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LOCALLY GROWN, ORGANIC PRODUCE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR.

LET IT RAIN

03/18/09 — Aaron

The pecan orchard is a lush green carpet with the assistance of recent rains.
The pecan orchard is a lush green carpet with a little help from our recent rains.

Table of Contents 1) In Your Box this Week

2) Farm News

  • Last Weeks Rain
  • Pushing Back Delivery Times
  • Heirloom Tomato Starts for Sale
  • Open House/ Potluck
  • Log into Your Account
  • We are Building Intern Housing
  • Peter Menzel Photography
  • The Food Safety Bill needs Your Attention
  • Dai Due Dinner at the Farm
3) Events
  • Passion for Plants Festival
  • Gardening for Wildlife Seminar
  • Raised Bed Gardening

4) Quotable Food

5) Recipes
  • Swiss Chard With Currants and Pine Nuts

6) Vegetable Storage Tips 7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Information

Please send newsletter feedback, suggestions and contributions to farm@jbgorganic.com

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1) In Your Box this Week: Broccoli Florets Spinach Salad Mix or Chard Baby Boc Choy Kale Beets Asparagus Cabbage Parsley Oranges Grapefruit Coming soon: Lettuces!

    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.

Ankle deep in rain water.

2) Farm News

  • Last Weeks Rain was a wonderful blessing for the entire region. And our fields loved it , too. We had almost three days of surface irrigation (also known as furrow or flood irrigation). The method traditionally uses stored water, allowing it to surge into the field paths or furrows, the water slowly infiltrates the ground, and thus less water is lost to evaporation. Well, last week the rainfall did our surface irrigation for us; each and every furrow retained several inches of rainwater. Traditional surface irrigation is the oldest, cheapest and most low tech form of irrigation. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that over half the fields in the U.S. were irrigated in this manor in 2000. Even early this morning, there were a few furrows still holding onto water. For us this means that the fields will come alive with a rush of new growth and we won't need to run the well pumps for a while.
This also meant that we were a little slow with the harvest on Saturday. Working in the wet fields can look like an old Jerry Lewis film clip from a distance. As workshares were trying to maintain their balance, the unseen soil gushed from under their feet in the flooded furrows. Many hoops and hollers were heard through out the harvest as we slipped and slid down the rows juggling our harvest bins. There's also the laughable two or three inches of mud that sticks to the bottom of your rain boots. It feels like you are wearing weights around your ankles as your boots cake with the drenched soil. Saturday morning was very chilly on the farm, so it was good to have some mud induced field antics to raise spirits during a grueling harvest. Happy plants and flooded furrows.
  • Pushing Back Delivery Times at your Pick Up Sites: At JBG, we make every effort to deliver members' vegetables to the pickup sites on time. However, sometimes we encounter unpredictable and unavoidable delays. For example,this past Saturday, we arrived late to the sites because of weather and traffic complications. On Saturday, the fields were very muddy due to the rain, and we couldn't drive the trucks in the field to pick up what we'd harvested. This combined with the effect of the cold and wet weather on our hands made it more much more difficult to harvest as quickly as we normally do. Also, increased traffic (probably from SXSW) slowed us down once we were on the road.
Delays like the ones described above are unpredictable. Therefore, in order to give ourselves ample leeway to deal with the unforeseen, we are going to push all of our official pickup times back by 30 minutes. For example, this means a pickup time that formerly started at 1pm will now begin at 1:30pm. Members will see the change to their specific site reflected in the next pickup reminder. While we anticipate being able to maintain our old delivery schedule, we are officially pushing our pickup times back by 30 minutes so that members do not have to wait if we encounter delays. Here's a schedule of the changes you will see starting this week: WEDNESDAY PICK UP The Farm Pickup - 9515 Hergotz Lane, Austin - 2:00-7:00pm Tarrytown Pickup - West 10th Street, Austin - 4:00-7:00pm Cedar Park Pickup - Hunter Ace Way, Austin - 3:00-7:00pm Northwest Austin Pickup - Running Rope, Austin - 3:30-7:00pm Round Rock Pickup - Sam Bass Rd, Round Rock - 2:00-6:00pm SATURDAY PICK UP The Farm Pickup - 9515 Hergotz Lane, Austin - 1:30-7:00pm Downtown/Eastside Pickup - Willow St, Austin - 1:30-7:00pm Hyde Park Pickup - Avenue H, Austin - 2:00-7:00pm South Central Pickup - Treadwell St, Austin - 2:30-7:00pm South Austin Pickup - Rocky Ford Drive, Austin - 3:00-7:00pm
  • Heirloom Tomato Starts for Sale: Our sale of organic heirloom tomato starts continues. If you’re interested in growing some of the most beautiful and flavorful tomatoes in your own backyard garden, check out our web site to place your order and we will deliver the starts to your weekly drop off sites for the next couple of weeks. Â  All transplants are seeded to 1? plugs and cost $1.00 each for Johnson's Backyard Garden CSA members and $1.75 for the general public. We require a $20.00 minimum order, and this minimum can include any combination of the plants we have available.
Black Krim
Pruden's Purple Rose de Berne
Green Zebra Aunt Ruby's German Green
Cherokee Purple Marianna's Peace Pineapple
  • Open House/Potluck: We have picked a date for the special occasion, please joins us at the farm on Sunday April 19th from 4pm til dark. We will provide music and entertainment. Bring a dish to share, your own place settings and all the friends and family you can think of. Bring a chair or a blanket, and BYOB. You do not need to be a CSA member to attend, this is an event for everyone (except your canine friends, please leave them at home). So mark your calenders and peruse your favorite recipes in preparation for this annual event. We’ll meet in the orchard and have a walking tour of the farm with other local foodies.
Snow pease are sprouting!

