There’s no shortage of gems one can find within a one hundred mile drive of Chicago. Parks, restaurants, small businesses, beaches, farms — specifically, a 180-acre organic vegetable and hop farm home to an on-site brewery and farm-to-table dining experience — Flatwater Farms, in Buchanan, Michigan. 

Flatwater was born in 2014, when the farm’s owner, Fran Tuite, and a small team began the transition from a conventional monocrop system to a low-till regenerative operation. Ten years later, Danny Moeller joined Flatwater from Louisiana, first to work in the brewery, River St. Joe, and then to manage the farm. 

“We grow just about anything and everything that you can think of,” Danny shares. Beyond the seven acre hop yard, Flatwater grows an abundance of unique fruits, including aronia berries, persimmons, figs, and elderberries. In terms of vegetables, what stands out are the arugula blossoms and white asparagus. Both are ideas he heard about from the farm’s relationships with various chefs in Chicago.

Flatwater first established a presence in Chicago through Green City Market, a hub for farms and food businesses embracing sustainability that, in return, has become a popular place for chefs to purchase local produce. Over the years, Flatwater has cultivated a “symbiotic relationship” with a handful of chefs – including Jake Potashnick of Feld and Jason Hammel of Lula Cafe – to the point that the farm is growing specialty produce as requested by these restaurants. “Jake is the one that convinced me to grow white asparagus,” he admits. Danny, who considers himself a foodie, has enjoyed learning from chefs about the culinary aspect of the farm, like plants he didn’t know were edible or marketable – enter arugula blossoms. 

The farmers’ market and chef partnerships have proved to be an important revenue stream for the farm. In Buchanan, as Danny shares, not a lot of people seek out organic produce, or are willing to pay the higher price point. It’s been trickier for them to sell hyper-locally. 

Still, a large portion of Flatwater’s harvest never actually leaves the property. Instead, it’s prepared on-site at River St. Joe where customers get to experience true farm-to-table dining, including the outdoor biergarten overlooking the hop yard. 

Being close enough to the lakefront means Buchanan is not exempt from the summer Michigan tourist traffic, which River St. Joe relies on. A drink or meal on the property is an opportunity for customers to learn about seasonality, organic farming, and sustainable practices. 

Sustainability has always been central to Flatwater’s vision. To Danny, it shows up as a daily series of small decisions: not spraying chemicals, minimal tilling, straw instead of plastic cover. The greenhouse homes a wood-burning stove fueled by logs the farm splits by hand, sourced from local tree cleanups. Solar panels subsidize the brewery’s energy supply. Irrigation is used consciously, and water gets recycled through the well.

The fruit orchard on the property is designed as an alley cropping system – a sustainable method that mimics natural ecosystems by integrating crops with trees or shrubs. In the next few years, the trees will be large enough that it won’t make sense to grow annual crops in between them anymore. With this in mind, Danny is hoping to turn that area into a grazing alley for animals, similar to silvopasture. 

“[The animals would] help on multiple fronts, whether that’s weed control or putting nutrients back into the soil through manure and natural fertilizer,” Danny says. 

Strengthening Flatwater’s presence in Buchanan is an important piece of Danny’s long-term vision. Right now, the farm stewards a 30-person CSA model that is market-style – the customer gets to choose rather than the farmer. While this has built a devout fan base, it’s left community members wanting more. Over the next few weeks, Danny plans to establish a permanent farm stand on-site that will be self-serve on weekdays and staffed on Saturdays. This will provide access to those who aren’t CSA subscribers or any curious diners after a lunch at River St. Joe. 

Beyond these projects, Flatwater has plans to embrace additional forms of agritourism. This season, Danny will start to offer guided farm tours to visitors that will capture “what it means to be sustainable and organic.” In late July, they’ll host kids aged 5-10 for a week of farm camp where they’ll learn about nutrition, growing practices, environmental impacts, and culinary skills. 

In a moment when “farm-to-table” is more aesthetic than ethos, Flatwater’s quiet commitment to experiential learning and culinary curiosity is sure to attract any Chicagoan seeking authenticity. 

Keep an eye out on Flatwater Farm’s social media for information on guided brewery and farm tours starting mid July. Tours will take place on Saturdays at 3pm, include a complimentary beer or cider, and cost $20 per person. 

River St. Joe

15475 Walton Road, Buchanan, MI, 49107

Monday: 12-9 pm

Tuesday: 4-9 pm

Wednesday: CLOSED

Thursday: 4-9 pm

Friday: 12-10 pm

Saturday: 12-10 pm

Sunday: 12-9 pm