Photo by Scott David Gordon

From the Farmer's Perspective: Giving Thanks

This week, I and everyone at JBG have a lot to be thankful for. We've received so much community support after a wild-weathered fall season, we just hosted a fun fall celebration of farming and local food at our Hoedown last weekend, and with Thanksgiving coming up, the list is only growing!

I want to send out a huge thank-you to everyone who made it out to the JBG Garfield Farm last Saturday to run, walk, eat, drink, and dance with your farmers at our Fall Hoedown. I had such a great time, and despite a little bit of rain the day was a huge success! It's always an incredibly enjoyable opportunity for me to show the community the fields where we grow vegetables for your families. Thank you for coming out and showing your support for local agriculture with us! Austin's own Rogue Running did a fantastic job coordinating our second ever farm 5k fun run, the Harvest Hustle - I had a blast running through the fields with you all and was definitely surprised when I was beat by members of my own staff! I consider myself a pretty dedicated runner, so I definitely felt blown away by the talent around me. Thanks is also owed to Saucony, who provided quality gear for the course and the runners, helping to make this a great race.

The 5k Harvest Hustle in action. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Following the Harvest Hustle, Silas Lowe and his band brought the Austin tunes for the whole hoedown to enjoy. This group has played a number of JBG events in the past and we're lucky to have them around. The band enjoyed drinks provided by The ABGB after their set - aside from being a great customer and supporter of the farm, the ABGB goes a step further to support JBG and local Austin musicians by teaming up with us for most JBG events to make sure the bands don't go thirsty! If you haven't tried their pizzas, sandwiches, salads and brews yet, you are missing out on a huge gem in Austin. Our team of volunteers helped us to run the day smoothly by dedicating their time to the farm and I have to thank them as well.

Lastly, the Hoedown could not have been a success without the hard work of JBG's own Ada Broussard. Ada always does an exceptional job making these events a success and this year's Hoedown was no exception. Thank you, Ada!!

Thanks, Ada! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Since we are just a few days away from Thanksgiving, let me continue my thank-you's by turning to you, the JBG community. I'm incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to be your farmer. As many of you know, organic farming was a long-time dream of mine, even as I was working as a government engineer for over a decade. JBG could never have gotten to be where we are today without the support of such an incredible community. From my backyard, to a thriving farm east of town serving Texas, it's been an incredible journey. I hope that JBG will be a part of your Thanksgiving meal this year - send us some photos if so, we'd love to see what you're cooking with the season's bounty! Thanks for your continual support of our farm.

Sponsor a share with JBG and give back this holiday!

For those of you traveling for the holidays, we hope you will pass on this bounty we are all thankful for - consider donating your CSA share to The Settlement Home this Thanksgiving. Your donated share helps feed children, young adults, and families in Texas with histories of trauma, abuse and neglect. It's as easy as emailing the farm and letting us know you would like to donate your share. If you are in town for the holidays, you can still donate to The Settlement Home by sponsoring a share, either in your name or someone else's. This is a great way to give back this holiday season, and a fantastic option when you are thinking of gifts to give family and friends. Donate here, and email the farm if you wish to donate in another's name.

The Settlement Home needs around 150 shares a year to meet their minimum needs - our goal for the is to meet that full 150 shares this 2015 holiday season. Won't you help us get there?

The trip I took to Big Bend this summer in my VW bus.

I'll close this week's newsletter by inviting you to an event this weekend - this event supports a cause close to my heart. This Saturday from 11:30-1:00, The Big Bend Conservation Alliance is hosting a fundraiser at the Mueller Amphitheater to raise funds for their campaign against the Trans-Pecos Pipeline in West Texas. This donation-based yoga class will support education about the pristine Big Bend regional ecosystems, and the possible detrimental effects that an oil pipeline in the region would have. The Big Bend Conservation Alliance also provides educational and legal support to landowners trying to fight this proposed pipeline. While I'm not much of a yogi, I can definitely get a good stretch in to bring awareness to this issue, and I hope you will too!