Z&N Farm

09/05/2026

📸 Photo from August 10 by Theresa Buckingham Photography, out in the sweet corn patch — the one the raccoon decided to make their own for the last couple weeks.
Not many careers where you put in the work, do everything right, be entirely successful right up to the finish line... and then get eaten gleefully by a big fat greedy raccoon who must've been feeding an army. 🦝
Good news: two more patches of sweet corn are coming. Bad news: they're not ready yet.
More good news — salad, tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, an array of sweet and hot peppers, and the season's last watermelons are all available right now.
This time of year we take it day by day. The season changes fast — one day we're harvesting something, the next it's done or we find completely decimated by feral animals. Letting you know what's available gets tricky when unexpected challenges delay or straight up stop a harvest. That's farming.
You can want to plan your shopping, and we want to plan a season — and then every day brings new curveballs and we just have to roll with the punches. And getting punched this time of year? Feels like a total knockout. 💥

We welcome you to come check out the stand and see what the wildlife left for us to eat 😂

Z&N Farmstand is located at 9740 Chief Rd in Bear Lake| self serve | open Tues-Sun 10-6 | chemical free | fifth generation | always soil grown

Thursdays find us at Elberta Farmers Market : NOTE HOUrS ChANGE to 9-12 starting Sept 10th - Oct 1st.

09/04/2026

Calling farmers of all backgrounds for learning, connection, and culture building. Have you secured your tickets for the Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference yet? This conference offers valuable sessions for seasoned farmers, hobby farmers, and the farm-curious.

Learn more and secure your spot here: https://www.smallfarmconference.com/

09/04/2026

Say Happy Birthday to Lance!

Just come get a free piece of cake, tomorrow from 2-5pm!

I will also be giving away local donut peaches and plums while supplies last!

Thank you to all of the sponsors for helping me put on this event!
😎

09/04/2026

Officially a lot of rain this week. It’s Friday, and raining again. No corn today. Tomato season continues. All your Salad needs fulfilled.
And does anyone want a peck of habaneros for some hot sauce?

Z&N Farmstand is located at 9740 Chief Rd in Bear Lake| self serve | open Tues-Sun 10-6 | chemical free | fifth generation | always soil grown

Thursdays find us at Elberta Farmers Market : NOTE HOUrS ChANGE to 9-12 starting Sept 10th - Oct 1st.

09/03/2026

Farmer 👨🏻‍🌾 showing off his after dinner harvest for market.

Z&N Farmstand is located at 9740 Chief Rd in Bear Lake| self serve | open Tues-Sun 10-6 | chemical free | fifth generation | always soil grown

Thursdays find us at Elberta Farmers Market 8-12 BUT the hours change to 9-12 starting Sept 10th - Oct 1st.

09/02/2026

Manistee - Salad Mix is back at Miller's Modern Market just in time for his birthday weekend / Labor Day weekend!!

I was able to aquire 100 bags of chemical free, Manistee County salad mix from Z&N Farm this morning. 😎

Open today, until 6pm.

🥗 🐇

09/02/2026

A wet harvest morning but we’re getting er done.

Some of the best sweet corn ever. Biggest bell peppers ever. Biggest cilantro ever. Biggest jalapeños ever. You get the picture.

Z&N Farmstand is located at 9740 Chief Rd in Bear Lake| self serve | open Tues-Sun 10-6 | chemical free | fifth generation | always soil grown

Thursdays find us at Elberta Farmers Market 8-12 BUT the hours change to 9-12 starting Sept 10th - Oct 1st.

09/01/2026

Hello, September! Hard to believe summer flew by so fast.
The kids are back in school, and the farm is still pouring out abundance. Behind the scenes, we're working on a few projects that will carry us into next year — but for now, our focus is on the harvest, getting everything out of the field and onto your table.

Z&N Farmstand is located at 9740 Chief Rd in Bear Lake| self serve | open Tues-Sun 10-6 | chemical free | fifth generation | always soil grown

Thursdays find us at Elberta Farmers Market 8-12 BUT the hours change to 9-12 starting Sept 10th - Oct 1st.

08/30/2026

Step inside our farmstand for a minute. 🏡
On these walls, you'll see Floyd and Ophelia Bowling — Zac's grandparents, the reason any of this exists at all. Strawberry awards hang next to photos of Floyd and his father Steve, who farmed this same land in the generations before we were even thought of.
You'll see the awards we've picked up along the way too, recognizing this little farmstand as one of the best places around for healthy food. A photo of us in Shared Abundance. Copies of my poems from Heart Soil.
This building is quietly becoming a record of everything this place has been and everything it's turning into. We feel so much gratitude looking at it like this, for the people who came before us, and for the people who believed in us before anybody else did.
If you're just now finding us: thank a neighbor. Nine seasons in, we're only still standing because people kept showing up and telling their friends.

Z&N Farmstand is located at 9740 Chief Rd in Bear Lake| self serve | open Tues-Sun 10-6 | chemical free | fifth generation | always soil grown.

08/29/2026

A beautiful day to get to work. A picture of the salad that'll carry us into the fall, watermelons on sale (grab em while you still can -cantaloupes are done for the year)
Fresh sweet corn picked again this morning. Peppers are stacking up. Tomatoes still going strong.
All of it grown without chemicals - as evidence by our amphibian friends: They're about as sensitive to what's in the soil and water as anything out there, so if they're still around, we're doing something right.
See you at the farmstand 🌽🍅🍉

Z&N Farmstand is located at 9740 Chief Rd in Bear Lake| self serve | open Tues-Sun 10-6 | chemical free | clean water | fifth generation | always soil grown.