Table of Contents 1. In Your Box this Week 2. Farm News

• All Hooked Up
• Log into Your Account
• Counting the Chickens
• The Farm Needs a Good Plumber and a HVAC Contractor!
• Other Happenings around the Farm

3. Events

• Austin Organic Gardeners Club Meeting
• Permaculture Education
• Vermicompost Workshop

4. Quotable Food 5. Recipes

• Potato & Leek Soup----with options
• Collard Greens

6. Vegetable Storage Tips 7. Johnson's Backyard Garden Contact Information Please send newsletter feedback, suggestions and contributions to farm@jbgorganic.com. We're on MySpace, be our friend! We're also on Facebook. 1) In Your Box this Week Green Onions Cabbage Arugula Turnips or Beet Greens Mizuna or Mustard Greens Collards Broccoli Florets Tomatoes from Reliable Organics Grapefruit from G&S Organics Oranges from G&S Organics This list is subject to change depending on availability and quality of crops on harvest day. You'll find the most accurate packing list on the homepage of our website. 2) Farm News

• All Hooked Up: The electric and water wells were finally hooked up this week. We have started preparing and planting the fields in anticipation of our new water resources. More of the winter or cold crops are going in this week (Cabbage, Broccoli, Kale, Kohlrabi). The lettuces and other greens will be going in as soon as we secure enough remay to cover those crops. This floating row cover will let the deer know what's not for supper.Since our water dilemma started about four weeks ago when our well finally went dry, I've been trying to consider the blessings of having little water in the fields. The down side is always easier to see in shriveled crops, fewer plantings, pest issues, and farmer stress levels. Could there possibly be a silver lining? While walking through the recent Asparagus plantings last night, it hit me. The Asparagus is asleep, just waiting. Maybe other rows were resting, also.I did find some dried up radishes, struggling to make it regardless of conditions (they don't know it yet, but they will be tilled under today and replanted as soon as the water does come). However, just across the harvest lane there is a row fully at rest. It has no edible crop currently planted, some weeds and residual carrots, acting as a cover crop, have found a place to settle temporarily. I choose to look at this situation from the angle of regeneration rather than weed encroachment. So there has been no water for a while, it has given the fields a short break in the daily production cycle. Kind of a mini hibernation for the soil, the benefits of a sparse water supply. Everything deserves a little down time, including the earth. Our fields will be a bit more rested and ready for the spring greening that is just around the corner.

• Log into your Account and check details regarding pickup, renewal, and changing your orders. It's a good idea to help us save time and improve accuracy of all our subscriptions.
• Counting the Chickens: Our CSA eggs come from one of the finest egg producers around, Ringger Family Farms. However, there are a few of us who do enjoy raising our own chickens anyway. For those of you who have never raised (or even considered raising) chickens, you have no idea the personality and constant delight a few chickens can bring to the back yard. Steven and Grit live in the bungalow at the farm and keep a few fowl for their own use. Beth got a shipment of chicks just this morning. While Beth's chicks are living in her bathtub right now (they will be moved to a brood house in the next 24 hours), Steven and Grit's hens make a spectacle in their protected yard every night. Partially due to the Peahen, Rosie, that has adopted their small flock and partially due to the greens and vegetable clippings that are heaped near the roosting house. The birds make quick work of anything in the way of fresh produce, vocalize pleasant cackling conversations throughout the day, and are very interested in any one who stops to visit. Of course they offer up a few eggs and the occasional holiday main course, but the real joy of raising chickens is the social interaction that they create in the yard.

• The Farm Needs a Plumber and a HVAC Contractor! We continue our quest for experienced plumbers and HVAC contractors who can help us remodel the barn and office. The farm needs licensed folks who can do the installation and rework for us. We are growing and need to revamp the barn space to accommodate our expanding operations. PLEASE email us at farm@jbgorganic.com or give us a call at 512.386.5273.

• Other Happenings at the Farm: Progress is being made at locations all around the farm. Steven, Deb and Lauren marked site lines for placing the greenhouses at the back of the farm. The packing line was moved from the back of the barn to the west side. This will address two items at the same time. The floor is now cleared in the back so concrete floors can be poured and the packing line can be easily expanded to fit our needs. The sand filters have also been placed in the fields to help keep our new supply of water flowing freely.