  • Log into your Account and check details regarding pickup, renewal and changing your orders. It’s a great way to save time and improve accuracy of all our subscription.
  • Building Supply Donations - NEEDED - We are Building Intern Housing: And would like your help. We are looking for donations of building supplies to complete small housing units for the interns.   More space is needed for incoming interns.
If you are so inclined and/or inspired to offer up supplies, here’s what we need: Plywood, 2×4’s, tin, windows, and doors. It’s a small list that will have a big impact for us. Thank you in advance.  We can arrange to come by on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to pickup items with our box truck. Give us a call at 512.386.5273 or drop us a line at farm@jbgorganic.com.
Cabbage starts in the field.
  • Peter Menzel Photography: The photo essay 'People and their Food Consumed in One Week'  that appeared in the newsletter a few weeks ago was a excerpt from the book 'Hungry Planet' by Peter Menzel. Please check out his website for other fascinating photography. Thanks to Catherine Miller who sent us this site info.
Peter Menzel's photographs

  • The Food Safety Bill needs Your Attention: Several CSA members have also sent in links to the current federal House of Representatives Bill 875 and Senate Bill 425 (click on the links to read the full text of each bill) regarding 'Food Safety'. If you haven’t heard about this one, please read…growing food in your own backyard, heirloom seeds, organic farms and farmer's markets may be a thing of the past….....Read Sean Shepard's article HR 875 Would Essentially Outlaw Family Farms In The United State

    The 'Food Safety' Bill in Congress were written by Monsanto, Cargill, Tysons, ADM, etc. All are associated with the opposite of food safety.What is this all about then? In the simplest terms, organic food and a rebirth of farming were winning. Not in absolute numbers, but in a deep and growing shift by the public toward understanding the connection between their food and their health, between good food and true social pleasures, between their own involvement in food and the improvement in their lives in general, between local food and a burgeoning local economy.

  • CSA member Lori McNabb sent in this information: The Senate bill's wording is harder to understand since it makes the Act sound like it is helping the public, but the corresponding House bill is very clear in its targeting of the organic food industry. Its phrase "science-based minimum standards for safe production of food by food production facilities" is clearly aimed at killing the organic farming industry by mandating fertilizers and pesticides that must be used on all foods that are sold to the public.
If you're like me, anything that is government-mandated as "science-based" really means industry-backed (in other words, sponsored by Monsanto & friends). Don't know who Monsanto is? Just Google the company and the news swirling around them. IF YOU LIKE TO HAVE AN ORGANIC GARDEN OR BUY ORGANIC FOOD YOU HAD BETTER GET ON THAT PHONE OR WRITE TO YOUR CONGRESS REPs N-O-W!There is an enormous rush to get this into law within the next two weeks before people realize what is happening up on Capitol Hill. The Bills will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous sprays. All farms and growers will be instructed and regulated by the newly formed agency to 'make sure there is no danger to the general public and the appending food supply.' The attempt is to 'standardize' the agricultural industry. At first this may appear as if it is only directed at commercial farms but don't be fooled. This WILL include backyard gardens that grow food for consumption by a single family and not intended for resale. Most prior Bills that started off with such intent are later expanded in their scope and become more restricted in nature. If this passes then NO more heirloom clean seeds but only Monsanto genetically-altered seeds that are now showing up with unexpected diseases in humans. The name on this evil food plan is the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009. (Really makes it sound like the feds are trying protect us!) Criminalize Organic Farming? video (Read the text under the video as well.) This has NOTHING to do with food safety. This is only about TOTAL CONTROL by the federal government in our lives.

