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LOCALLY GROWN, ORGANIC PRODUCE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR.

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION

03/03/09 — Aaron

A sampling of items for this week's box. Table of Contents 1) In Your Box this Week 2) Farm News
  • Organic Certification
  • Avocados
  • Outstanding in the Field
  • Log into Your Account
  • Tee Shirts Have Been Mailed out
  • Upcoming  Potluck Dinner at the Farm
  • Seeds Ordered for our Summer Round of Veggies
  • A Permaculture Class Tour
  • Amy Rinnger's Insights about Eggs
  • Alert! Call to Action: Tecolote Farms
  • People and their Food Consumed in One Week
3) Events
  • Austin Organic Gardeners Club Annual Plant Sale
  • Spring Plant Sale and Garden Festival
  • A Passion for Plants: An East Austin Garden Fair
4) Quotable Food 5) Recipes
  • Broccoli Delight Salad
  • Carrot-Cheddar Casserole
  • Deceptive Delicious
6) Vegetable Storage Tips 7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Information

Please send newsletter feedback, suggestions and contributions to farm@jbgorganic.com

We’re on Facebook! We’re also on MySpace, be our friend!

Spearmint
1) In Your Box this Week: Carrots Broccoli Florets Cabbage Spinach Green Garlic Salad Mix or Baby Chard Collards Radishes Kale Mint Parsley Avocado Oranges Grapefruit Coming soon: Baby Arugula and lettuces!

    This list is subject to change depending on availability and quality of crops on harvest day.  You’ll find the most accurate packing list on the homepage of our website.

Red Cross Lettuce
2)Farm News
  • Organic Certification: Brenton and I were able to complete this years paperwork (and get it filed on time!) for the Farm's Organic Certification with the Texas Department of Agriculture. This required, among other things, lists and supporting documents of crops planted and harvested, any soil amendments or fertilization applied, details on our methods of propagation, pest management plans and our crop plan for the coming year. Now that this step is finished, we will wait to hear from the state inspectors who are required to personally check out each organic farm every year. It's an excellent recap of what we've done for the last 12 months and how we've planned for the future.
  • Avocados: G & S Groves of Round Rock has supplied us with some amazing organic avocados this week.  G & S Groves has organic fruit orchards (they also supply us with organic oranges and grapefruit) located in  the Lower Rio Grande Valley and a farmstand located at 8221 North Ware Road, McAllen, TX. While searching for information on growing organic avocados in Texas, I came across two Austin Chronicle articles by M.M. Pack, published August 1, 2008.  I've reprinted excerpts from both articles here; a very interesting read :

The avocado tree, Persea americana, is a member of the laurel family, related to cinnamon, bay, and sassafras. Along with corn, beans, and peppers, the fruit was one of the staples of the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican diet. Archaeological evidence indicates that wild avocados probably originated in South-Central Mexico and were cultivated throughout Mexico, Central America, and South America as early as 7,000 years ago.

The first published Western account of avocados is from 1518, when conquistador Martín Fernández de Enciso described the fruit he ate in Colombia. When Hernán Cortés entered Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City) in 1519, he found avocados an integral part of sophisticated meals consumed by Aztec Emperor Montezuma, including a sauce of mashed avocado, tomato, and onion called ahuaca-mulli.

The Aztecs called the fruit ahuacatl, the same word they used for testicle, believing them to be aphrodisiacs with male-strengthening properties. Food historian Sophie Coe tells us that avocados were critical to the low-fat Mesoamerican diet because they contain up to 30% oil. Spaniards transcribed ahuacatl to aguacate; in a 1526 report to Charles V of Spain, New World chronicler Fernández de Oviedo describes a paste similar to butter that is "very good eating."

With the Spanish conquest and European exploration, avocados spread around the Carib­bean and ultimately to the Pacific, the Philip­pines, and Southeast Asian countries. The first mention of avocados in English was in 1672 by W. Hughes, physician to King Charles II, after visiting Jamaica. He calls them "one of the most rare and pleasant fruits of the island. It nourisheth and strengtheneth the body, corroborating the spirits and procuring lust exceedingly." During the 1700s, avocados became known as alligator pears, subaltern's butter, midshipman's butter, shell pears, and Spanish pears. George Washington wrote of "agovago pairs" while visiting Barbados in 1751, but confessed he really preferred pineapples.

Avocados in Texas aren't a new idea - in 1895, John Bourke, a U.S. cavalry officer stationed on the Texas-Mexican border and an avid anthropological observer, wrote: "When the custard-like pulp is beaten up with egg, oil, vinegar, and spices, it makes a most delicious salad and when sliced seems to be equally good. This fruit resembles a pear in shape; is purple in color; the pulp is sweetish and can be eaten raw."

The Texas Avocado Society was formed in Weslaco in 1948 as an association of growers and horticulturists seeking promising varieties from Mexico and Florida to develop a major commercial crop for South Texas. While the Texas industry didn't quite take off as hoped, the soci­ety's research and development legacy remains.

Happy Guacamole Eating!

  • Outstanding in the Field: There are hints of a late September pecan orchard dinner in the works. Last years feast was a great success and we hope to repeat the event annually. Keep an eye on the Outstanding in the Field's web site for upcoming details.   Last year the event sold out before we were able to announce it to our CSA members. We'll post more info in our blog as we have details regarding dates and making reservations.
  • Log into your Account and check details regarding pickup, renewal and changing your orders. It’s a great way to save time and improve accuracy of all our subscription.
  • Tee Shirts have been Mailed Out: Carrie sent out the recent tee shirt orders this week. If you have not received your order yet please drop us an email.
  • Upcoming  Potluck Dinner at the Farm: We are planning this years potluck for sometime in April. Bring a dish to share and come have dinner with us in the orchard. Meet others interested in local food and be entertained with live music and games. You don't have to be a CSA member to participate.  Bring your family and friends, too. I'll let you know when we have finalized a date.
  • Seeds Ordered for our Summer Round of Veggies: Okra, southern peas, watermelon, muskmelon, summer and winter squash (12 varieties in all!), and cucumber seeds are all on their way to our doorstep. Will has already started planting the sweet corn. We take special care to ensure that all our seeds are organic or untreated which means we buy from some of the best seed producers around the country.  We are also finishing up orders on this year's flowers- for beauty and pest control. Two kinds of Sunflowers, Zinnias, Cosmos and Alyssum.  Opening the seed boxes as they arrive has been a true delight, it feels like a  special occasion every time I see a new package arriving full of little, healthy seeds.
  • A Permaculture Class Tour: On Saturday February 28th Dick Pierce, who teaches through Austin's Permaculture Guild, brought his current design class out to the farm for a tour. Brenton has been participating in this series of classes since he stared growing veggies on Holly Street (at the original Johnson's Backyard Garden).  Mr. Pierce has utilized Brenton's farming activities (along with other area organic farmers) to illustrate aspects of sustainable design. If you're interested in taking the 10 week course contact the Austin Permaculture Guild.
  • Amy Rinnger's Insights about Eggs: Recently a CSA member called with questions regarding small eggs she had been finding in her weekly order. I asked both Brenton and Amy Ringger about their thoughts on this subject. Here's what they had to say:

Amy has two batches of chickens that are currently producing eggs. One of the batches, Golden Sex-links, hatched around May 1, 2007. These are the Â Ã‚  chickens that are currently producing the large eggs. The other batch of Barred Rocks hatched around May 1, 2008.  Chickens aged less than one year are known as pullets.  Between the ages of 18 - 24 weeks most pullets will begin to lay eggs. They will be small at first but will get bigger and more uniform as the pullet matures.

Brenton also added that this does not mean the smaller eggs are in anyway inferior. Quite the opposite; the benefits of pullet eggs are clear to many chefs who see a noticeable difference in recipe performance with pullet eggs.  Omelets have a lighter texture, ice cream is more luscious and many pastry chefs actually prefer pullet eggs. Consumers have been conditioned to think that "bigger is better" so they go for the large and extra large sizes in the supermarkets. These eggs are likely to be from older, adult hens and will be lower in quality than the smaller eggs from the adolescent pullet hens.

Ringger's will be retiring 500 Golden Sex-link hens this April/May. They will be replaced with a new batch of Production Reds.  Amy asks that you contact their farm at 512-923-2053 if you are interested in either the retired 2 year old hens, which will continue to lay for some time, or for butchering your own stewing hens.

Row covers are protecting the crops. Arugula sprouts without interferrence from bugs.
  • Alert! Call to Action for Tecolote Farms: Please take the time to look over the following information that has been circulating around the Austin organic community recently.  Our action as a community could really make the difference in the survival of Tecolote Farm, who have been experiencing some pretty grave water issues.  This will be addressed at a Commissioner's Court meeting this Thursday at 1:30.  Please take some time to join us there in support of David and Katy and voice your opinion to our local elected officials and keep our local food supply safe and protected. For more info on the farming water crisis in Central Texas check out the Austin Chronicle's November story on this subject....and there was also an in depth feature on Tecolote's water problems last July in the Chronicle.

Katie and David Pitre of Tecolote Farms.

