TLC Farms—so much more than a tomato shop

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Driving south from St. Wenceslaus Church on Setterbo Road is a hidden gem: TLC Farms. Looking from the road, there is a farm house, barns and outbuildings, and a couple of greenhouses. Writer Rebecca Carlson’s advice, pull into their small parking lot and walk back towards the greenhouses. The visitor will be rewarded by the Tomato Shop, which is so much more than a tomato shop. It is a free-standing, permanent structure farm stand for TLC Farms. Clearly, current owners and caretakers Joe Vanderbosch and his wife Anne Cunningham tend their greenhouses, produce “from seed to end product,” and customers with lots of tender loving care. Part of our series on farm stands in Leelanau County.

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Maritime Heritage Alliance keeps history of the lakes alive

The interest in traditional sailing ships—both here in the Grand Traverse Region and throughout much of the world—holds many in fascination. This enthusiasm for both reconstructing and maintaining these boats visually draws past maritime history and current life together. Schooners would come to grace the waterways not only out of need in the early days of settlement, but again today, bringing a deep recreational satisfaction to many. Being aboard, skimming over the water, feeling the wooden planks underneath one’s feet, winds whipping the face, is sheer exhilaration for the adventurous. A passion for classic wooden boats brought together the founders of the Maritime Heritage Alliance (MHA) in the early 1980s. The group’s primary interest was to preserve the maritime history of the area. A quote from the late Bill Livingston, a renowned boat builder from Northport, typifies the alliance’s attitude: “The real joys in life consist of making something with our hands, not making money, but making something.”

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Leland Library hosts series on Community Food Support

Leland Township Public Library is hosting a special two-part series to address food access challenges in our community, as part of the Leland Library Summinars. These events will explore some local efforts that are being made to ensure everyone has reliable access to healthy, nutritious meals. Session 1 features “From the Heart – 5Loaves2Fish” on Tuesday, July 23, at 10 am.

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Running Bear Run returns July 23

Join the Glen Arbor Women’s Club for a fun filled day at the Running Bear 5K Run/Walk & ½ Mile Kids’ Run on Tuesday, July 23. Come out and take the challenge as the run takes off for its 17th year. This is the second year with chip timing for the Run. What makes a beautiful summer day even better? Spending it with family and friends who take the challenge. You can run or walk the 5K. As a chip timed event, we have added 6 age categories for males and females for a total of 16 categories from 10 & under to 80+. Winners will receive medals and prizes from Cherry Republic and Crystal River Outfitters and The Cyclery.

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An innovative coworking, childcare model for Leelanau?

The Aspen House is an initiative that hopes to bring a coworking space with flexible, hourly childcare to Leelanau County in the coming year. Kendall Rose is a small business owner and parent of a 4- and 2-year-old who became inspired to start The Aspen House in the post-pandemic aftermath when finding part-time, affordable childcare became all but impossible. Together with the Glen Lake Community Library in Empire, she is piloting the Work & Play Pop Ups with three summer dates, on Mondays from 10 am-12 pm (June 17, July 22, and August 19). Read more here.

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Empire holds Anchor Day events, July 19-20

Empire will hold its annual Empire Day celebration on Friday-Saturday, July 19-20. Click here for a schedule of events.

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It’s always tea time at Light of Day

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Angela Macke never wanted to be a farmer. “I grew up on a farm and I knew it was hard work,” she says. So here she is tending to her tea farm, Light of Day. She packages a number of different teas at the Demeter-certified biodynamic organic farm on M-72 west of Traverse City. What happened to change her mind? Why organic? And what the heck is biodynamic and Demeter anyway? Check out the third story in our series on agritourism and solutions to the farming crisis.

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Leelanau Historical Society hosts historian Anna-Lisa Cox

The Leelanau Historical Society and Leland Township Public Library will host acclaimed historian and Harvard fellow, Dr. Anna-Lisa Cox, at the Leland Old Art Building on July 19 at 6:30 pm. A donation of $10 is suggested at the door. Seating is limited, registration required. Click here to register. Cox’s lecture is titled “A Free and Independent State: Leelanau County and its Connection to the American Revolution and the Struggle for Freedom and Equality in Early America.” She is a non-resident fellow at The Hutchins Center for African and African American Research Harvard University.

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How Tim Barr got Art’s liquor license

Art’s Tavern in the heart of Glen Arbor celebrates 90 years this year. Tim Barr (who tourists often confuse with “Art”) bought Art’s from Mike Wiesen on July 17, 2000—smack dab in the busy summer season. He couldn’t afford to wait an extra day, or week, for the liquor license to transfer names, so Tim—together with Tom Reay, a long-time Art’s bartender who had just opened Funistrada restaurant in Burdickville—chartered a plane from Traverse City to Lansing to sign the paperwork late in the afternoon at the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. They flew home and returned to Glen Arbor, where Art’s was packed. “Being my own boss was the number 1 priority,” recalled Tim.

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Honoring migrant farmworker graduates and their families

High school graduations typically celebrate the students. But a special ceremony held by Northwest Education Services (NES) at Creekside School in the Grand Traverse Commons on June 21 honored not just local migrant farmworker graduates but also their hardworking families. A page on the foldout printed program declared ¡Sí se pudo! “Yes they could” with a silhouette of graduates in caps and gowns tossing their tassels overlaying a scene of an apple orchard. Ellos creyeron que podían, así que lo hicieron. “They believed they could, and they did it.” “The motivation for holding a separate celebration was to celebrate the parents as well,” said NES bilingual parent liaison Beatriz Moreno. “Parents go through great struggles and sacrifices to help lead their children to graduation. Many of our parents did not get an education or had limited schooling. This is a thank you to our parents for helping get to graduation.” This was the first year the migrant graduation ceremony was held since 1997, when Moreno, herself, graduated from Leland.

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