To find your congressman: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ Enter your state and zip code to get direct links to their contact forms. Select "Agriculture" as the topic when necessary, then copy and paste this letter (or write one of your own). It won't take five minutes.

  • Dear Congressman:
I am opposed to the Food Safety and Tracking Improvement Act (S 425) and the corresponding House version, HR 875, and wanted to express my opinion. I am opposed to any legislation that controls and demands the use of specified commercial fertilizers and poisonous sprays in the guise of protecting the populace. I want the freedom to choose what methods of organic gardening and produce that I choose without my decisions being legislated. My belief is that the agricultural lobby for the large agricultural producers are working hard at eliminating small agricultural operations, and that this legislation will eventually take away my own freedom regarding home organic gardening as well. Therefore, I ask your help in opposing this proposed legislation or changing it to allow organic farming to continue. Sincerely,

Phone calls work the best!! Messages already sent are here to give you ideas. You have a right and responsibility to keep American food safe and clean healthy food available for you and your family.

  • Joan Kaderli,  CSA member has this to say:
HR 875 The food police, criminalizing organic farming and the backyard gardener, and violations of the 10th amendment. This bill is sitting in committee and I am not sure when it is going to hit the floor.  One thing I do know is that very few of the Representatives have read it.  As usual they will vote on this based on what someone else is saying.  Urge your members to read the legislation and ask for opposition to this devastating legislation.  Devastating for everyday folks but great for factory farming ops like Monsanto, ADM, Sodexo and Tyson to name a few. I have no doubt that this legislation was heavily influenced by lobbyists from huge food producers.  This legislation is so broad based that technically someone with a little backyard garden could get fined and have their property siezed.   It will effect anyone who produces food even if they do not sell but only consume it.  It will literally put all independent farmers and food producers out of business due to the huge amounts of money it will take to conform to factory farming methods.  If people choose to farm without industry standards such as chemical pesticides and fertilizers they will be subject to a vareity of harassment from this completely new agency that has never before existed.  That's right, a whole new government agency is being created just to police food, for our own protection of course.
DO NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, READ THIS LEGISLATION FOR YOURSELF.  The more people who read this legislation the more insight we are going to get and be able to share.  Urge your members to read this legislation and to oppose the passage of this legislation.
Pay special attention to:
Section 3 which is the definitions portion of the bill-read in it's entirety. Section 103, 206 and 207- read in it's entirety.
Here are some red flags I found and I am sure there are more...........
Legally binds state agriculture depts to enforcing federal guidelines effectively taking away the states power to do anything other than being food police for the federal dept.
Effectively criminalizes organic farming but doesn't actually use the word organic.
Effects anyone growing food even if they are not selling it but consuming it.
Effects anyone producing meat of any kind including wild game.
Legislation is so broad based that every aspect of growing or producing food can be made illegal.  There are no specifics which is bizarre considering how long the legislation is.
Section 103 is almost entirely about the administrative aspect of the legislation.  It will allow the appointing of officials from the factory farming corporations and lobbyists and classify them as experts and allow them to determine and interpret the legislation.  Who do you think they are going to side with?
Section 206 defines what will be considered a food production facility and what will be enforced up all food production facilities.  The wording is so broad based that a backyard gardener could be fined and more.
Section 207 requires that the state's agriculture dept act as the food police and enforce the federal requirements.  This takes away the states power and is in violation of the 10th amendment.
Things you can do:
Contact your members at 202-224-3121 and ask them to oppose HR 875 and S 425.  While you are at it ask them if they personally have read the legislation and what their position is? If they have not read the legislation ask them to read it and politely let them know that just because other representitives are not reading the legislation and voting on it does not mean they can do the same.
Get in touch with local farmers and food producers by attending a local farmers market and asking them how business is.
Attend a local Weston A. Price Foundation  meeting, this is a good start to learning about what is going on in farming and local & state initiatives .  Check out their website .
Check out the Farmers Legal Defense Fund .
Find out who sits on your states agriculture and farmingcommittee and contact them with your concerns.
Link to Organic Consumer Information .
Continue to contact your elected officials and let them know your position on legislation and why.
Get active at the local and state levels, this is the quickest way to initiate change.
Fennel
Dai Due Dinner at the Farm: Johnson's Backyard Garden will be hosting a dinner in the orchard.  Jesse Griffiths, from Dai Due Supper Club, will be the chef. April 5th has been scheduled for an excellent meal in the pecan orchard. The dinner will focus on spring vegetables, pastured meats and local dairy. It will be family style, about four courses and live music.  The dinner will start around 3pm and will serve about 50 people. Please check Dai Due's website today to register as this event will sell out.

