“A community is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and that the people who share the place define and limit the possibilities of each other’s lives. It is the knowledge that people have of each other, their concern for each other, their trust in each other, the freedom with which they come and go among themselves” - Wendell Berry

Veggie love!

To our beloved customers,

With the holiday season upon us, we are overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude. 2016 has been a whirlwind to say the least. At the farm, we started ‘16 with the best and most successful 5 months, while the end of year materialized as the hardest 7 months that we have had on record. With three nights of freezing weather this past week, it was truly frightening. Freeze can be immensely destructive, and as it the peak of our harvest season, there is a plethora of produce coming in from the fields. Thus, our entire farm team pitched in to transport the harvest as quickly as possible into the greenhouses. With the inherent obstacles that come with being a farmer (dang you, elements!), it oftentimes means heartbreak and staggering feelings of loss; however, in this particular instance, seeing our team banding together in a time of need, I saw a strong group of people giving 110 percent to save the day. A gaggle of muddy super heroes to the rescue! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the team that we have at the farm right now is the cream of the crop. We have never been so in tune with each other... There is no shortage of cooperation, communication, and hard work. We are all committed to making the farm awesome and stronger than ever. We have so many exciting projects and ideas up our sleeve, we foresee greatness in the New Year. For example, we have new Ark of Taste varieties that we will be offering at our upcoming Spring transplant sale, plus, new crops that will be appearing in your CSA shares that we have never dabbled in growing before! All of our schemes for 2017 have us marinating in immense anticipation… we cannot wait to share it with you!

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We could not be doing what we love so passionately without the tremendous and perennial support from you, our community. Your support is changing our food system, one purchase at a time. It helps employ over 90 full-time Austinites with fair wages, and let’s these folks work in jobs they believe in, plus it ultimately helps make farm labor a viable and respected job. Austin, with it’s highly-saturated oasis of talented chefs, amazing farm-to-table restaurants, locavores, foodies, and general enthusiasm for organic farming, I couldn’t have found a better place to farm. I honestly believe that if I started this business in South Alabama, where I’m from, there just wouldn’t be the support for what we are doing. Just knowing that we are helping keep Austin fed and that you appreciate us, keeps us going day after day.

We love our relationships with you. We love knowing your dogs' names and your kids' kale preferences. We don't even mind your disdain when there’s a sustained influx of okra... we're right there with you! We love that we grow food, and then get to meet the families that eat it. We love hearing about your recipe triumphs and failures. Your involvement and feedback is what pushes us to work each day to improve the quality and taste of our vegetables.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our entire JBG family is a complicated web of greenhouse workers, harvest crew, market staff, and the guys and gals that pack your CSA boxes... but you're also a very real part of the family. We do this for you, and we hope you not only know this, but taste it.

CSA members: You've stuck with us through thick and thin... though weeks of okra and devastating database crashes! Through flooded fields and destroyed greenhouses! I can't let this opportunity pass by without extending my very sincere and wholehearted appreciation your way. JBG wouldn't exist if it weren't for your commitment to buying locally and organically; I know it's not always easy or convenient.

The business of farming often gets in the way of remembering to say thank you... So thank YOU, and your family, and all the mouths you nourish with our vegetables. You're the best community any farm could ever hope for, and we sincerely love you all. HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

If you're reading this, it's because you care about the farm, and you believe in what we're trying to do. This holiday, do us a favor and tell a friend about us! November and December are always hard months for us (as many of you all are traveling and buying less vegetables), so your help telling a friend about our CSA program or our market stand is very helpful and greatly appreciated!