Fall on the Farm

A day in the life at Lakeview Hill Farm and 9 Bean Rows

With the reds and oranges of color-change in full swing, hearty root veggies and leafy greens by the bushel, and pumpkin everything on the menu, we’re pretty sure life doesn’t get better than fall on a northern Michigan farm.

“It’s a great time to be here,” says Lakeview Hill Farm co-owner John Dindia. “We’re really excited to continue to serve our community.”

But what goes into all of that bounty? How is this year’s harvest looking, and what’s already in the works for winter? Northern Express sat down with two of the region’s most prolific growers: Lakeview Hill Farm in Traverse City and 9 Bean Rows in Suttons Bay.

What’s Growing On

As far as this year’s harvest goes, both farmers agree everything’s coming up roses—er, sunflowers.

These two farms are brimming with cold hardy roots and storage crops by the time October hits. At Lakeview, harvests of cruciferous veggies, like cauliflower and broccoli, are already in full swing, notes Dindia, as is an extra round of celery (planted in preparation for holiday demand); meanwhile, the year’s take of onions and potatoes are already in storage.

At 9 Bean, key autumnal produce includes tubers and taproots like carrots and beets, rutabagas, and celeriac, aka celery root, all of which saw a fruitful 2026 growing season. Both farms also highlight radishes—in particular, watermelon and daikon variants—as well as sturdier leafy greens, like chicories (think: radicchio and escarole), brussels sprouts, kale, baby spinach, arugula, and other lettuces as fall harvest staples.

In fact, both Dindia and 9 Bean Rows co-owner Nic Welty tout the benefits of letting those greens freeze a time or two before heading inside to cultivate more complex flavors (and to last longer in the fridge!). “Late fall and early winter greens from northern Michigan are just exceptional,” Welty says.

Early-to mid-October is also prime pumpkin time at 9 Bean Rows (a longtime passion project of Welty’s), as well as a sleeper season for the best-tasting sweet corn, which won’t germinate until spring’s chill has thawed. “Our best crops actually end up coming in [the fall],” he adds.

Ground Cover

Though we might think of fall as a gathering season, there’s also plenty going into the ground at both farms throughout October.

Per Dindia, cover cropping is a key endeavor here, which, if you’re not familiar, refers to plants whose purpose pertains to soil health, often through nitrogen fixation or organic matter.

“It’s a continuous cycle of always having something growing out there,” Welty explains. At both farms, rye varieties are key contenders, as are legumes like peas or oats, which essentially create their own mulch.

Similarly, over-winter planting is also on the October docket. This includes the next season’s garlic, which needs time to sprout before the ground freezes, as well as early spring goodies, like snow peas and onions. In the case of Lakeview Hill Farm, certain flowers also take greenhouse root in the fall, including ranunculus and anemones, as well as what Dindia calls “forced tulips” (whose numbers hit the 20,000 mark this year!), which, like 9 Bean’s demanding Belgian endive, are planted in crates and transplanted into the greenhouses in waves for harvest throughout the off-season.

In the House

Once the bulk of the outdoor action ends by around mid-October—though Welty’s staunch about keeping a few veggies outside until there’s too much snow to work—both farms turn to covered structures known as hoop houses to maintain winter production.

These range in size and temperature based on the crops they contain and the season’s severity—colder spells or heavy snow, for instance, might require additional layers of cover. All, however, house winter stashes of leafy greens, like baby spinach, kale, lettuce mixes, and herbs at both locations. Bunching radishes, leeks, and even day-neutral strawberries also live in hoop houses at 9 Bean Rows, while both farms use greenhouses for microgreens, though these typically require additional heat to thrive.

According to Welty, precise temperature control and adjustment for environmental conditions like airflow and reduced disease pressure can be achieved through various mechanisms, which range from straw and foil insulation, to soil heating cables and LED grow lights. There’s also a high-efficiency boiler in play at Lakeview Hill Farm, collecting wood for which Dindia highlights as a pre-winter project.

Other overlapping cold-weather tricks include the use of frost blankets, which are often removed once enough insulating snow has accumulated, as well as individual row covers and buffering plants with ice for sudden temperature drops; though Welty notes that cultivating healthy plants is a key first step.

“Having balanced, well-nourished crops really helps,” he says. “It just makes for a stronger plant.”

Fall, Winter, and Beyond

With winter’s first freeze just weeks away, there’s also plenty of prep work in play at both farms. For Dindia, this includes reinforcing, mending, and re-wrapping hoop houses and other covered structures, as well as “blowing out,” or emptying irrigation pipes to prevent mid-winter bursts and blockages. General clean-up, the pair agree, is another constant, as are ongoing projects like moving crops and beginning the annual task of springtime planting design.

The team at Lakeview Hill Farm is in the midst of constructing two new hoop houses with an additional two on the 2027 calendar (for a total of eight), thanks to recent state grant funding. They’re also eyeing several expansion projects, fueled by a new lease for three additional acres, which they plan to irrigate and equip for both crop rotation and to meet ever-increasing demand.

Meanwhile, the annual “pumpkin season bonanza” is already underway at 9 Bean Rows Cafe, where the staff is cranking out squash-ified everything, from pumpkin donuts to lattes and beyond. There’s also cider on the autumnal docket, says Welty (pressed onsite from local apples).

At Lakeview Hill, check out a new bakery branch of the market, which offers pizzas made from scratch with sauce and topping ingredients sourced straight from the garden.

Both locations are also eyeing community outreach initiatives in the coming months. At Lakeview Hill, this is headlined by a roundup program in partnership with Food Rescue of Northwest Michigan, where market goers can make donations to provide local food pantries with farm-grown produce (which has already surpassed $3,000 in veggies this year!).

“We’re taking rolling donations year-round now, and we’ll keep [contributing] as they come in,” Dindia says. “It’s really exciting!”

Welty also highlights an upcoming partnership between 9 Bean Rows and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians to support heirloom corn preservation efforts, as well as plans to pursue a collaborative grain mill—which not only means fresh flour for local farmers, but also scratch-made pasta in the bakery—and a u-pick fruit setup in the next few years.

“We are just really excited to continue to grow the farm,” Dindia concludes. “We hope to see these programs grow and support members of our community.”

Find Lakeview Hill Farm and Market at 8236 E Lakeview Hills Rd. in Traverse City. lakeviewhillfarm.com. 9 Bean Rows is located at 9000 E Duck Lake Rd. in Suttons Bay. 9beanrows.com.

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