Mikael L’Andre and his wife, Jeaneen, first visited the Seaside Farmers Market in 2011, not knowing they would soon return as vendors. Blue Owl Landscaping, L’Andre’s company, was up and running. After a 34-foot fall that nearly killed him, he lay on his back for months designing a beautiful garden plan. “Believing we could build that plan in the future was my hope,” L’Andre explains. Miraculously, he recovered and used all of his landscaping equipment to build the garden that once existed only in his imagination. He credits his wife, who single handedly picked and delivered veggies while he recuperated, for their success.
Remaining loyal to their customers while also maintaining high standards of sustainability is an ongoing challenge. The L’Andres use coffee grounds from Seaside’s Amavida Coffee & Tea for compost and growing mushrooms. The coffee bags are also recycled, used for packing sweet potatoes and winter squash.
During the cold weather they use the frozen produce to feed their horses, chickens and rabbits, which in turn provide them with excellent compost. During the winter’s exceptional cold spell they worked tirelessly to pamper the plants, keeping them alive in an environment in which they aren’t accustomed.
The L’Andres now sell fresh fruits, flowers and vegetables at the Seaside Farmers Market and neighboring restaurants. “The market has led me to interact with people from around the world, allowing me to share their love of good food and to glean from them new tips and tricks of the trade,” Mikael L’Andre says. Market shoppers can pick up heirloom arugula, endive, lettuce, spinach, kale, collards, carrots and broccoli this spring. For summer the L’Andres will offer heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers, French beans, lavender, strawberries, sweet corn, watermelon and more.
Any visit to Seaside should include a stop at The GreenMans Garden stand on Saturday mornings to meet this charismatic couple and take home their magical and delicious produce.
Visit GreenMans Garden on Facebook.