Action Alert - Help Solve Tecolote Farm's Water Crisis

Tecolote Farm has been providing locally-grown, organic vegetables to the Austin area since 1993.  It is a vital part of and gives much value to our Â Ã‚  community.  Recently they have suffered a water crisis.  Water levels in Tecolote Farm's well dropped dramatically, and then went completely dry, soon Â  after Travis County installed nearby high-production wells used to water recreation fields a few miles away.  At first, Travis County officials indicated that if they had caused the problem, they would help fix it.  Since that time, several highly-qualified hydrogeologists, including ones with extensive experience in studying and working with the local aquifer at issue have confirmed what Tecolote has always known:  that the high-volume pumping by the County was at least a significant contributor if not a major cause of what has happened to Tecolote's water supply.There is some hope.  This coming Thursday, March 5th, the Travis County Commissioner's Court will be considering whether to make good on the County's promise to help solve a problem that they (at least in part) created.  There are a number of workable options that have been mentioned.  However, we are still facing an uphill battle.  This is where your participation is needed and we urge you to act via the following options:

Option 1. Email the Travis County Commissioner

Commissioner, Precinct 4  - Margaret Gómez - commissioner.gomez@co.travis.tx.us - 854-9444Below is suggested text for such an email.  Feel free to add to it by discussing your relationship with Tecolote or how important it is that our local governments support those within our community who produce local, healthy food, and that Travis County not contribute to the demise of Tecolote.

Please send an email very soon - preferably by this coming Monday (3/1) - but by no later than Wednesday (3/4), letting your County Commissioner (or all of the Commissioners including the County Judge) know how important it is to you that the County step up to the plate and help solve Tecolote's water crisis which they had a hand in causing.  Please Email or Call Your County Commissioner Now. Below is a list of the names of the email addresses of the County Judge and the four Commissioners.  Please send an email to your commissioner and cc the County Judge.  If you don't know who your county commissioner is, just send the email to all of them.List of County Commissioners and their email addresses and telephone numbers: County Judge - Samuel T. Biscoe - sam.biscoe@co.travis.tx.us - 854-9555 Commissioner, Precinct 1 - Ron Davis - ron.davis@co.travis.tx.us - 854-9111 Commissioner, Precinct 2 - Sarah Eckhardt - sarah.Eckhardt@co.travis.tx.us - 854-9222 Commissioner, Precinct 3 - Karen Huber - kelly.darby@co.travis.tx.us - 854-9111

  • Suggested text:Dear ___:I am a supporter of local, sustainable agricultural in Travis County.  It has come to my attention that the Travis County Commissioners Court is considering action to assist Tecolote Farm solve its water crisis. I also understand that several scientists believe that recent heavy pumping by Travis County is at least a significant contributor to or cause of Tecolote Farm's recent crisis.

It is very important to me that Travis County does what it takes to assure that we keep the local farm and not contribute to its demise.

Option 2. Call Your County Commissioners You may call your commissioner's office and let them know your views on this issue. See the list above.

Option 3. Attend Work Session/Show Support in Person The meeting at which this issue will be considered is scheduled for Thursday, March 5, 2009, at 1:30 PM. The location will be: the Â  Commissioners'   Courtroom, 1st Floor of the Ned Granger Administration Building, 314 West 11th Street, Austin. Feel free to attend and show and voice your support in Â  person.

Thank you in advance for getting involved in this important issue.

  • People and their Food Consumed in One Week: This photo essay was sent to me from a friend in Seattle and I thought it was well worth sharing.

11

Japan: The Ukita family of Kodaira City Food expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25

22

Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11

3

Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07

4

United States: The Revis family of North Carolina Food expenditure for one week: $341.98

5

Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

6

Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

7

Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

8

Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

9

Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

10

Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

*********************************************************

3) Events:
  • Austin Organic Gardeners Club Annual Plant Sale. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 7. Vegetable, herb transplants, ornamentals. Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Road. 443-7187, www.austinorganicgardeners.org.
  • Spring Plant Sale and Garden Festival.9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 7. Vegetables, herbs, plants and flowers for sale. Sunshine Gardens, 4814 Sunshine Drive. Free. www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org.
  • A Passion for Plants: An East Austin Garden Fair.10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 21. At third annual fair, learn how to landscape with edible plants for you and the neighborhood wildlife. Free expert garden advice. Fun, educational activities for kids, including bugs, bugs and more bugs. Govalle Park, 5200 Bolm Road. Free. 854-9600.

4) Quotable Food:
  • What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child?  ~Lin Yutang
5) Recipes:
  • Broccoli Delight Salad, a family favorite from my mother

1 bunch broccoli, chopped 4-5 cups 1 cup raisins 1/4 cup chopped red onion 1 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled Above can be prepared and refrigerated overnight. When ready to serve mix the following and add: 1/2 cup mayo 3T sugar 1T vinegar Last add 1 cup sunflower seeds

  • Carrot Cheddar Casserole, this is from one of my favorite recipe books More-with-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre. The book meets all of Grits requirements for a great cookbook (see January 27th's newsletter). It is a collection of recipes gathered by Mennonites on how to eat better and consume less of the world's limited food resources. My mother gave me this copy in 1978 as a gift. The cookbook has been updated a few times since then but I prefer the original, partly because it is stained with the remnants of years of cooking and has my hand writtten notes through out it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine in a mixing bowl: 3 cups cooked mashed carrots (about 1 1/2 lb.) 3 eggs beaten 2 cups milk 1 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 1/3 cups crushed crackers (reserve 1/4 cup for topping) 2-3 T softened butter 1 1/3 t salt dash pepper 1 T chopped parsley Mix well. Turn into a greased casserole and sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Bake 30 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

  • Deceptive Delicious : Mandy Denslow, who is currently on the waiting list for Johnson's Backyard Garden CSA, was concerned about how to get her kids eating all those fresh veggies that will soon arrive.  So, she has passed along suggestions to help spike the interest of kids who may be a bit veggie shy.  Here are two cookbooks she recommends.

Deceptive Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine

We would love to share your recipes, too! Please email your favorites to bess@jbgorganic.com

6) Vegetable Storage Tips:

We aim to grow and package our vegetables to maintain the highest taste and nutritional quality possible. However, once they’ve left the farm it’s up to you to keep them fresh and nutritious. There’s no refrigeration at the CSA drop points so it’s best to pick up your box as early as possible. Here are some additional tips on how to store this week’s share:

Spinach, Kale, Chard, Lettuce, Salad Greens, Bok Choy, Braising Mix and Cooking Greens will stay fresh in the crisper for 4-7 days and should be kept in plastic bags. Any bunch greens can be freshened by cutting an inch of the bottom stalks and soaking the entire bunch in cold water for 10 minutes. Place in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few hours to revive.

Cabbage and Celery have a fridge life of up to two weeks. Wrap celery in plastic.

Broccoli will last 4-7 days in plastic bags in the crisper.

Oranges and Grapefruit are best kept at room temperature of 60-70 degrees and used within two weeks. Do not store in plastic bags.

Checkout our storage tips on our website for a more complete guide, and of course, feel free to contact us with any questions. The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your guide for how to can, freeze, dry, pickle or ferment just about anything.

Marianna's Peace, left, and San Marazano, right, Tomato starts in the greenhouse.Notice the varietyof leaf structure between the two types. Tomatoes will be planted to the field starting this week.

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info:

Johnson’s Backyard Garden 9515 Hergotz Lane, Box E Austin, TX 78742

Office Phone: 512.386.5273 Office Hours: M-F 8am to 12pm

e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com website: www.jbgorganic.com

ALL THE TOMATOES YOU COULD POSSIBLY WANT

03/10/09 — Aaron

Radishses fresh from the field.
Table of Contents 1) In Your Box this Week 2) Farm News
  • All the Tomatoes You Could Possibly Want
  • Heirloom Tomato Starts for Sale
  • Open House/ Potluck
  • Log into Your Account
  • Educational Video
  • Volunteers Make it All Happen
  • We are Building Intern Housing
  • New Interns
3) Events
  • Seats available for the Bacchanal at the Hotel St. Cecilia
  • Gardening for Wildlife Seminar
4) Quotable Food 5) Recipes
  • Arugula and Olive Pesto
  • Roasted Beet, Peach and Goat Cheese Salad

6) Vegetable Storage Tips 7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Information

Please send newsletter feedback, suggestions and contributions to farm@jbgorganic.com

We’re on Facebook! We’re also on MySpace, be our friend!

Parsley and spinach.

Parsley and spinach.

1) In Your Box this Week: Broccoli Florets Spinach Green Garlic Salad Mix Baby Arugula Beets Radishes Tomatoes Mint Parsley Oranges Grapefruit Coming soon: Lettuces!

    This list is subject to change depending on availability and quality of crops on harvest day.  You’ll find the most accurate packing list on the homepage of our website.

  • CSA members report that we have the sweetest carrots they have ever tasted!CSA members report that we have the sweetest carrots they have ever tasted!
  • 2) Farm News

    • All the Tomatoes You Could Possibly Want: Keeping up with the hectic pace of spring planting has meant that we are growing (not going) crazy. Within the last week we have transplanted 2700 tomato plants and more will still be planted next week. Wow! Along with the standard varieties like Bush Early Girl and Roma, we have been raising heirloom tomatoes with some fascinating names ( and tastes and colors). These early tomato heirloom varieties include Pruden's Purple, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Pineapple, Black Krim, Rose de Berne, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, and Marianna's Peace.
    Lucas and Dylan transplant peppers.

    We have been doing some seed trials with the cucumbers and summer squash. Seeds of a few varieties have been seeded both in the greenhouse and directly to the field. Hopefully this will give us some information on which practice will produce healthier plants and bigger harvests. Just this week we have seeded 1100 cucumbers and 1100 summer squash. This is just the first succession and the numbers sound overwhelming to me but I'm sure you will all enjoy the bounty.

