We hope your holiday season has been joyful and fufilling.  After the busy-ness of December, we will

begin planning in earnest for spring on the farm!  For once, we are thankful for a long winter.

Many have asked us why we would buy a farm.  Here are a few of our reasons:

1. We want to know where our food comes from.  Specifically, we want it to be produced in a   

    sustainable and ethical manner.

2.  There is a need for locally-produced, healthy food in our community.

3.  We enjoy the physical and emotional effort of caring for the land.  Our goal is to leave the earth

     better than we found it.

4.  It will foster community-building.  Trust us, we will need plenty of help! We plan to give back with

     education events and a fall party.

Our plans for 2012 include:

1.  Attempting to honor and continue the amazing work that David and Natasha began.

2.  Growing a managable garden while we learn the ropes.  This will be done organically.

3.  Having a variety of livestock, including a small herd of grass-fed cows, pigs, meat and egg-laying

     chickens.

4.  Learning about the bees, hopefully with a batch of honey to come.

5.  Tapping the maple trees in the spring.

Long term goals:

1.  Adding wind and solar energy.

2.  The sky is the limit!

We look foward to seeing you on the farm!

John and Wendy

Crane Talk
The Newsletter of Dancing Crane Farm
November 6, 2011

Hello, Everyone,
Dancing Crane Farm has officially been sold and is now in the hands of wonderful new owners.  How wonderful to be making this transition before Mother Nature wraps us in her snowy blanket.  I feel truly blessed!

As you know, this past year has been a tough one for both David and me. We couldn't have come through it without the love, support, kind words and encouragement from all of you...our loyal farm family.  Though we are both in a much different place both emotionally and physically than this time last year, we look forward to the future with an open heart and mind.  Good things are waiting for us!  

This certainly is not goodbye. Neither of us plans to leave the area.  I am still living in the community, working at the Co-op, staying actively involved on the Northern Vegans Board and quietly dreaming about my next venture, which will mostly likely involve farming in some form.   I have not really had much time to think about my future yet.  My sites have been focused on making sure that Dancing Crane Farm ends up in the right hands...and, I am happy to say that it has!

John & Wendy Frye, of Marquette, are excited to be the new owners of DCF and plan to carry on the tradition of beyond organic farming.  They are eager to get to know you (our farm family) and plan to offer volunteer opportunities as soon as they get their feet wet (most likely in the Spring).  If you are interested in reconnecting with DCF, meeting John & Wendy, and getting your fingers in the soil, e-mail your name and contact information to john@dancingcranefarm.com. They will contact you when they are ready to host volunteers.  For now, learn a bit more about them at www.dancingcranefarm.com/staff.  You can look forward to newsletter updates from them in the coming months.  

In the words of Wendell Berry, beloved farmer and poet, "So, friends, every day do something that won't compute...Give your approval to all you cannot understand...Ask the questions that have no answers.  Put your faith in two inches of humus that will build under the trees every thousand years...Laugh.  Be joyful though you have considered all the facts...Practice resurrection."

Farwell for now.  Til we meet again.  If you would like to stay in touch with me, you can reach me at 906-235-9180 or go4organic@yahoo.com.  

Be Well,

Natasha 


Dancing Crane Farm
348 Lawson Road
Skandia, MI 49885
Phone: 906.235-9180
info@dancingcranefarm.com
www.dancingcranefarm.com

Dancing Crane Farm is responsible for the content of this email.
Natasha Lantz, 348 Lawson Road, Skandia, MI 49885

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Crane Talk
The Newsletter of Dancing Crane Farm
August 28, 2011

Greetings & Salutations!
Hello, All!  Hope the summer has been treating you well.  The sun has been a real blessing, but we sure could use some rain.  Natasha was at the farm yesterday mowing and weeding to keep the place looking good for potential purchasers.  Wow!  Dancing Crane Farm sure is a magical place!

A big thanks to all of you who have inquired about our well-being, where things are at with the sale of the farm and what you can do to help.  So, here is the scoop:

Farm Showings
Financially, we need to move the house ASAP and will pay $500.00 to anyone who finds us the final buyer of the farm. 
We continue to show the farm weekly to interested parties but don't have any offers yet.  We are highly motivated to sell the house before winter arrives and are willing to do whatever it takes to help the new owners make it happen.  We just know that the right buyer is out there waiting to purchase Dancing Crane Farm and make it their new home. 

