do so.