    We will also be transplanting three types of basil and direct seeding spinach, chard and green beans this week. Will continues to hill the potatoes each week; they just keep bursting through the ground with a rush of green growth. Will was also able to fertilize the onions with feather meal last week. Grit, Jeff, Stacey and myself  hand cultivated the onions to get the Nut Sedge out and work the fertilizer into the soil.
    Though it's late in the season, we are going to try and eek out one more round of mustard, turnips, and radishes. Our biggest battles there will be the late spring heat and the flush of insects that come with it. And, yes, we still have deer. Brenton says 'a herd' has been playing havoc with the plastic mulch, but we are not disheartened.....ah, the life of a farmer.
    • Heirloom Tomato Starts for Sale: We have those heirloom tomatoes, mentioned above, for sale. If you're interested in growing some of the most beautiful and flavorful tomatoes in your own backyard garden, check out our web site to place your order and we will deliver the starts to your weekly drop off sites for the next couple of weeks. Â  All transplants are seeded to 1" plugs and cost $1.00 each. We require a $20.00 minimum order, and this minimum can include any combination of the plants we have available.
    Black Krim Pruden's Purple Rose de Berne Green Zebra Aunt Ruby's German Green Cherokee Purple Marianna's Peace Pineapple
    • Open House/Potluck: We have picked a date for the special occasion, please joins us at the farm on Sunday April 19th from 4pm til dark. We will provide music and entertainment. Bring a dish to share, your own place settings and all the friends and family you can think of. Bring a chair or a blanket, and BYOB. You do not need to be a CSA member to attend, this is an event for everyone (except your canine friends, please leave them at home). So mark your calenders and peruse your favorite recipes in preparation for this annual event. We'll meet in the orchard and have a walking tour of the farm with other local foodies.
    • Log into your Account and check details regarding pickup, renewal and changing your orders. It’s a great way to save time and improve accuracy of all our subscription.
    • Volunteer Workshares Make it all Happen: We would like to express our gratitude to the folks who help us around the farm. Every week, both Wednesday's and Saturday's, workshare volunteers arrive at the farm at 8:00 am with sun screen and water bottles in hand. These folks get a different assignment each week and it's not always pleasant work (check out the photos below). Yet they are dedicated to the local food concept, enjoy the farm experience and take home a box of organic veggies at the end of the day.  For those of us who are interns on the farm , these workshares also provide our primary socializing for the week. Did I mention the freshly baked cookies, brownies, and muffins, homemade yogurt and kombucha tea they bring along to share? Interns love their workshares. We are always excited to see the regulars and the newbees show up.  I realize I don't have photos of all of you, but here is a smattering of the  people who make sure the harvest gets completed for your weekly CSA box.

    Workshares on the packing line:

    Gilbert

    Emily Manny Shelly Julie Tammy Stephanie Carla Evelise, who some of you may know as the host of the Treadwell pick up site. Susan Workshares help clear the massive brush pile. Richard Denise Shelly
    Workshares delighting in  a job well done and the fine veggies they will take home.
    Lauren, Violet and Tahila THANK YOU EACH AND EVERYONE (even if you are not pictured here)!
    • Building Supply Donations - NEEDED - We are Building Intern Housing: And would like your help. We are looking for donations of building supplies to complete small housing units for the interns.   More space is needed for incoming interns.
    If you are so inclined and/or inspired to offer up supplies, here's what we need: Plywood, 2x4's, tin, windows, and doors. It's a small list that will have a big impact for us. Thank you in advance.  On Saturday or Sunday afternoons we can arrange to come by and pickup items with our box truck.
    Small housing units for interns.
    • New Interns: We've recently had a few intern candidates come for a farm visit, which is part of the interview process of getting a job here at Johnson's Backyard Garden. Folks come to us from everywhere; ranging from other farms to the 'big city' (this week from Chicago and Toledo) looking to further their farming knowledge, broaden their life experiences and contribute to the slow food movement. It's always exciting to meet people who want to join the efforts of small scale organic farming. Each of the candidates has something different to bring to the table and we welcome the energy and knowledge that each individual can share. Each person adds something special to the Johnson's Backyard Garden community.

    This also means that some interns will be moving onto other ventures. Dylan will be leaving sometime in April with the plan to work on a farm somewhere near his partner's graduate school (she hasn't decided where yet, but he's hoping for Arizona). Lucas, our official non-intern intern, will be returning to Germany at the end of March to work on his family's farm for a while (ie. "to save up enough money to tour more of America").

    Will, who is an employees not an intern, will also be finding other living arrangements. Will plans to continue working at JBG, as the field manager, while pursuing his own farming venture in the Austin area. I, on the other hand, plan to intern at JBG through next November. This will mark my one year commitment and hopefully have provided me with enough experience to also pursue farming in the Austin area.
    Lucas Dylan Will Bess
    3) Events:
    • Seats available for the Bacchanal at the Hotel St. Cecilia: Join us for 10 courses of all local foods featuring some of the more rare, esoteric and special ingredients. Feast on handmade sausages, whole spit-roasted lamb, ducks stuffed with pheasants, fresh crawfish, organic vegetables from Boggy Creek and Rain Lily farms, first-of-the-season goats' milk cheeses, giant Hubbard squashes and other oddities and rarities like chasteberries, lemon blossoms and allspice leaves. Live music from Stanley Smith and Jon Doyle. Special room rates are available at the hotel, too, for the very nice price of $200 per night. $125 per person, BYOB. Complimentary cocktails included. Outdoors. 6:30pm 'til you give up.Please respond via email at daidueaustin.com if you would like seats. Thanks! Jesse Griffiths and Tamara Mayfield, Dai Due, daidueaustin.com, 512.524.0688.
    • Gardening for Wildlife Seminar: 7 p.m. March 25. Learn how to create a place for wildlife in your backyard and how to get certification as an official wildlife habitat. Zilker Botanical Garden center, 2220 Barton Springs Road. Free. 444-8765.

    4) Quotable Food:
    • Worries go down better with soup. ~Jewish Proverb
    5) Recipes:
    • Arugula and Olive Pesto, from seasonalchef.com

    3 cups arugula 1/2 cup best-quality extra virgin olive oil 1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped 1/4 cup pine nuts 1/4 cup coarsely chopped kalamata olives, or other oil-cured black olive 1/4 tsp. salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

    1. Place all ingredients except cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

    2. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in the cheese. Taste for seasonings adding salt or pepper as desired.

    Makes enough sauce for one pound of pasta.

    • Roasted Beet, Peach and Goat Cheese Salad, from allrecipes.com

    2 beets, scrubbed 1 bunch mache (lamb's lettuce), rinsed and dried 1 bunch arugula, rinsed and dried 2 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced 2 shallots, chopped 1/4 cup pistachio nuts, chopped 1 (4 ounce) package goat cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup walnut oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste

    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Wrap each beet in two layers of aluminum foil, and place onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the beets are tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Allow the beets to cool slightly, then remove the skins. Let the beets cool to room temperature, or refrigerate until cold. Once cooled, thinly slice the beets.

    2. Place the mache and arugula into a large mixing bowl. Add the sliced beets and peaches; sprinkle with the shallots, pistachios, and goat cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk together the walnut oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper until emulsified, and pour over the salad mixture. Toss well, and serve.

    We would love to share your recipes, too! Please email your favorites to bess@jbgorganic.com

    Butterflies have arrived!

    6) Vegetable Storage Tips:

    We aim to grow and package our vegetables to maintain the highest taste and nutritional quality possible. However, once they’ve left the farm it’s up to you to keep them fresh and nutritious. There’s no refrigeration at the CSA drop points so it’s best to pick up your box as early as possible. Here are some additional tips on how to store this week’s share:

    Spinach, Kale, Chard, Lettuce, Salad Greens, Bok Choy, Braising Mix and Cooking Greens will stay fresh in the crisper for 4-7 days and should be kept in plastic bags. Any bunch greens can be freshened by cutting an inch of the bottom stalks and soaking the entire bunch in cold water for 10 minutes. Place in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few hours to revive.

    Carrots, Radishes, Turnips, Beets, and Parsnips should be stored in plastic bags. They'll last two weeks in the fridge. Take tops off carrots before storing, leave greens on radishes, turnips and beets, with both roots and tops in the bag.

    Broccoli will last 4-7 days in plastic bags in the crisper.

    Oranges and Grapefruit are best kept at room temperature of 60-70 degrees and used within two weeks. Do not store in plastic bags.

    Parsley and Cilantro are best with bottoms of stems trimmed, placed upright in a jar of water in the fridge. Basil can be stored upright in a jar of water at room temperature, or in an open bag on the counter. These three all do well frozen also (they will loose texture but not taste).

    Checkout our storage tips on our website for a more complete guide, and of course, feel free to contact us with any questions. The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your guide for how to can, freeze, dry, pickle or ferment just about anything.

    7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info:

    Johnson’s Backyard Garden 9515 Hergotz Lane, Box E Austin, TX 78742

    Office Phone: 512.386.5273 Office Hours: M-F 8am to 12pm

    e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com website: www.jbgorganic.com

    LET IT RAIN

    03/18/09 — Aaron

    The pecan orchard is a lush green carpet with the assistance of recent rains.
    The pecan orchard is a lush green carpet with a little help from our recent rains.