3) Events

• Austin Organic Gardeners Club Meeting 7 to 9 p.m. February 9. A panel from four of Austin's community organizations discuss gardening issues. Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Road. Free. 443-7187, www.austinorganicgardeners.org.Permaculture Education 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through April 8. Permaculture talks and videos about sustainability. Habitat Suites, 500 E. Highland Mall Drive. Free. 619-5363, www.permie.us.Vermicompost Workshop 1 to 2:30 pm. February 21. Learn how to recycle kitchen scraps into rich fertile worm castings for your plants. At this free workshop, Joy Ruth will share how easy it is to make and care for a worm bin. Great classroom or family project! Registration required. Please call Emily Neiman at 236-0074 x5 or email emily@sustainablefoodcenter.org. Terrazas Library,1105 E. Cesar Chavez St.

4) Quotable Food: The greatest delight the fields and woods minister is the suggestion of an occult relation between man and the vegetable. I am not alone and unacknowledged. They nod to me and I to them. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 5) Recipes Robbie Timmer, one of our CSA members, sent in this recipe last week. Sounds yummy!

Potato & Leek Soup----with options

2 leeks chopped and rinsed

Butter

5 medium Potatoes, peeled (if desired) and cubed

1 large Central Market Veggie Broth or Better than Bullion Vegan Organic Bullion (2-3 tbsps)

Plain Yogurt ( I like Bulgarian)

Milk

Salt & Pepper to taste

Saute the leek in butter in a large pan until lightly browned. Add the potatoes, broth (or bullion and water), salt & pepper and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until potatoes are soft. Take potato masher and slightly mash the potatoes to thicken the soup, Remove soup from heat and add yogurt and milk (about a quarter cup each.) At this point I like put the soup in the fridge and give it a few hours or overnight for the flavors to meld.

To change the soup up a bit you can add broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips, carrots or any other veggies you can think of when you add the potatoes. Today I added spinach (put this in when you add the yogurt and milk) and it was yummy with some homemade bread for lunch. I am going to be trying some different greens, for sure.

Also emailed in last week, by CSA member Michelle Moore, is this Collard Greens recipe her family enjoys:

"We had a lot of collard greens this winter. Not only do I get JBG's in my box each week, but I've also been growing my own. I came up with this recipe, and now my kids ASK for collards."

Collard Greens

Large Onion

Olive Oil

Mess O'Greens

2 tbsp. Brown Sugar

Pinch of Salt

1 bottle Woodchuck Granny Apple Draft Cider

Handful of Dried Cherries

Slice the onion into strips and carmelize them in olive oil in a hot skillet.Add a little brown sugar to get the color started.Wash and trim your greens, and cut them into bite size pieces.When the onion is nice and golden brown, toss in the greens and saute until they are bright green. Sprinkle with the rest of the sugar and the salt.Pour in the whole bottle of cider, cover the pan, and turn heat to low.Simmer for about 1/2 an hour. 10 minutes before you wan to eat, toss in the cherries.

"These greens are fabulous with Richardson pork roast or pork chops from the farmers' market. And I usually serve roasted beets and sweet potatoes as well. Don't forget the cornbread."

6) Vegetable Storage Tips We aim to grow and package our vegetables to maintain the highest taste and nutritional quality possible. However, once they've left the farm it's up to you to keep them fresh and nutritious. There's no refrigeration at the CSA drop points so it's best to pick up your box as early as possible. Here are some additional tips on how to store this week's share: Spinach, Kale, Chard, Lettuce, Salad Greens, Bok Choy, Braising Mix and Cooking Greens will stay fresh in the crisper for 4-7 days and should be kept in plastic bags. Any bunch greens can be freshened by cutting an inch of the bottom stalks and soaking the entire bunch in cold water for 10 minutes. Place in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few hours to revive. Cabbage, Kohlrabi and Celery have a fridge life of up to two weeks. Wrap celery in plastic. Broccoli will last 4-7 days in plastic bags in the crisper. Green Onions will keep5 days in a refrigerated crisper in plastic bags. Oranges and Grapefruit are best kept at room temperature of 60-70 degrees and used within two weeks. Do not store in plastic bags. Tomatoes will keep refrigerated when ripe for only 2-3 days. Checkout our storage tips on our website for a more complete guide, and of course, feel free to contact us with any questions. The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your guide for how to can, freeze, dry, pickle or ferment just about anything. We would love to share your recipes too! Please email your favorites to bess@jbgorganic.com. 7) Johnson's Backyard Garden Contact Information Johnson's Backyard Garden 9515 Hergotz Lane, Box E Austin, Texas 78742 Office phone: (512) 386-5273 Office Hours: M-F, 8am - 12pm e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com website: www.jbgorganic.com