Acorn Vendor of the Week: Needle-Lane Farms

Meet the crew at Needle-Lane Farms in this week's Acorn vendor profile.

The Manchester Mirror is running a series of articles to introduce the many vendors at Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café to the community. Each week a different vendor will be featured, to highlight the wide variety of offerings at our local Market, both now and in the future. Watch for this regular feature to learn more about the people who make up the backdrop to this unique Manchester business!

Needle-Lane Farms is owned and operated by Troy and Beverly Nickle, who have been in business since 2004 at 6376 Tipton Highway, south of M-50 near Shepherd Road, just about 20 minutes from downtown Manchester.

The farm name originated with Beverly's parents, who named it in 1975. Her father, Lorne Ruesink, had a forestry degree from MSU and started pine trees from seed. The trees are now planted along all the farm lanes on the property, so there is a continual dropping of pine needles on the lanes.

"The name is also on the top of one of the farm's blue silos, so when we started produce farming in 2005, I decided to keep the name rather than climb to the top and change it!" says Beverly.

The farm got connected to Acorn through board member Theresa Herron, who has been a long time friend and CSA member of Needle-Lane. The farm primarily markets its produce through a 30-member CSA, off the farm, Acorn, and The People's Food Coop in Ann Arbor.

"Although not certified organic, all of our produce is produced through organic methods," explains Beverly. "We call ourselves a compost based, no spray farm. We utilize 10 hoop houses for season extension and farm about two acres of cut-flowers, vegetables, and herbs."

In addition to the flowers, vegetables, and herbs, Needle-Lane is a highly diverse farm that also sells starter plants, produces shiitake mushrooms, and makes Christmas wreaths as well! And you ask, "where's the beef?" They have not just beef, but pork, chickens, and turkeys!

"The pork we raise is all the Berkshire breed that is raised on our leftover produce, pasture, our organic hay, and conventional feed," says Beverly. "We also raise beef, chickens, and turkeys ... and happily turn all of their waste into some amazing compost that we use on our fields."

"We LOVE being an Acorn vendor because it helps us to market our products without having to be at a farmers market, which has been tough lately with our two young children. And we are excited about helping to provide good food to the Manchester community that is sustainable and local!"

The Nickles are excited about Acorn's new location opening and look forward to being able to offer a larger selection of pork products when there is more freezer space. "AND we are super excited about the upcoming growing season, and being able to have space for more produce as it becomes available," says Beverly.

Check out their web site a www.needlelanefarms.com and the farm can also be found on Facebook. Happy shopping! Acorn Farmers' Market & Café is open Wednesday, 1-4 pm; Thursday, 12-6 pm; Friday, 3-6 pm; and Saturday, 10 am - 4 pm. You can shop inside all four days the store is open, but curbside service is still available. Order online at https://app.barn2door.com/e/QBJmQ/all

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.