    Table of Contents 1) In Your Box this Week

    2) Farm News

    • Last Weeks Rain
    • Pushing Back Delivery Times
    • Heirloom Tomato Starts for Sale
    • Open House/ Potluck
    • Log into Your Account
    • We are Building Intern Housing
    • Peter Menzel Photography
    • The Food Safety Bill needs Your Attention
    • Dai Due Dinner at the Farm
    3) Events
    • Passion for Plants Festival
    • Gardening for Wildlife Seminar
    • Raised Bed Gardening

    4) Quotable Food

    5) Recipes
    • Swiss Chard With Currants and Pine Nuts

    6) Vegetable Storage Tips 7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Information

    Please send newsletter feedback, suggestions and contributions to farm@jbgorganic.com

    We’re on Facebook! We’re also on MySpace, be our friend!

    1) In Your Box this Week: Broccoli Florets Spinach Salad Mix or Chard Baby Boc Choy Kale Beets Asparagus Cabbage Parsley Oranges Grapefruit Coming soon: Lettuces!

      This list is subject to change depending on availability and quality of crops on harvest day.  You’ll find the most accurate packing list on the homepage of our website.

    Ankle deep in rain water.

    2) Farm News

    • Last Weeks Rain was a wonderful blessing for the entire region. And our fields loved it , too. We had almost three days of surface irrigation (also known as furrow or flood irrigation). The method traditionally uses stored water, allowing it to surge into the field paths or furrows, the water slowly infiltrates the ground, and thus less water is lost to evaporation. Well, last week the rainfall did our surface irrigation for us; each and every furrow retained several inches of rainwater. Traditional surface irrigation is the oldest, cheapest and most low tech form of irrigation. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that over half the fields in the U.S. were irrigated in this manor in 2000. Even early this morning, there were a few furrows still holding onto water. For us this means that the fields will come alive with a rush of new growth and we won't need to run the well pumps for a while.
    This also meant that we were a little slow with the harvest on Saturday. Working in the wet fields can look like an old Jerry Lewis film clip from a distance. As workshares were trying to maintain their balance, the unseen soil gushed from under their feet in the flooded furrows. Many hoops and hollers were heard through out the harvest as we slipped and slid down the rows juggling our harvest bins. There's also the laughable two or three inches of mud that sticks to the bottom of your rain boots. It feels like you are wearing weights around your ankles as your boots cake with the drenched soil. Saturday morning was very chilly on the farm, so it was good to have some mud induced field antics to raise spirits during a grueling harvest. Happy plants and flooded furrows.
    • Pushing Back Delivery Times at your Pick Up Sites: At JBG, we make every effort to deliver members' vegetables to the pickup sites on time. However, sometimes we encounter unpredictable and unavoidable delays. For example,this past Saturday, we arrived late to the sites because of weather and traffic complications. On Saturday, the fields were very muddy due to the rain, and we couldn't drive the trucks in the field to pick up what we'd harvested. This combined with the effect of the cold and wet weather on our hands made it more much more difficult to harvest as quickly as we normally do. Also, increased traffic (probably from SXSW) slowed us down once we were on the road.
    Delays like the ones described above are unpredictable. Therefore, in order to give ourselves ample leeway to deal with the unforeseen, we are going to push all of our official pickup times back by 30 minutes. For example, this means a pickup time that formerly started at 1pm will now begin at 1:30pm. Members will see the change to their specific site reflected in the next pickup reminder. While we anticipate being able to maintain our old delivery schedule, we are officially pushing our pickup times back by 30 minutes so that members do not have to wait if we encounter delays. Here's a schedule of the changes you will see starting this week: WEDNESDAY PICK UP The Farm Pickup - 9515 Hergotz Lane, Austin - 2:00-7:00pm Tarrytown Pickup - West 10th Street, Austin - 4:00-7:00pm Cedar Park Pickup - Hunter Ace Way, Austin - 3:00-7:00pm Northwest Austin Pickup - Running Rope, Austin - 3:30-7:00pm Round Rock Pickup - Sam Bass Rd, Round Rock - 2:00-6:00pm SATURDAY PICK UP The Farm Pickup - 9515 Hergotz Lane, Austin - 1:30-7:00pm Downtown/Eastside Pickup - Willow St, Austin - 1:30-7:00pm Hyde Park Pickup - Avenue H, Austin - 2:00-7:00pm South Central Pickup - Treadwell St, Austin - 2:30-7:00pm South Austin Pickup - Rocky Ford Drive, Austin - 3:00-7:00pm
    • Heirloom Tomato Starts for Sale: Our sale of organic heirloom tomato starts continues. If you’re interested in growing some of the most beautiful and flavorful tomatoes in your own backyard garden, check out our web site to place your order and we will deliver the starts to your weekly drop off sites for the next couple of weeks. Â  All transplants are seeded to 1? plugs and cost $1.00 each for Johnson's Backyard Garden CSA members and $1.75 for the general public. We require a $20.00 minimum order, and this minimum can include any combination of the plants we have available.
    Black Krim
    Pruden's Purple Rose de Berne
    Green Zebra Aunt Ruby's German Green
    Cherokee Purple Marianna's Peace Pineapple
    • Open House/Potluck: We have picked a date for the special occasion, please joins us at the farm on Sunday April 19th from 4pm til dark. We will provide music and entertainment. Bring a dish to share, your own place settings and all the friends and family you can think of. Bring a chair or a blanket, and BYOB. You do not need to be a CSA member to attend, this is an event for everyone (except your canine friends, please leave them at home). So mark your calenders and peruse your favorite recipes in preparation for this annual event. We’ll meet in the orchard and have a walking tour of the farm with other local foodies.
    Snow pease are sprouting!

    • Log into your Account and check details regarding pickup, renewal and changing your orders. It’s a great way to save time and improve accuracy of all our subscription.
    • Building Supply Donations - NEEDED - We are Building Intern Housing: And would like your help. We are looking for donations of building supplies to complete small housing units for the interns.   More space is needed for incoming interns.
    If you are so inclined and/or inspired to offer up supplies, here’s what we need: Plywood, 2×4’s, tin, windows, and doors. It’s a small list that will have a big impact for us. Thank you in advance.  We can arrange to come by on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to pickup items with our box truck. Give us a call at 512.386.5273 or drop us a line at farm@jbgorganic.com.
    Cabbage starts in the field.
    • Peter Menzel Photography: The photo essay 'People and their Food Consumed in One Week'  that appeared in the newsletter a few weeks ago was a excerpt from the book 'Hungry Planet' by Peter Menzel. Please check out his website for other fascinating photography. Thanks to Catherine Miller who sent us this site info.
    Peter Menzel's photographs
    • The Food Safety Bill needs Your Attention: Several CSA members have also sent in links to the current federal House of Representatives Bill 875 and Senate Bill 425 (click on the links to read the full text of each bill) regarding 'Food Safety'. If you haven’t heard about this one, please read…growing food in your own backyard, heirloom seeds, organic farms and farmer's markets may be a thing of the past….....Read Sean Shepard's article HR 875 Would Essentially Outlaw Family Farms In The United State

      The 'Food Safety' Bill in Congress were written by Monsanto, Cargill, Tysons, ADM, etc. All are associated with the opposite of food safety.What is this all about then? In the simplest terms, organic food and a rebirth of farming were winning. Not in absolute numbers, but in a deep and growing shift by the public toward understanding the connection between their food and their health, between good food and true social pleasures, between their own involvement in food and the improvement in their lives in general, between local food and a burgeoning local economy.

    • CSA member Lori McNabb sent in this information: The Senate bill's wording is harder to understand since it makes the Act sound like it is helping the public, but the corresponding House bill is very clear in its targeting of the organic food industry. Its phrase "science-based minimum standards for safe production of food by food production facilities" is clearly aimed at killing the organic farming industry by mandating fertilizers and pesticides that must be used on all foods that are sold to the public.
    If you're like me, anything that is government-mandated as "science-based" really means industry-backed (in other words, sponsored by Monsanto & friends). Don't know who Monsanto is? Just Google the company and the news swirling around them. IF YOU LIKE TO HAVE AN ORGANIC GARDEN OR BUY ORGANIC FOOD YOU HAD BETTER GET ON THAT PHONE OR WRITE TO YOUR CONGRESS REPs N-O-W!There is an enormous rush to get this into law within the next two weeks before people realize what is happening up on Capitol Hill. The Bills will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous sprays. All farms and growers will be instructed and regulated by the newly formed agency to 'make sure there is no danger to the general public and the appending food supply.' The attempt is to 'standardize' the agricultural industry. At first this may appear as if it is only directed at commercial farms but don't be fooled. This WILL include backyard gardens that grow food for consumption by a single family and not intended for resale. Most prior Bills that started off with such intent are later expanded in their scope and become more restricted in nature. If this passes then NO more heirloom clean seeds but only Monsanto genetically-altered seeds that are now showing up with unexpected diseases in humans. The name on this evil food plan is the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009. (Really makes it sound like the feds are trying protect us!) Criminalize Organic Farming? video (Read the text under the video as well.) This has NOTHING to do with food safety. This is only about TOTAL CONTROL by the federal government in our lives.

    To find your congressman: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ Enter your state and zip code to get direct links to their contact forms. Select "Agriculture" as the topic when necessary, then copy and paste this letter (or write one of your own). It won't take five minutes.