Jesse Griffiths, from Dai Due Supper Club, will be preparing a fantastic meal for us.

3) Events:

  • Passion for Plants Festival: When/Where: March 21, 2009,  10am - 4pm, Govalle Park, 5200 Bolm Rd. This free public gardening event will feature hands-on demonstrations of how to double dig a garden bed, make a self-watering container garden, grow plants from cuttings, and many more gardening tips that anyone can do. Come for the free advice from our on-site experts to answer all of your gardening questions, and fun educational activities for kids, with bugs, bugs, and more bugs! Get ready for Spring with all the free information you need to start your own garden.
  • Gardening for Wildlife Seminar: 7 p.m. March 25. Learn how to create a place for wildlife in your backyard and how to get certification as an official wildlife habitat. Zilker Botanical Garden center, 2220 Barton Springs Road. Free. 444-8765.
  • Raised Bed Gardening: When/Where: Del Valley Opportunity Center at the corner of FM 973 & Hwy 71 in Del Valle, March 24, 2009,9am-1pm. REGISTRATION REQUIRED Call: 577-7159 or 386-7758 or visit, atlasgreen.weebly.com FREE Workshop led by Lynette Holt from LCRA McKinney Roughs. Learn about local programs available in our area, such as Green Corn Project, that will help you start and grow your own food and vegetables at home. A demonstration will show how to create a raised bed garden, plant seeds and nurture the garden to grow produce that can be harvested within a few months. Students from Del Valle will benefit from the garden built during the workshop.
Sweet peppers are emerging from the plastic mulch.

4) Quotable Food:

  • I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals. I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants. - AW Brown
Sun Gold potatoes are over a foot tall.

5) Recipes:

  • Swiss Chard With Currants and Pine Nuts, from recipezaar.com
Advance preparation: You can make this several hours before serving. Reheat gently on top of the stove if you want to serve it hot. The blanched greens will keep in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.

SERVES 4 2 lbs swiss chard (stemmed and washed in several changes of water, stems diced and set aside) 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced (to taste) 3 tablespoons pine nuts 3 tablespoons currants or golden raisins 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Place the raisins or currants in a bowl and pour on hot water to cover. Soak 10 minutes and drain.Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the chard. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to the bowl of ice water and let sit for a few minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop coarsely. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the chard stems and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute or just until the garlic begins to smell fragrant. Add the chopped greens and raisins or currants and toss together until they are well coated with oil and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.
Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes) are coming on strong.

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.

Broccoli will last 4-7 days in plastic bags in the crisper.

Oranges and Grapefruit are best kept at room temperature of 60-70 degrees and used within two weeks. Do not store in plastic bags.

Parsley and Cilantro are best with bottoms of stems trimmed, placed upright in a jar of water in the fridge. Basil can be stored upright in a jar of water at room temperature, or in an open bag on the counter. These three all do well frozen also (they will loose texture but not taste).

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.

A new crop of kohlrabi is on the way.

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info:

Johnson’s Backyard Garden 9515 Hergotz Lane, Box E Austin, TX 78742

Office Phone: 512.386.5273 Office Hours: M-F 8am to 12pm

e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com website: www.jbgorganic.com

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