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Raised Bed Gardening in Michigan: Why I Garden Above Ground
Read more: Raised Bed Gardening in Michigan: Why I Garden Above GroundEvery bed at Freighter View Farms starts above the ground. Not because raised beds are trendy — because they solve the three biggest problems Michigan gardeners face: cold soil, wet springs, and a season that is never quite long enough.
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Square Foot Gardening in Michigan: Growing a Lot in a Small Space
Read more: Square Foot Gardening in Michigan: Growing a Lot in a Small SpaceIn 200 square feet of raised beds in Bay City, Michigan, I grow enough heirloom tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, herbs, and flowers to eat from June through October. Square foot gardening is how.
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When to Start Seeds Indoors in Michigan: A Zone 6a Timing Guide
Read more: When to Start Seeds Indoors in Michigan: A Zone 6a Timing GuideIn Zone 6a Michigan, the last frost falls around May 15th. Everything about indoor seed starting — when to begin, how long each crop needs — works backward from that single date.
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A Year in the Garden: Freighter View Farms, 2025
Read more: A Year in the Garden: Freighter View Farms, 2025Every season ends the same way at Freighter View Farms — seeds on the kitchen table, the last tomatoes going soft on the counter, and the bay turning gray. Here is the 2025 season in full: the successes, the failures, the lessons.
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The Best Heirloom Tomatoes for Michigan: What Grows on Saginaw Bay
Read more: The Best Heirloom Tomatoes for Michigan: What Grows on Saginaw BayThe question I get from Michigan gardeners more than any other: which heirloom tomatoes should I grow? Here are the five varieties that have earned a permanent place in my Zone 6a raised beds.
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What to Plant in February in Michigan: Zone 6a Under the Lights
Read more: What to Plant in February in Michigan: Zone 6a Under the LightsFebruary in Michigan is the month that tests gardening commitment. The seed catalogs have arrived, the seeds are on the table, and the bay is locked under ice. But February is not too early — it is exactly right for a few crops.
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Saving Seeds in Michigan: What Zone 6a Teaches You About Patience
Read more: Saving Seeds in Michigan: What Zone 6a Teaches You About PatienceSaving seeds in Michigan is not the same as saving seeds in California. The short season, summer humidity, and unpredictable frosts create specific challenges — and specific advantages — for Great Lakes seed savers.
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How to Start a Garden in Michigan: What I Would Tell a Beginner
Read more: How to Start a Garden in Michigan: What I Would Tell a BeginnerIf I were starting a garden in Michigan from scratch — new lot, no beds, no tools — here is what I would do. Not everything I have learned in Zone 6a beds on Saginaw Bay. Just the things that matter most at the beginning.
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Gardening on Saginaw Bay: What This Place Asks of a Garden
Read more: Gardening on Saginaw Bay: What This Place Asks of a GardenThere is a particular kind of gardening that belongs to the Great Lakes. Not the long season of the South. Not the cool predictability of the Pacific Northwest. A gardening shaped by lake-effect snow, short summers, and the particular light off Saginaw Bay.
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Why This Gardening Blog Has a Page About Artificial Intelligence
Read more: Why This Gardening Blog Has a Page About Artificial IntelligenceI have spent years thinking about artificial intelligence and about gardening. Both require the same quality of attention. Both reward specificity and punish vagueness. Here is why they share a home on this blog.
Hello,
I’m Chris
Welcome to Freighter View Farms, where gardening meets the beauty of the Great Lakes. Here, you’ll find tips, stories, and seeds inspired by the fresh water sea and the garden that hugs its shoreline. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, we invite you to cultivate a piece of tranquility in your own backyard. Let’s grow something beautiful together!
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Freighter View Farms | Chris Izworski 