    • Dear Congressman:
    I am opposed to the Food Safety and Tracking Improvement Act (S 425) and the corresponding House version, HR 875, and wanted to express my opinion. I am opposed to any legislation that controls and demands the use of specified commercial fertilizers and poisonous sprays in the guise of protecting the populace. I want the freedom to choose what methods of organic gardening and produce that I choose without my decisions being legislated. My belief is that the agricultural lobby for the large agricultural producers are working hard at eliminating small agricultural operations, and that this legislation will eventually take away my own freedom regarding home organic gardening as well. Therefore, I ask your help in opposing this proposed legislation or changing it to allow organic farming to continue. Sincerely,

    Phone calls work the best!! Messages already sent are here to give you ideas. You have a right and responsibility to keep American food safe and clean healthy food available for you and your family.

    • Joan Kaderli,  CSA member has this to say:
    HR 875 The food police, criminalizing organic farming and the backyard gardener, and violations of the 10th amendment. This bill is sitting in committee and I am not sure when it is going to hit the floor.  One thing I do know is that very few of the Representatives have read it.  As usual they will vote on this based on what someone else is saying.  Urge your members to read the legislation and ask for opposition to this devastating legislation.  Devastating for everyday folks but great for factory farming ops like Monsanto, ADM, Sodexo and Tyson to name a few. I have no doubt that this legislation was heavily influenced by lobbyists from huge food producers.  This legislation is so broad based that technically someone with a little backyard garden could get fined and have their property siezed.   It will effect anyone who produces food even if they do not sell but only consume it.  It will literally put all independent farmers and food producers out of business due to the huge amounts of money it will take to conform to factory farming methods.  If people choose to farm without industry standards such as chemical pesticides and fertilizers they will be subject to a vareity of harassment from this completely new agency that has never before existed.  That's right, a whole new government agency is being created just to police food, for our own protection of course.
    DO NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, READ THIS LEGISLATION FOR YOURSELF.  The more people who read this legislation the more insight we are going to get and be able to share.  Urge your members to read this legislation and to oppose the passage of this legislation.
    Pay special attention to:
    Section 3 which is the definitions portion of the bill-read in it's entirety. Section 103, 206 and 207- read in it's entirety.
    Here are some red flags I found and I am sure there are more...........
    Legally binds state agriculture depts to enforcing federal guidelines effectively taking away the states power to do anything other than being food police for the federal dept.
    Effectively criminalizes organic farming but doesn't actually use the word organic.
    Effects anyone growing food even if they are not selling it but consuming it.
    Effects anyone producing meat of any kind including wild game.
    Legislation is so broad based that every aspect of growing or producing food can be made illegal.  There are no specifics which is bizarre considering how long the legislation is.
    Section 103 is almost entirely about the administrative aspect of the legislation.  It will allow the appointing of officials from the factory farming corporations and lobbyists and classify them as experts and allow them to determine and interpret the legislation.  Who do you think they are going to side with?
    Section 206 defines what will be considered a food production facility and what will be enforced up all food production facilities.  The wording is so broad based that a backyard gardener could be fined and more.
    Section 207 requires that the state's agriculture dept act as the food police and enforce the federal requirements.  This takes away the states power and is in violation of the 10th amendment.
    Things you can do:
    Contact your members at 202-224-3121 and ask them to oppose HR 875 and S 425.  While you are at it ask them if they personally have read the legislation and what their position is? If they have not read the legislation ask them to read it and politely let them know that just because other representitives are not reading the legislation and voting on it does not mean they can do the same.
    Get in touch with local farmers and food producers by attending a local farmers market and asking them how business is.
    Attend a local Weston A. Price Foundation  meeting, this is a good start to learning about what is going on in farming and local & state initiatives .  Check out their website .
    Find out who sits on your states agriculture and farmingcommittee and contact them with your concerns.
    Continue to contact your elected officials and let them know your position on legislation and why.
    Get active at the local and state levels, this is the quickest way to initiate change.
    Fennel
    Dai Due Dinner at the Farm: Johnson's Backyard Garden will be hosting a dinner in the orchard.  Jesse Griffiths, from Dai Due Supper Club, will be the chef. April 5th has been scheduled for an excellent meal in the pecan orchard. The dinner will focus on spring vegetables, pastured meats and local dairy. It will be family style, about four courses and live music.  The dinner will start around 3pm and will serve about 50 people. Please check Dai Due's website today to register as this event will sell out.

    Jesse Griffiths, from Dai Due Supper Club, will be preparing a fantastic meal for us.

    3) Events:

    • Passion for Plants Festival: When/Where: March 21, 2009,  10am - 4pm, Govalle Park, 5200 Bolm Rd. This free public gardening event will feature hands-on demonstrations of how to double dig a garden bed, make a self-watering container garden, grow plants from cuttings, and many more gardening tips that anyone can do. Come for the free advice from our on-site experts to answer all of your gardening questions, and fun educational activities for kids, with bugs, bugs, and more bugs! Get ready for Spring with all the free information you need to start your own garden.
    • Gardening for Wildlife Seminar: 7 p.m. March 25. Learn how to create a place for wildlife in your backyard and how to get certification as an official wildlife habitat. Zilker Botanical Garden center, 2220 Barton Springs Road. Free. 444-8765.
    • Raised Bed Gardening: When/Where: Del Valley Opportunity Center at the corner of FM 973 & Hwy 71 in Del Valle, March 24, 2009,9am-1pm. REGISTRATION REQUIRED Call: 577-7159 or 386-7758 or visit, atlasgreen.weebly.com FREE Workshop led by Lynette Holt from LCRA McKinney Roughs. Learn about local programs available in our area, such as Green Corn Project, that will help you start and grow your own food and vegetables at home. A demonstration will show how to create a raised bed garden, plant seeds and nurture the garden to grow produce that can be harvested within a few months. Students from Del Valle will benefit from the garden built during the workshop.
    Sweet peppers are emerging from the plastic mulch.

    4) Quotable Food:

    • I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals. I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants. - AW Brown
    Sun Gold potatoes are over a foot tall.

    5) Recipes:

    • Swiss Chard With Currants and Pine Nuts, from recipezaar.com
    Advance preparation: You can make this several hours before serving. Reheat gently on top of the stove if you want to serve it hot. The blanched greens will keep in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.

    SERVES 4 2 lbs swiss chard (stemmed and washed in several changes of water, stems diced and set aside) 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced (to taste) 3 tablespoons pine nuts 3 tablespoons currants or golden raisins 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

    Place the raisins or currants in a bowl and pour on hot water to cover. Soak 10 minutes and drain.Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the chard. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to the bowl of ice water and let sit for a few minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop coarsely. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the chard stems and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute or just until the garlic begins to smell fragrant. Add the chopped greens and raisins or currants and toss together until they are well coated with oil and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.
    Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes) are coming on strong.

    6) Vegetable Storage Tips:

    We aim to grow and package our vegetables to maintain the highest taste and nutritional quality possible. However, once they’ve left the farm it’s up to you to keep them fresh and nutritious. There’s no refrigeration at the CSA drop points so it’s best to pick up your box as early as possible. Here are some additional tips on how to store this week’s share:

    Spinach, Kale, Chard, Lettuce, Salad Greens, Bok Choy, Braising Mix and Cooking Greens will stay fresh in the crisper for 4-7 days and should be kept in plastic bags. Any bunch greens can be freshened by cutting an inch of the bottom stalks and soaking the entire bunch in cold water for 10 minutes. Place in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few hours to revive.

    Broccoli will last 4-7 days in plastic bags in the crisper.

    Oranges and Grapefruit are best kept at room temperature of 60-70 degrees and used within two weeks. Do not store in plastic bags.

    Parsley and Cilantro are best with bottoms of stems trimmed, placed upright in a jar of water in the fridge. Basil can be stored upright in a jar of water at room temperature, or in an open bag on the counter. These three all do well frozen also (they will loose texture but not taste).

    Checkout our storage tips on our website for a more complete guide, and of course, feel free to contact us with any questions. The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your guide for how to can, freeze, dry, pickle or ferment just about anything.

    A new crop of kohlrabi is on the way.

    7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info:

    Johnson’s Backyard Garden 9515 Hergotz Lane, Box E Austin, TX 78742

    Office Phone: 512.386.5273 Office Hours: M-F 8am to 12pm

    e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com website: www.jbgorganic.com

    VIEWS FROM THE FARM

    03/24/09 — Aaron

    Dylan unloads a pick up truck load of organic grapefruit.

    Table of Contents 1) In Your Box this Week

    2) Farm News

    • Dai Due Dinner at the Farm. Mark your Calendar!
    • Open House/ Potluck. Mark your Calendar Again!
    • At the Farm this Week
    • The New White House Veggie Garden
    • The 'Food Saftey Modernization' Act
    • Don't Forget we have New Delivery Times at Your Pick Up Site
    • Architecture for Tomatoes
    • Heirloom Tomatoes are Selling Quick
    • Log into your JBG CSA Membership Online
    3) Events
    • Gardening for Wildlife Seminar
    • 52nd Annual Zilker Garden Festival
    • Austin Organic Gardeners
    • Travis County Master Gardeners Association

    4) Quotable Food

    5) Recipes
    • Provençal Greens Soup

    6) Vegetable Storage Tips 7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Information

    Please send newsletter feedback, suggestions and contributions to farm@jbgorganic.com

    We’re on Facebook! We’re also on MySpace, be our friend!

    The fence line separating the office field and the orchard.

    1) In Your Box this Week: Broccoli Florets Spinach Kale Radish Arugula Pac Choi Green Garlic Lettuce Just a few Fennel Baby Chard Beets Strawberries Oranges Grapefruit Coming soon: Turnips

      This list is subject to change depending on availability and quality of crops on harvest day.  You’ll find the most accurate packing list on the homepage of our website.

