It has been a chilly couple of weeks at the farm! And by chilly, we mean COLD! We have had several freezes that have damaged tender winter offerings like lettuces and mustard greens. You may notice that your bunches of kale for the next couple of weeks have a slightly yellow tint to them - this is caused by the cold temps, too. When tender leaves get too cold, we call this a "burn", and the leaves of many of our root crops were burned to a crisp. Luckily, there is a simple solution - just remove the tops! While the burned leaves are completely edible, we know that they can be a little unsightly, which is why we opt to simply remove them. Ever wonder where those tops go? Straight to the hog trailer! We're very proud of the fact that our Hergotz packing shed operation refrains from putting any vegetables into the landfill. The majority of our "inglorious" produce gets donated to the Central Texas Food Bank (upwards of 100,000 lbs. a year!) and what isn't suitable for humans, gets donated to a local hog farmer who uses the nutrient-dense veggies to feed his happy hogs.

Carrot tops covered in frost. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Orange roots, covered in dirt... because that's where they grow! These will be sprayed and soaked at our Hergotz packing shed to reveal bright orange carrots. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Dress like an onion - in layers! Mornings start out very cold at the farm, but by the afternoon, it's time to shed some layers! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We're all happily donning a mask during the cold and windy mornings. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

What to do with the radish greens have freeze damage? Remove them! The radishes themselves are damage free because they remained insulated in the ground. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

An under the truck, behind the scenes, perspective. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

 

All the hip-belt necessities: truck keys, knives, radio, and rubber bands. Farmers are always prepared. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We spy farmer Brenton's truck beyond the green sea. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Hearty spinach, still looking fine despite the freezes. Popeye would be proud! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

While some are welcoming a blanket of snow, we're tending a carpet of green. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

These are the rows farmers' dreams are made of. Straight, green, and near-perfect germination. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Dreamy rows, at a diagonal. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Exciting things happening at our Garfield farm... stay tuned to the blog for the full story coming out in 2021. We can't wait to tell ya! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Onions, in the ground! These tiny babies will be overwintered and harvested int he spring, once a large bulb has formed. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

A treeline framing the dino kale, slightly burnt by the freezing temps, but delicious and nutritious nonetheless. Photo by Scott David Gordon.