Tommy at Needle Lane Farm.
Needle Lane Farm is this week’s featured vendor.
– By Stephanie Willette
Needle Lane Farm, located in Tipton, is a regular vegetable vendor at the Bushel Basket Market. Owned and operated by Beverly (Bev) Ruesink, they have been a vendor for several years.
Although not certified (yet), they use organic practices to grow their vegetables. Tommy, a first-year farmhand, sometimes steps in to help with sales on Wednesdays in Chelsea.
Tommy started working at Needle Lane in May. He met Bev at the Adrian Farmers Market and asked if they needed help. Soon after, he moved onto the farm and started working there most days. “We have everything,” Tommy said, “tomatoes, cucumbers, kale, beans, basil, herbs, flowers, honey, beehives…” Needle Lane has five hoop houses and three or more heated greenhouses, and they practice season extension. The farm grows vegetables all year and sells at the Saline Farmers Market in the winter.
Needle Lane is working on getting organically certified. In the meantime, they use organic practices for all their produce. “I want to give a shout out to everyone I work with,” Tommy added. “Working at Needle Lane has been one of the most life changing experiences I’ve had.”