    2) Farm News

    • Dai Due Dinner at the Farm. Mark your Calendars!
    Johnson's Backyard Garden will be hosting a dinner in the orchard.  Jesse Griffiths, from Dai Due Supper Club, will be the chef. April 5th has been scheduled for an excellent meal in the pecan orchard. The dinner will focus on spring vegetables, pastured meats and local dairy. It will be family style, about four courses and live music. The dinner will start around 3pm and will serve about 50 people. Please check Dai Due's website today to register as this event will sell out.
    Jesse Griffiths, from Dai Due Supper Club, will be preparing a fantastic meal for us.
    • Open House/ Potluck. Mark your Calendar Again!
    We have picked a date for the special occasion, please joins us at the farm on Sunday April 19th from 4pm til dark. We will provide music and entertainment. Bring a dish to share, your own place settings and all the friends and family you can think of. Bring a chair or a blanket, and BYOB. You do not need to be a CSA member to attend, this is an event for everyone (except your canine friends, please leave them at home). So mark your calenders and peruse your favorite recipes in preparation for this annual event. We’ll meet in the orchard and have a walking tour of the farm with other local foodies.
    • At the Farm this Week
    We've had another busy transplanting week: tomatoes, basil, eggplant, sweet peppers, cucumbers, melons and more lettuces. The green house has emptied a bit as most of our plants are moving to the fields at this time of the year. Will also direct seeded green beans, which we grow in two rows per bed. Never one to waste resources, he decided to plant garlic down the center of the bean rows to utilize space and add to our pest and soil management. Here's how it works. The beans replenish nitrogen in the soil, which makes surrounding plants grow better; just one type of Mother Nature's natural fertilizers. Beans will also help protect nearby eggplants from the dreaded Colorado potato beetle.  The green garlic repels aphids, controls rust flies and some nematodes, and protects tomatoes against red spiders. Green garlic will be harvested in just a few weeks as part of your CSA box. This will not allow the garlic, a member of the Allium family, to interfere with the development of the beans as they near maturity about 5 to 6 weeks later.
    Our little fig tree, planted at the residential driveway, is leafing out with it's beautiful wavy greenery.
    • The New White House Veggie Garden:
    A great public outcry for personal food awareness can be seen in the entertaining short called  This Lawn is your Lawn. Well, it looks like your letter writing and phone campaigns have worked (Thanks !).  In  case you haven't heard the news, the public debate has won over the Obama  household. The White House landscapers are installing an ORGANIC vegetable garden on the White House Grounds  http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/20/Spring-Gardening/
    Citizen request for a White House garden has helped spotlight a timely political discussion. This particular organic garden draws attention to the  current 'Food Safety Bill' which would support big chemical companies and huge industrial farms. Yet the First Family has made a public stand for locally grown organic food; to feed themselves, their guests and make donations to a local food bank. We hope this helps send a message to the folks at Monsanto, ADM, etc. who are backing the 'Food Safety Bill'.
    • The 'Food Safety Modernization' Act:
    Here is more conversation regarding the 'Food Safety' bill that is currently before congress. Beth Johnson (our farming cohort) received some email comments that look at the other side of the proposed bill. The following email texts are a letter from Katy Ziegler Thomas,Vice President of Government Relations, National Farmers Union and Dan Nagengast of the Kansas Rural Center, whose websites have been included for further reading. The email comments reflect their understanding and knowledge of the current bill before Congress.
    The uproar caused by this bill is pretty remarkable. Donn Teske of Kansas Farmers Union had their D.C. office contact Rep. DeLauro's staff directly. Donn said to feel free to share what they found. It will reassure at least some of the small farm community. Slightly larger regional or wholesaling farms may have more to worry about. Many of you have contacted NFU_DC regarding H.R 875/the Food Safety Modernization Act, introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). The internet rumor mill has been burning up regarding DeLauro's legislation and her intent. Some have suggested she is aiming to ban backyard gardens, organic production, farmers markets, etc. Rest assured this is not the intent or focus. I met w/DeLauro's staff last Thursday regarding their intent with language, specifically Sect. 206 and to get a response regarding the internet rumor mill. As I expected, DeLauro has no intention of causing harm/hardship to small-independent family farmers, backyard gardeners, organic producers or farmers markets. They did acknowledge the language is ambiguous in areas and could have been better articulated/defined with input from their farming-friends. Specifically, under Sect. 206 they intended to include large-scale production operations that ship production nationwide, not the producer with limited acres who sells at the local farmers market or CSA, etc. I encouraged them to include an exemption within Sect 206 to clarify exactly who they are aiming to go after. USDA's definition of "small farms" is any farm with less than $250,000 gross receipts annually on which day-to-day labor and management are provided by the farmer and/or farm family that owns the production or leases the productive assets. They are exploring this suggestion. The legislation only addresses/impacts FDA jurisdiction, meaning there would be no impact on livestock production - which is under USDA jurisdiction. References in the legislative text to "animals; ranches" etc., are used for legislative text continuity purposes. The bill has been referred to Energy & Commerce, former E&C chairman John Dingell already has a drafted food safety bill. Dingell's bill will be the starting point for E&C, with DeLauro focused on getting a few pieces of her language into Dingell's language. NFU has not endorsed or opposed HR. 875 or any other food safety legislation at this point. Attached is NFU's policy on food safety - which calls for a single food agency and mandatory recall authority. I anticipate food safety legislation to be debated extensively in Congress this year - with all current forms of language to change significantly before completed. I'm not certain where or how the rumors about DeLauro's efforts began, but she is a friend of independent small family farmers, not a foe. If there are legitimate concerns with her language the staff is open to suggestion/improvements. If you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to let me know.
    • Don't Forget we have New Delivery Times at Your Pick Up Site:
    WEDNESDAY PICK UP The Farm Pickup - 9515 Hergotz Lane, Austin - 2:00-7:00pm Tarrytown Pickup - West 10th Street, Austin - 4:00-7:00pm Cedar Park Pickup - Hunter Ace Way, Austin - 3:00-7:00pm Northwest Austin Pickup - Running Rope, Austin - 3:30-7:00pm Round Rock Pickup - Sam Bass Rd, Round Rock - 2:00-6:00pm SATURDAY PICK UP The Farm Pickup - 9515 Hergotz Lane, Austin - 1:30-7:00pm Downtown/Eastside Pickup - Willow St, Austin - 1:30-7:00pm Hyde Park Pickup - Avenue H, Austin - 2:00-7:00pm South Central Pickup - Treadwell St, Austin - 2:30-7:00pm South Austin Pickup - Rocky Ford Drive, Austin - 3:00-7:00p
    • Architecture for Tomatoes:
    Tomato stakes run single file along each tomato bed. Look closely and you can see the orchard has been the construction site for all the tomato cages we will use this season. Thanks to all the workshares who helped in the wire fence wrangling. This little tomato has plans to fill the tomato cage in just a few short weeks.
    • Heirloom Tomatoes are Selling Quick:
    Our tomato starts have been selling quickly, however, it's not too late to get your own organic heirloom tomato plants. If you’re interested in growing some of the most beautiful and flavorful tomatoes in your own backyard garden, check out our web site to place your order and we will deliver the starts to your weekly drop off sites for the next couple of weeks. Â  All transplants are seeded to 1? plugs and cost $1.00 each for Johnson's Backyard Garden CSA members and $1.75 for the general public. We require a $20.00 minimum order, and this minimum can include any combination of the plants we have available.
    Black Krim
    Pruden's Purple Rose de Berne
    Green Zebra Aunt Ruby's German Green
    Cherokee Purple Marianna's Peace Pineapple

    • Log into your JBG CSA Membership Online:
    You can manage your Johnson's Backyard Garden CSA membership online. At CSA accounts,you can make payments, check schedule pick up times and dates, and renew or change your order. It's the best way to stay upto date with your individual account. If you experience any difficulties managing you account, please contact Carrie at the farm Monday- Friday before 12:30 pm at 512.386.5273 or email her at farm@jbgorganic.com.
    Will reports that the potatoes are growing well and are currently about the size of a golf ball.
    Will reports that the potatoes are growing well and are currently about the size of a golf ball.

    3) Events:

    • Gardening for Wildlife Seminar:
    7 p.m. March 25. Learn how to create a place for wildlife in your backyard and how to get certification as an official wildlife habitat. Zilker Botanical Garden center, 2220 Barton Springs Road. Free. 444-8765.
    • 52nd Annual Zilker Garden Festival:
    10 a.m.- 5p.m. Mar 28-29.This family friendly event includes a great variety of musical entertainment, guest speakers, children's activities, more than a hundred vendors of plants, crafts, and unique items. (Admission charge.) Austin Organic Gardeners
    • Austin Organic Gardeners:
    The Austin Organic Gardeners meet the second Monday  of every month at Zilker Botanical Garden. www.austinorganicgardeners.org Meetings start at 7 p.m.
    • Travis County Master Gardeners Association:
    The Travis County Master Gardeners Association holds it's monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month. www.tcmastergardeners.org Meetings starts at 7 p.m.
    Will's plans have changed once again. He will be living in the 'well house' as soon as it is finished. The windows, leaning against the trailor, will be part of the final house.

    4) Quotable Food:

    • Bread deals with living things, with giving life, with growth, with the seed, the grain that nurtures. Its not coincidence that we say bread is the staff of life. ~Lionel Poilne

    5) Recipes:

    CSA member Marian Schwartz sent in a soup recipe this week using arugula and tatsoi to make Martha Rose Shulman's Provencal Greens Soup. Marian says  "it was beyond fabulous.  Thirty minutes from start to finish, too.  With all the yummy greens we're getting these days, it might be a good recipe for the newsletter."

