40 Acres Environmentally Verified at Loveland Farms

by Rebecka Hoyt, Editor

Loveland Farms, owned by Tim and Alicia Baron have 40 acres “Environmentally Verified” by the MAEAP (Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program https://maeap.org/). Their farm consists of flowers, grapes, vegetables and fruit trees. In May, the daffodils and tulips sprung up and then more will come later which range from peonies, sunflowers, poppies, corn & straw flowers, and 150 types of dahlias. She gives some of those flowers to the senior centers and presses the ones that may be imperfect and turn them into art. 

Not only do they have flowers in this area, but nearby are the pygmy goats that Alicia uses the goat milk to make sunscreen and one chicken and one rooster for eggs. Also, they have their beloved dog black lab/border collie mix Daisy, who likes to guard the farm and greets everyone. Alicia says that once she calms down, she’s a good girl. For people to visit and walk through the State of Michigan has given them certification of farm setting and crop systems and to tame the wildlife property.

History on the farm: Tim’s mom & dad owned the property up until 2000. His dad, Tom Love, had horses that he loved with 3 stables and played polo in the back, and he cherished it and did not plant on that part of the land as that’s how he wanted it to be and how they named the farm, “Loveland Farms.” The back is mainly grapes and three acres of flowers that are going in this spring, they “don’t till anything and instead use goat manure and spread dirt over it that gets put onto cardboard from businesses, and sprinkle the seeds right over. It doesn’t disturb the natural ecosystem that’s going on and then we don’t have to use pesticides as nothing is growing up from the ground and keeps the soil rich with the nitrogen in the goat manure and they just keep adding to it with the goat manure” as Alicia explains the planting process. The grapes were started two years ago and will eventually be ten acres in ten years out from now.

We are still very early, a work in progress and many projects. The process of being certified and being adamant of doing and being eco friendly. The MAEAP is great for new farmers and also helps them get funding. Contractors have come out to help with clearing and consult with areas they need to protect wildlife and species. They have tried many things to grow and now know what works to grow.

They have a booth at the Buchanan Farmers Market every other Saturday, starting on May 13th. Bringing tulips, candles with beeswax from Niles (with future plans to be beekeepers), mid June will have lilies and sunflowers, then will fade into the full assortment of the flowers. Bulbs and seeds will be for sale as well. Tim makes syrup as well, “a delicate layer of love” a love that he learned from Sarrett Nature Center.

A couple of craft fairs are planned for later in the year and workshops with Ashley Hanson, make dream catchers with fresh flowers that will dry, fall foraging class, and yoga/sound healing because it’s forestry.

They have been here for three years moving from San Francisco, CA and love the quiet and be recluse, and it’s also therapeutic being out here as well. The community has been wonderful and very supportive. An all-season mix of tulips is available at Union Coffee House & Cafe, and at the Buchanan Farmers’ Market every other week and Cheeky Macarons will have them at the market and Alicia is not there. We started with 200 bulbs and now we do 4,000 and Glads.

Tim and Alicia have “talked about moving for three years “The Great Farm Experiment” and we’re forever students,” Alicia says. “Using what they can without having an impact on other things. And have had no experience before this, lots of trial and error. First year, the bunnies ate everything and that’s part of the resistance. Dahlia’s are deer resistant and have natural barriers and don’t want to kill anything out here. Utilize the plants to protect the plants.” She has a passion for herbs and dries them as well, and will bring spice blends to the farmers market. Tim loves the chickens, tomatoes & peppers.

Fruit trees will help them to expand by adding 10 fruit trees each year: apple, cherries, pears. They want to share the space with the community and restore it to a communal space, with larger events in the back – working to restore it to the Boys & Girls Scouts of America when they are done in the future. Tim and Alicia have learned through this whole process with the University of Michigan State Extension in Benton Harbor as they give resources and a consultant to help you achieve your goals with the farm.

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