We are willing to entertain reasonable offers, arrange for firewood, serve as consultants regarding the wood boiler, blowing out the plumbing lines to the outbuildings for winter, etc.  We are in the mood to bargain but cannot entertain land contract or other seller financing options.  We need someone to purchase it outright through a mortgage or other finacial arrangement.

Calling all Facebookers & E-Mailers
Please help us distribute the wonderful video that we made about Dancing Crane Farm via e-mail to all your friends and family as well as posting it on your Facebook pages.  The more people who see it, the greater the chances are that we will sell the property.  You can access it and a new Flickr photo gallery from our homepage at www.dancingcranefarm.com. *A huge thank you to those of you who have already done this for us.
 
Riding Mower Needed
We are looking for a free or cheap riding mower (yes, it needs to actually mow) for the farm.  If you have one or know of someone who does, please let us know.

Lending Library Materials
If you have any materials (books, videos, etc.) from the DCF Lending Library hanging out around your house somewhere, could you kindly return them to Natasha at the Co-op.  She needs them for a couple of upcoming projects.  Thanks! 

Sincerely,
Natasha & David


Dancing Crane Farm
348 Lawson Road
Skandia, MI 49885
Phone: 906.235-9180
info@dancingcranefarm.com
www.dancingcranefarm.com

Dancing Crane Farm is responsible for the content of this email.
Natasha Gill, 348 Lawson Road, Skandia, MI 49885

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Crane Talk
The Newsletter of Dancing Crane Farm
July 30, 2011

Greetings & Salutations!
Summer is certainly here.  The hot weather has been a blessing for the crops after such a cold, wet Spring.  Now, all we need is some more rain.  If we get some more soon, our local farmers will most likely have a bumper harvest at the end of this growing season. Let's keep our fingers crossed for them and do our rain dances every chance we get.  

We are both doing as well as can be expected during this time of transition for us and for the farm.  We sincerely appreciate the cards, e-mails, calls and kind words of support.  It is wonderful to be part of such a loving community.  

We continue to show the farm weekly to interested parties but don't have any offers yet.  We have high hopes of selling the farm before winter arrives.  We just know that the right family is out there waiting to purchase Dancing Crane Farm and make it their new home.  

New Farm Video To Share
We have just posted a fantastic new video of the farm on YouTube. We are hoping that you will help us out by forwarding the link to everyone you know, after you have watched it of course:) You can access it and a new Flickr photo gallery from our homepage at www.dancingcranefarm.com. 
 
Opportunity to Live at and Manage DCF Still Available
This opportunity is still available.  A local person has expressed interest in purchasing Dancing Crane Farm but is not interested in the day to day management of the property.  He is looking for someone to live at and manage Dancing Crane Farm.  He would like a place in the country to bring his family on the weekends and would like to have access to fresh produce and other farm products.  If you are interested in farming and have the skills to maintain the property as a working farm, perhaps this would be an option for you.  Contact Natasha for more information.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and do please stay in touch.

Sincerely,
Natasha & David


Dancing Crane Farm
348 Lawson Road
Skandia, MI 49885
Phone: 906.235-9180
info@dancingcranefarm.com
www.dancingcranefarm.com

Dancing Crane Farm is responsible for the content of this email.
Natasha Gill, 348 Lawson Road, Skandia, MI 49885

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Crane Talk
The Newsletter of Dancing Crane Farm
June 28, 2011

Greetings Everyone!

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.  Things here at the farm have been quiet as you might guess.  Gosh, we sure do wish someone would purchase our baby and bring her back to life.  The fields are ready to be planted, the summer kitchen is just waiting for food and the the sauna stove is waiting to be lit. 

We have had many inquiries about Dancing Crane Farm and have shown it to many people in the last weeks. Many thanks to those of you who are passing the word to those who might be interested in our place.

Recently, we listed it on various FOR SALE BY OWNER websites:

www.UPFSBO.com Listing #0372

www.forsalebyowner.com Listing #23141467

www.fsbo.com Listing #149710

Dancing Crane Farm Showing
We will be hosting another day of showings on Wednesday, July 7th.  Call Natasha at 906-235-9180 or e-mail natasha@dancingcranefarm.com to schedule a time.