    • Provençal Greens Soup, from Martha Rose Shulman, published in the New York Times.
    In France this simple, nutritious soup is made with wild greens that you might forage on an afternoon's walk, such as nettles, watercress and dandelion greens. If you must use one green,  Swiss chard is recommended. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 leeks, cut in half length-wise, sliced, rinsed of dirt and drained on paper towels 4 garlic cloves, sliced 6 cups chopped greens (leaves only), such as Swiss chard, dandelion greens, watercress and beet greens 1 1/2 quarts water Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste Freshly ground pepper to taste 2 large eggs 4 thick slices country bread, toasted and rubbed with a cut clove of garlic Grated Parmesan for serving (optional) 1. Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, and add the leeks. Cook, stirring, until tender, three to five minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Add the greens, and stir until they begin to wilt. Add the water and salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the greens are very tender and the broth sweet. Add pepper, and taste and adjust seasoning. 2. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Making sure that the soup is not boiling, whisk a ladle of it into the beaten eggs. Take the soup off the heat, and stir in the tempered eggs. Brush the garlic croutons with olive oil, and place one or two in each bowl. Ladle in the soup, sprinkle on some Parmesan if desired and serve. Yield: Serves four Advance preparation: You can make the soup through step 1 several hours before serving.

    The Forsythia hedge at Grit and Stephen's is in full regalia. 6) Produce Storage Tips:

    We aim to grow and package our vegetables to maintain the highest taste and nutritional quality possible. However, once they’ve left the farm it’s up to you to keep them fresh and nutritious. There’s no refrigeration at the CSA drop points so it’s best to pick up your box as early as possible. Here are some additional tips on how to store this week’s share:

    Spinach, Kale, Chard, Lettuce, Salad Greens, Bok Choy, Braising Mix and Cooking Greens will stay fresh in the crisper for 4-7 days and should be kept in plastic bags. Any bunch greens can be freshened by cutting an inch of the bottom stalks and soaking the entire bunch in cold water for 10 minutes. Place in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few hours to revive.

    Broccoli will last 4-7 days in plastic bags in the crisper.

    Oranges and Grapefruit are best kept at room temperature of 60-70 degrees and used within two weeks. Do not store in plastic bags.

    Parsley and Cilantro are best with bottoms of stems trimmed, placed upright in a jar of water in the fridge. Basil can be stored upright in a jar of water at room temperature, or in an open bag on the counter. These three all do well frozen also (they will loose texture but not taste).

    Checkout our storage tips on our website for a more complete guide, and of course, feel free to contact us with any questions. The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your guide for how to can, freeze, dry, pickle or ferment just about anything.

    Prickly poppies bloom along the field edges inviting bees, lady bugs and beneficial wasps back to the farm.

    7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info:

    Johnson’s Backyard Garden 9515 Hergotz Lane, Box E Austin, TX 78742

    Office Phone: 512.386.5273 Office Hours: M-F 8am to 12:30pm

    e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com website: www.jbgorganic.com

    TWO MEALS NOT TO BE MISSED

    03/31/09 — Aaron

    An amazing Live Oak that sits just past our property line.

    Table of Contents 1) In Your Box this Week

    2) Farm News

    • Dai Due Dinner at the Farm. This Sunday!
    • Open House/ Potluck. April 19th!
    • The Nightshade Family: Fruit or Vegetable?
    • Tomatilla, Peppers, and Eggplant Starts are now Available for Sale
    • Is a Food Revolution Now in Season?
    • Austin 360: Tomatoes in the Ground, Spinach in my Belly
    • A Personal Farm Video
    • Background on H.R.875 and New Ideas about H.R. 759
    • Log into your JBG CSA Membership Online
    3) Events
    • Spring Speaker Series
    • Permaculture Design Course
    • Ten-Minute Gardener Series
    • Permaculture Winter 2009 Series
    • Trowel and Error
    • Austin Organic Gardeners
    • Travis County Master Gardeners Association

    4) Quotable Food

    5) Recipes
    • The Locavore's Dilemma
    • Spinach Pie

    6) Vegetable Storage Tips 7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Information

    Please send newsletter feedback, suggestions and contributions to farm@jbgorganic.com

    We’re on Facebook! We’re also on MySpace, be our friend!

    1) In Your Box this Week:

    Radish Chard Spinach Parsley Mint Kale Beet Greens Collards Boc Choy Beets Asparagus Oranges Grapefruit

      This list is subject to change depending on availability and quality of crops on harvest day.  You’ll find the most accurate packing list on the homepage of our website.

