A sugar cane fence! Photo by Scott David Gordon

This week, we decided to build a fence (of sorts) along one of the property lines of the farm.  I know that good fences can make good neighbors, but, really, this isn't why we did it - I will be happy, though, if this ends up being one of the outcomes!  What we were really looking for was available land on which to plant sugar cane.  Sugar cane is an unusual crop because it can stay in the ground for up to two years prior to harvest.  Given that we need to rotate our vegetable and cover crops at JBG more frequently than that, this two-year time period presents a problem.   The solution we came up with was to plant the sugar cane along the border between our farm and our neighbor's.  This allows us to use a part of the farm not needed for vegetable cultivation and to create a natural division of the property.  Thank you to the crew for all of their hard work in making this happen.  And, don't worry - I'm not going to turn into a sugar cane grower.  It's a small crop for us but one with an emotional connection for me because, when I was a kid in Alabama, I would get locally grown sugar cane as a treat.

Sugar cane fence - a view from above. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Despite having built four new greenhouses, we are already bursting at the seams with Spring transplants.  To accommodate all of these, we've laid down ground cloth to put the transplants on that, when totaled, matches the space of four more greenhouses.  That's a lot of transplants!  Our farm manager, Mike Reed, has been working overtime to figure out where all of these new transplants will be planted.  This means not only mapping it out but also managing our crew to make sure the beds are prepped and ready to go when its time to plant.  From now until May, we will all be working extra hours to get those plants into the ground for Spring.

Look at all of those transplants! Photo by Scott David Gordon

As we are gearing up for Spring planting, my hope is that you will do the same.  Now is the time to start planning your own gardens!  Just as a reminder, we will be having our Annual Spring Organic Transplant Sale on March 7th, March 14th, and March 21st.  We will host it out at our farm at River Road in Cedar Creek for the first time - this way, you can also see our new greenhouses and get a look at what's growing in the fields.  Believe me, it's not too far out - just 10 short miles from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport down 71 and well worth the trip.  See you out there soon! Send Us Photos of Your Garden! If you are a gardener, we'd love to see photos of your garden!  Send us a picture of your garden from last year so we can post it in the newsletter.  Who knows?  Your efforts may inspire others to grow their own vegetables, too!  Just email the photo to carrie@jbgorganic.com along with your contact info.  Thanks so much!

Also, want to learn about organic gardening?  Farmshare Austin is hosting a series of organic gardening classes beginning February 7th - just in time for Spring!  To lean more, please click here.