Getting things done. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Man, it's been super busy out here, even by our crazy standards!  By Monday, we had gotten more done than most people do in a whole week!  The truth is, we were working hard to meet a looming deadline: the coming of yet more rain on Tuesday.  Somehow, we were able to make it happen - we got the entire farm planted in just three days!  This included 20 beds of green beans, 60 beds of carrots, 53 beds of tomatoes, two kinds of radishes, five kinds of watermelons and galia melons, and cilantro and spinach.  Angel, our field manager, said we should all now take the rest of the week off given what we've accomplished!

My hat goes off to our incredible crew for taking on this daunting challenge and going all-in.  Thanks to their hard work and skilled, coordinated efforts, we will have vegetables this Spring.  March has been a bit of a nerve wracking month for me because of all the rain - I was worried we wouldn't be able to plant in time for Spring.  There's a lot that goes into planting prior to getting the seed or the transplant into the ground - the land needs to be tilled, composted, and shaped prior to planting.  I was going a little nuts because, as of last week, we were really behind.  Then, I looked at the forecast for this week and saw yet more rain.  I for one don't ever want to argue about rain - we need more of it than we are getting in Texas.  However, seeing this forecast made me realize that we needed to go into action immediately.  The race was on!

Photo by Scott David Gordon

We had been working on a different organizational style for prepping and planting for some time, and this week, it was put to the test.  Using all of our tractors, we assigned each person a specific task such as working the soil, adding organic soil implements, shaping beds, planting with the seeder or transplanter, and installing drip tape.  This division of labor allowed us to cover more ground quickly.  What also helped tremendously is that we didn't have any equipment failures!  It seems that the stars, if not the weather, worked in our favor this week!  We got all of this done and then some, and I couldn't be prouder - or more impressed - by our team.  The song from the Lego movie keeps playing in my head - for real!  "Everything is awesome, everything is cool when you're part of a team" - it's the perfect song for this week.

Photo by Scott David Gordon

My kids have been on spring break, but, unfortunately, this crazy schedule has eaten into my time to see them.  The thing about spring break is, though, there's an unspoken rule that  you can stay up later than normal.  Luckily, my kids have been adhering to this rule, and by the time I get home at 9pm, they're still up.  Seeing them is like a great welcome home after a packed day.  The truth is, they are more interested in our new pigs, Wilbur and Tarzan, than they are in me !

Posing with Tarzan

Ada feeds Tarzan and Wilbur

 

Now that our crew has accomplished so much, things may calm down a little bit at the farm.  The next thing for me is taking cuttings and rooting figs for our edible fence line border. This week, we took nearly 1000 cuttings from the huge fig tree just outside our office. I first planted this tree at our house on Holly Street but then moved it when we came to Hergotz Lane.  We cut it back so much that it won't produce this year, but hopefully, we will be able to grow lots more trees from its clippings.

So, you can see, it has been a packed week at JBG.  Spring always is quite busy, but you never know what twists and turns the weather has in store for you.  I have my fingers crossed that Saturday, April 4th will be a beautiful day for our Spring Hoedown and 5K Garden Gallop and Fun Run.  I am super excited about it  - I really do think it will be our best Hoedown and community gathering ever!  I can't wait to start off the Garden Gallop - I'm working on my costume now.  Believe me, you won't want to miss it!  Check out this segment on Fox News featuring Chef Isaac Mogannam from Ironwood Ice House describing some of the dishes he's going to make for the Hoedown - it's making me hungry!  Just click here.

Thank you, Chef Mogannam, for cooking these amazing sounding dishes for the Hoedown - can't wait to see you there!



On Saturday, April 4th, join us for a Spring Hoedown bigger than any party we’ve thrown before!  For the first time, the Hoedown will be held at our River Road Farm along the Colorado River where we grow our vegetables.  This location is just 10 miles East of the airport at 4008 River Road, Cedar Creek, TX 78216.

Garden Gallop Race Course

We will be kicking off the party with our very first Annual 5K Garden Gallop, as well as a ½-mile Kids’ Fun Run around the farm.  Race tickets include admission to the Hoedown, a buffet plate, and a JBG Garden Gallop T-shirt. A portion of this year’s proceeds will be donated to Farmshare Austin, a local non-profit encouraging the expansion of organic farming and food in Central Texas. After working up an appetite during the run, guests are invited to re-fuel with a special farm-to-table buffet catered by Ironwood Icehouse, as well as live music and dancing. There will BBQ, local beer, and-of course- plenty of veggie options for non-meat eaters. Lick Honest Ice Cream is providing dessert, and we can’t wait.   Keeping with tradition, we will also be turning to you—our community—to bring a sweet dish for our dessert potluck.

Festivities will feature live music from local bands, Gumbo Ce Soir, La Tampiqueña (with a special appearance by Mr. Will), The Show and Tellers, and Out of the Blue — all performing on a brand-new stage, built especially for the occasion. There will also be lessons for those needing a little brush-up before hitting the dance floor. Per usual, we’ll have plenty of activities for the kids, and last (but certainly not least!) we’re having a whiffle-ball raffle where we’ll be giving away loads of great local goodies.

For more information and to get your tickets for the race and/or the Spring Hoedown, please click here.