Opportunity to Live at and Manage DCF
We do have an opportunity that we would like to tell you about.  A local person has expressed interest in purchasing Dancing Crane Farm but is not interested in the day to day management of the property.  He is looking for someone to live at and manage Dancing Crane Farm.  He would like a place in the country to bring his family on the weekends and would like to have access to fresh produce and other farm products.  If you are interested in farming and have the skills to maintain the property as a working farm, perhaps this would be an option for you.  Contact Natasha for more information.

Border Grill Mobile Cafe 
As you know, The Border Grill purchased Dancing Crane Farm Cafe and reopened their version of the traveling cafe this past week in Marquette.  They will be at the Marquette Farmers Market on Saturdays and plan to serve a different menu than they have at their three permanent locations.  They also plan to use local ingredients whenever possible.  They are still developing their menu, but will try to offer at least one gluten-free, dairy-free option.  Please patronize their new endeavor and help them be successful!

Sincerely,
Natasha & David


Dancing Crane Farm
348 Lawson Road
Skandia, MI 49885
Phone: 906.235-9180
info@dancingcranefarm.com
www.dancingcranefarm.com

Dancing Crane Farm is responsible for the content of this email.
Natasha Gill, 348 Lawson Road, Skandia, MI 49885

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Crane Talk
The Quarterly Newsletter of Dancing Crane Farm
April 24, 2011

Greetings,

The Earth
Happy Spring!  Can you believe that our humble farm mailing list has grown to more than 750 people?  Thanks for being part of our farm community.  Change certainly is in the air both around the world and at the farm.  Hopefully, the weather will start warming the earth in the next couple of weeks.  This last snow has been a blessing in disguise because of the moisture it has brought all of us.  Farmers and gardeners know that we are in for a dry season if we don't get rain soon.  We are already more than 4 inches behind normal for this time of year.  So, keep your fingers crossed. A nice combination of sunshine and rain would be perfect:)

The Community
Have you heard the great news, yet?  The Border Grill has purchased Dancing Crane Cafe.  They plan to use local food from local farms on the menu they are designing especially for their new cafe endeavor.  We are thrilled to be working with Dan and his crew to keep the cafe in our community.  Please continue to patronize the "food wagon" at the Marquette Farmers' & Artisans' Market each week.  

The Homefront
We have some sensitive news to share with all of you.  Before the rumors start to fly, we would like to provide you with the facts.  Please help us spread the truth.  As of last Friday, David and I have separated.  This is a mutual agreement with no animosity attached.  Basically, we are taking a break.  We are not getting a divorce at this point, just need some breathing room to find ourselves and do some badly needed self care.  As you can imagine, there is lots of emotion involved with this kind change.  David will be at the farm because he needs to take care of his sled dogs.  Natasha has moved in with her parents in Skandia.  She can be reached at 906.942.7106. 

Please set the record straight with others who will no doubt be wondering what is going on.  We both ask for your patience and positive thoughts during this time of transition.  We do not know what the future holds for us or the farm.  There is a world of possibility just down the road.  We have begun the journey.

Sincerely,
Natasha & David


Dancing Crane Farm
348 Lawson Road
Skandia, MI 49885
Phone & Fax: 906.942.7975
info@dancingcranefarm.com
www.dancingcranefarm.com

Dancing Crane Farm is responsible for the content of this email.
Natasha Gill, 348 Lawson Road, Skandia, MI 49885

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Crane Talk
The Sometimes Weekly Newsletter of Dancing Crane Farm
December 18, 2010

Happy Holidays!
Sending you and your families our sincerest wishes for a safe and peaceful holiday season as well as a bright new year full of possibility. 

As Our Lives Go
Most of you are probably wondering why you haven’t heard from us in so long.  Simple…we have been pooped out!  This past season was probably our best yet as far as smoothness of operations.  However, with the addition of Dancing Crane Farm Café (our mobile food machine), things were pretty intense.  We are heartened by the fact that many of you have written to let us know that you miss our frequent updates about farm life. 

