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continued from page 10
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“Nothing says growing a family like an
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Three are pear trees gifted from the MSU organic farm,
and the other three are apple trees the couple gave to
each other.
“Nothing says growing a family like an apple tree — set-
ting roots, producing fruit,” Ratzow said with a smile, pat-
ting her newest “fruit,” a baby coming in September who
will join big sister, Hannah,
14 months old.
“This garden is something I
can take the kids to and they
can be a part of. I was carting
out compost with Hannah on
my chest,” she said. Adam,
whose IT job in Downtown
Detroit puts him in a whole
other world each day, is
“beyond supportive,” she
said, even building the green-
house where seeds sprout.
“If we won the lottery,”
Ratzow said, “this is all we’d
do.”
Launched with the help
of a grant from Hebrew Free
Loan, this is Root Revival’s
second full summer of opera-
tion. Ratzow has big plans.
“This is a startup,” she said
of her backyard plot, which is
surrounded by a solar-pan-
eled electric fence to keep
wildlife out. “I am looking
for a bigger plot to increase
production. If I had space, I
could grow a lot more; and I
need to produce in the win-
ter to do a consistent busi-
ness. But land in Oakland
County is very expensive.”
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Possible is everything.
Southfield, MI
TOP: Ratzow
takes care of the
rhubarb.
BOTTOM: Getting
ready to open for
business, Ratzow
updates her
chalkboard.
Ratzow spends about 30
hours a week in the garden,
does a few pop-up stores at
special events and sells her
produce each Saturday in
front of the house. It’s not
all sunny days and sneaking
a fresh strawberry here and
there. She continually har-
vests and replants to keep
the plot productive, and pest
management is a big chal-
lenge. She’s thinking of digging a well to offset high water
prices (last summer’s bill was $700) and recently lost a
few days of work after badly burning her hand on a hot
tiller.
“It’s high overhead — equipment, seed, soil amend-
ment, hiring help when I need it,” she said. “It’s hard to
make a profit.”
That is something she wishes consumers would keep in
continued on page 14
12
July 20 • 2017
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