Photo by Scott David Gordon

From the Farmer's Perspective: Winter is Coming

It really feels like the seasons are a-changin' at JBG this week. We started the week off with our first frost of the year, celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday yesterday, and are currently busy preparing for a great winter citrus season beginning next week (which is already DECEMBER, can you believe it?!). We hope your hearts and bellies are full this week and that you are enjoying the cooler mornings in central Texas - I know the JBG crew certainly is.

First frost!

First frost came relatively late this year for us - we've had a wet and mild November and were very prepared for the light frost we received on Sunday night. I went to the fields early Monday to see how everything had fared and was amazed at the beauty the frosty plants brought! While very aesthetically pleasing, this weather event does mean the end of our summer crop harvests - be sure to stock up at farmers markets this weekend if you haven't yet preserved your tomatoes, okra, peppers, and eggplant for the year! Heat-loving crops like these die in a frost when the liquids inside their cells turn to ice crystals, puncturing the cell walls of the plants. For our winter crops - roots, greens, etc. this first freeze and the change in season actually makes the veggies much tastier! Cold weather prompts these fall and winter crops to convert starches to sugars in preparation of winter, so while you enjoy the last of summer bounty don't forget to buy some of the sweetest broccoli, carrots, and kale you've ever tasted if you're shopping with us this weekend.

Photo by Scott David Gordon

This frost also killed off the tops of our sweet potatoes, which have grown to an impressive size this year. With all the rain and wet soil this fall, it's been difficult to get into the soil and harvest the roots and so they just kept growing! With all the extra time in the ground, and the moisture, we've seen some of the biggest and strangest-looking sweet potatoes in JBG history this year. I hope you're ready to see a lot more of these sweet winter favorites in your CSA shares coming up.

Sweet potatoes come in lots of shapes and sizes.

The change from fall to winter means another sweet treat for our CSA members - 'tis the season for winter citrus! Every year, JBG partners with our good friends at G&S Groves in McAllen, TX to bring you certified organic Oranges and Grapefruit delivered to your home and community. David Strohmeyer is a really impressive farmer and never fails to deliver on sweet Texas citrus. We'll carry these beauties as long as they are in season (through Spring). Citrus is available for delivery to farmers markets or with your CSA box for only $12 for a 10 lb bag! Find more details about the Bulk Citrus sale at http://jbgorganic.com/citrus. Deliveries start December 1st, so get your orders in this weekend to start enjoying fresh squeezed orange juice as early as Tuesday!

Certified organic citrus is back! Photo by Scott David Gordon

I sincerely hope that you all had a very happy Thanksgiving, surrounded by friends, family, and locally grown and prepared food! I want to take just a minute to thank you again for being a part of the JBG community. Whether is be through your Community Supported Agriculture share, your patronage at weekly markets, grocery stores, and locally sourced restaurants, we couldn't do this without you. A special thanks to those who have shared this season's bounty - those of you who have donated your holiday CSA share and participated in our Sponsored Share Program have enabled us to reach out to a wider community this season. For those of you who have not yet considered these two options - there is still time to help us reach our goal of 150 shares for The Settlement Home this holiday season!

We'll be spending today back in the office, but definitely dreaming of lots of weekend meals using our Thanksgiving leftovers. Turkey pot pie, turkey and giant-sweet-potato chili, turkey over wintery salads...CSA members, how are you using your leftovers? We'd love to hear in the comments!

 

For more of the farmer’s perspective, follow Brenton on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @farmerbrenton.