So, here is the low down on what all of us are up to.  David is spending the majority of his time working on snow removal and training his dogs.  I am busy at the Co-op and trying to play “catch up” here at home.  Kelly and Chris are eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child in late January.  Casey is back home in Holland but will be starting an internship at the Agape Community http://www.agapecommunity.org in the new year.  Robert is back with his family in West Bloomfield working on his cooking and yoga skills.  Andrea and Bob just purchased property in Kansas nearer to family and are expecting their first little one this Spring.  Deena and Alyssa are being good students and staying active at U of M in Ann Arbor.  Sam is back in Holland spending time with her nephew and working at a new job. 

The farm is snug under a deep blanket of snow.  Seed catalogs and apprentice applications are rolling in daily.  We will let you in on 2011 plans as soon as we have some time to actually work on the plan:)  Talk to you again in 2011!

Peace,
Natasha

"Moonlight on the Snow" Release
The most exciting news is that David has just released his debut album called “Moonlight on the Snow.”  It is a collection of original songs inspired by David’s time on the trail and in the woods.  Kelly sings backup vocals on the tracks recorded in Marquette while Natasha’s sister, Alicia, sings backup vocals on the tracks recorded in Nashville.  Alicia’s partner, Chris, as well as Johnny Cash’s former bassist round out the Nashville studio ensemble.  David’s friends Greg, Wayne, Nancy and others contributed in a variety of ways to the production.

David’s album crosses several genres to bring listeners wonderful rock guitar work, soulful ballads and even a hint of funky Phish-like undertones.  This CD has something for everyone on your list.  Find out more by visiting www.davidgillmusic.com.  There is a link to buy it from independent music seller, CD Baby.  If you click on the CD Baby link as if you were going to purchase it, you can listen to samples of each song before ever having to give any payment info.  His CDs are also on sale locally in Skandia at A& M Café and Hyndman’s General Store and in Marquette at Book World, Mares Z Doats, and Bayshore Veterinary Clinic. For larger orders or if you would like to sell the CDs at your business, please contact us directly at 906-251-0545.

Word of mouth advertising is the most effective way to sell local music, so we would be ever so grateful if you would help us spread the word.  Additionally, writing a review of the album at http://www.davidgillmusic.com or at http://www.cdbaby.com would really help us out. 

Just as an FYI, David will be performing live at the UP200/Midnight Run Sled Dog Banquet and is considering running the UP200 rather than the Midnight Run this year...time will tell!

Facebook & Website
Ok, ok, ok, so we are embarrassingly far behind in keeping up with both of these farm necessities.  Our goal is to have both our website and our Facebook page up to date and active by the end of February.  Our apologies for our lapse in communication. Natasha has been dragging her feet when it comes to getting savvy with Facebook.

Red Potatoes
If any of you purchased red potatoes from us, don’t eat them.  Any of the varieties with yellow or white interior color are fine.  It is just the Cranberry Red variety that is bad.  The Cranberry Reds are the ones that are pink/red all the way through the interior.  Something went wrong with this variety…it is so bitter you can’t eat them, even when cooked.  Even if you like bitter, compost them so as to not risk getting sick.  Basically, we had to harvest the potatoes too early this year because the deer were eating them out of the ground.  Then, it got really hot and sunny just after harvest.  All around, it was a bad combination.  So, they all started to get that green hue to them.  We are recommending that you get rid of the Cranberry Reds and peel all the other varieties so that you are not eating any part of the potato without first removing the green hue.  We are happy to give you another variety in return for any that you have to get rid of.  Just let us know.

Large Pump for Sale
Our friend, Jen, has a really large water pump for sale.  It would be perfect for farm and/or garden irrigation and other such projects.  She can be reached at 906-250-1997 for more product details and price. 

Quote to Ponder
"Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and
she laughs with a harvest." -Douglas William Jerrold,
playwright and humorist (1803-1857)

Dancing Crane Farm
348 Lawson Road
Skandia, MI 49885
Phone & Fax: 906.942.7975
info@dancingcranefarm.com

Dancing Crane Farm is responsible for the content of this email.
Natasha Gill, 348 Lawson Road, Skandia, MI 49885

If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, click here to unsubscribe or copy and paste the following URL into your browser:
http://www.dancingcranefarm.com/mailinglist/remove?ids=1789