    2) Farm News

    • Dai Due Dinner at the Farm: This Sunday!
    Johnson's Backyard Garden will be hosting spring dinner in the orchard. Jesse Griffiths, from Dai Due Supper Club, will be the chef. April 5th has been scheduled for an excellent meal in the pecan orchard, where this seasons new pecan leaves are just beginning to leaf out. The dinner will focus on our amazing farm fresh spring vegetables, super fresh Gulf fish and shellfish, from Freeport, grilled over pecan wood and local dairy products. It will be family style, about four courses, and include live local music. Please feel free to bring your favorite bottle of wine or ale to accompany this springtime feast. The dinner will start around 3pm and will serve about 50 people. Please check Dai Due's website today to register as this event will sell out. Jesse Griffiths, from Dai Due Supper Club, will be preparing a fantastic meal for us.
    • Open House/ Potluck: April 19th!
    We have picked a date for the special occasion, please joins us at the farm on Sunday April 19th from 4pm til dark. We will provide music and entertainment. Bring a dish to share, your own place settings and all the friends and family you can think of. Bring a chair or a blanket, and BYOB. You do not need to be a CSA member to attend, this is an event for everyone (except your canine friends, please leave them at home). So mark your calenders and peruse your favorite recipes in preparation for this annual event. We'll meet in the orchard and have a walking tour of the farm with other local foodies.
    • Greenhouses: Hydroponics and Pests
    Last Thursday, Brenton and all the farm hands went to visit Walnut Creek Organic Farm in Bastrop. Owner John Paquin gave us a tour of his property including his greenhouse where he grows the organic tomatoes you've occasionally found in your CSA box this winter. His tomatoes are grown in an organic hydroponic set up that winds the tomato vines, attached to a pulley system, around each row of the greenhouse. John, who has recently taken over this tomato operation from Reliable Organics, has already started experimenting in the greenhouse to produce a tomato with a fuller flavor.
    Walnut Creek's tomato greenhouse.
    Walnut Creek's tomato greenhouse.
    Tomatoes on the vine. There were literally hundreds of them ripening.
    While John's greenhouse is highly productive, our own greenhouse at Johnson's Backyard Garden has been going through some difficulties with mice.  It seems they are very fond of newly planted seed trays. So far the mice have made quick work of watermelon, muskmelon, basil and cucumber seeds that have not yet germinated. Our greenhouse can not really be mouse proofed efficiently; too many gaps exist, the biggest are under the sliding doors.  In the past, newly filled flats were placed on the floor of the greenhouse. We have recently tried elevating the newly planted seed flats. We set four 5 gallon buckets upside down and placed tables on top. The seeded flats are now out of the reach of the mice, who are unable to climb the slick walls of the 5 gallon buckets. Though it may look funny, it has worked to eliminate mouse feeding.
    Note the upturned soil and empty cells where mice have extracted the seed. Mouse proofed seed flats.
    • The Nightshade Family: Fruit or Vegetable?
    The controversy over whether a tomato is a fruit or vegetable reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 1893. A tariff law imposed a duty on vegetables but not fruits caused the tomato's status to become a matter of legal importance. On February 4, 1887 action was brought against the collector of the port of New York to recover back duties paid under protest on tomatoes imported by the plaintiff from the West Indies, which the collector assessed under the Tariff Act of March 3, 1883. This controversy was settled in 1893 when the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the tomato was a vegetable. The Court's official interpretation was based on the popular dictionary definition which classifies a vegetable as something eaten at dinner with your main entree, but not as a dessert. The case is known as Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (May 10, 1893). As a result of this ruling, the nightshade family (Solanaceae) includes several species of fruits which are better-known as vegetables to most people. Botanically speaking, these "vegetables" are technically botanical fruits because they are seed-bearing structures that develop from the ripened ovaries of flowers. Because the entire fruit wall or pericarp is fleshy, it is technically called a berry. The cultivated tomato is native to South America, although archaeological evidence suggests that it was domesticated in Mexico and Central America. The Maya called the fruit tomatl, a name that was corrupted by the Spanish into tomate, and by the English into tomato. The tomato flower structure illustrates that the tomato is  closely related to the genus Solanum which includes the potato, eggplant, pepper, tomatilla and many other nightshades.
    Recent studies using chloroplast DNA corroborate the genetic affinity between nightshades and tomatoes. Since some species of nightshade contain some very toxic alkaloids, the tomato was considered inedible and poisonous in the United States until the 1800s.  In fact, the Old World ornamental Jerusalem cherry produces small tomato like fruits that contain the poisonous alkaloid solanocapsine.
    An interesting tomato relative is called ground cherry or tomatillo. As the fruit develops into a fleshy, tomato like berry, the outer calyx of the flower also enlarges into an inflated, papery, bladderlike sheath that encloses the berry. The unripe fruits are used in salsa verde. They are also stewed, fried, baked, and used in dressings and soups. Ripe fruits can be eaten raw, in sandwiches and salads. There are several wild species of tomatillas called ground cherries in the mountain and desert regions of southern California. A Peruvian species is naturalized in the Hawaiian Islands. It is called "poha" and the berries are eaten fresh and used in jams and jellies.
    Our typical Tuesday work/lunch crew. Front row from left to right are Hea, Will, and Drew
    • Tomatillo , Peppers, and Eggplant Starts are now Available for Sale (along with our Heirloom Tomatoes):
    We've added three varieties of organic tomatillo, four varieties of eggplant, and ten varieties of peppers to our list of starts available for your home garden. Heirloom tomatoes continue to sell at a fast pace as home gardeners get that spring itch to start planting. If you’re interested in enriching your family's diet and garden experience, check out our web site to place your order. CSA members can have vegetable starts delivered to your weekly drop off site for the next couple of weeks.  General public orders may be picked up at the farm stand, in front of the greenhouse, at 9515 Hergotz Lane. All transplants are seeded to 1? plugs and cost $1.00 each for Johnson’s Backyard Garden CSA members and $1.75 for the general public. We require a $20.00 minimum order, and this minimum can include any combination of the plants we have available. Remember, these starts have been produced in our greenhouse and need to be hardened off for a few days before planting in your garden. Place the starts, still in their tray, under your house eaves or a patio awning. This practice will allow the greenhouse plants to gradually adjust to the colder temperatues of the great outdoors. Water the starts a few times each day to prevent them from wilting in their small 1" plugs.  If a late season frost is in the forcast, be sure to cover your veggie starts with row cover, an old sheet, or a layer of newspaper. Eggplant
    Irene - This traditional egg-shaped, purple black eggplant sets heavily, producing medium-sized firm fruit. Irene is one of the very few eggplant varieties with intermediate resistance to Verticillium races Va & Vd.
    Louisiana Long Green - Attractive 7? banana-shaped fruits average 6 oz. each. At edible harvest the fruits are light green with creamy-green stripes at the blossom end. Spineless plants average 3-1/2' tall, withstand light frost. 100 days.
    Bianca - Prized by chefs and gardeners alike for its creamy, mild flesh and lovely appearance, this Italian heirloom eggplant has become very popular. Well-filled, round to tear-drop-shaped fruit is white with soft lavender streaks outside, and inside flesh white and sweet with no trace of bitterness. Delicious for slicing, stuffing, or any eggplant use. 75 days.
    Snowy - Non-bitter fruit enjoyed in a long, uniform 8-10? sharp-white fruit. Earlier to bear fruit than others and will enhance any collection of eggplant when displayed with others of varying colors. 65-80 days.
    Tomatillo
    Verde
    Purple
    Goldie
    Peppers
    Anaheim - Also know as the 'New Mexican Chile,' this moderately pungent fruit is deep green, but turns red at full maturity. Very smooth peppers are 7-1/2 inches long and 2 inches wide and borne on tall, productive plants that offer good foliage cover for the fruit. Tobacco mosaic virus resistant. Excellent for canning, freezing or drying. 75 days
    Corno di Torro - Italian 'bull's horn' colorful sweet peppers are 8 to 10 inches long and curved like a bull's horn. Ripen to deep red or bright yellow and are delicious fresh in salads, but more often are sauted or grilled. Prolific tall plants. 68 days.
    Cubanelle - This is a large sweet pepper. It is yellow-green in and matures to red. This variety of sweet pepper is very popular among home gardeners. Cubanelle Sweet Pepper is great for frying, stuffing, dipping and on salads. 12 inches. They're high in vitamin C .
    Numex-Big Jim - The largest of New Mexican varieties, this pepper has pods up to 12 inches long that weigh as much as 4 ounces. Their size makes them a favorite for chiles rellenos. Medium hot pungency. As an advantage, plants are able to set fruit under hot, dry conditions. 80 days.
    Orion - This is a huge blocky pepper, up to 5 inches long and wide, with thick, heavy walls and 4-lobed shape. Widely adapted, it does well even in warm locations, where its heavy foliage cover shields fruit from the sun. This very high quality Dutch pepper has excellent disease protection with resistance to 3 races of bacterial leaf spot and tobacco mosaic virus. 75 days.
    Queen - Brightly colored bell pepper with a delicious sweet and mild thick flesh. Queen consistently produces big, green, blocky 4 lobed bells that mature to orange. The sturdy plants have resistance to tobacco mosaic virus. 70-74 days.
    Ringo - Produces large plants laden with elongated, pointed fruit measuring about 5cm in diameter at the top and reaching almost 30cm in length. With a shape that is somewhat reminiscent of a bull’s horn, they turn from green to a stunning bright yellow as they ripen.This is a later maturing variety better eaten after it turns yellow. At that point it is mildly sweet and perfect grilled and peeled, fried, or used fresh in salads.
    Serrano del Sol - Very impressive new version of open-pollinated Serrano pepper, this one boasts fruit that is twice the size and two to three weeks earlier than the original. Peppers are fleshy and meaty with the unique Serrano flavor so popular in Mexican cuisine. Measuring about 5,000 Scoville units, they are about the same pungency as a jalapeno, and are quite versatile for sauces, salsas, or flavoring. 64 to 67 days.
    Tabasco - Fiery hot, this is the one that has made Tabasco sauce famous. Green leaf strain that grows best in the South and East. Light yellow-green peppers turn to red and grow on tall plants. 80 days.
    Telica - Plant produces heavy yields of extra large 4 ¾" long by 1 ¾" wide Jalapeno peppers. Peppers are hot, have thick flesh, and turn from shiny green to red when mature. 75 days.
    • Austin360: Tomatoes in the Ground, Spinach in my Belly
    Log into Addie Broyles recent article, Tomatoes in the Ground, Spianch in my Belly in Austin 360. Addie has been an occasional visitor to the farm and mentions Johnson's Backyard Garden as the source of most things vegetable. Thank you Addie.
    • A Personal Farm Video:
    There is an interesting farming video from Coyopa Productions called Fridays on the Farm. It tells a personal story of farming/growing/family-ing on the Red Hill Farm in Aston, PA. Red Hill Farm is a six acre CSA in it's eighth year of production. Run by Catholic nuns, the CSA has a membership of 130 families. The short documentary and a personal essay exploring the experience of writer/director Richard Hoffmann when his young family joined a community-supported farm. Compiled from nearly 20,000 time-lapse photos, the film is visually rich. "Fridays at the Farm" has been on the international film festival circuit for the past year,  won two nice awards, and is part of the Green Series on the Sundance Channel.
    Peas blossoms.
    • Background on H.R.875 and New Ideas about H.R. 759
    The Food and Water Watch has a quick background on H.R. 875 with comments on what they consider to be a more troublesome bill, H.R.759. This bill contains several provisions that could cause problems for small farms and food processors. If you are not familiar with this site, take a moment to check them out as they keep an eye on many environmental issues.
    • Is a Food Revolution Now in Season?
    A recent New York Times article was sent to us from Michael Klug, Hyde Park pick-up host and frequent workshare at the farm (with his sons). You can read the full article, 'Is a Food Revolution Now in Season?' , which details the growth and current status of the organic movement,  comments onTom Vilsack, the new Secretary of Agriculture, and how food policy should fit in to the current administration.
    • Log into your JBG CSA Membership Online:
    You can manage your Johnson’s Backyard Garden CSA membership online. At CSA accounts,you can make payments, check schedule pick up times and dates, and renew or change your order. It’s the best way to stay upto date with your individual account. If you experience any difficulties managing you account, please contact Carrie at the farm Monday- Friday before 12:30 pm at 512.386.5273 or email her at farm@jbgorganic.com.

    3) Events:

    • Spring Speaker Series
    Varying times on select days through May 30. Check Web site for schedule. 10 a.m. today: Mixing It Up With Dave: Container Patio Gardening at its Best!'With Dave Mix, Pacific Home and Garden. Free. The Great Outdoors Garden Center Nursery, 2730 S. Congress Avenue. www.gonursery.com
    • Permaculture Design Course
    9 a.m. to 5 p.m. select weekend days until today. Check www.permie.us for schedule. TreeFolks, 10803 Platt Lane. $500 whole course; $60 each day. 619-5363.
    • Ten-Minute Gardener Series
    4 p.m. Tuesday. Earth-kind and water-wise landscaping. Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market, 1302 Chestnut St., in the Market Building at the back of the lot, Bastrop. Free. www.bastrop1832farmersmarket.org.
    • Permaculture Winter 2009 Series
    7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, through April 8. Permaculture talks and videos about sustainability. Habitat Suites, 500 E. Highland Mall Drive. Free. 619-5363. www.permie.us.
    • Trowel and Error
    Mayfield Park Gardening Symposium. 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 4. Mayfield Park, 3505 W. 35th St. Free; $5 donation requested. www.mayfieldpark.org.

    • Austin Organic Gardeners:
    The Austin Organic Gardeners meet the second Monday  of every month at Zilker Botanical Garden. www.austinorganicgardeners.org Meetings start at 7 p.m.
    • Travis County Master Gardeners Association:
    The Travis County Master Gardeners Association holds it’s monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month. www.tcmastergardeners.org Meetings starts at 7 p.m.

    4) Quotable Food:

    What some call health, if purchased by perpetual anxiety about diet, isn't much better than tedious disease.~George Dennison Prentice

    5) Recipes:

    • The Locavore's Dilemma: Theresa Downer sent in a link earlier this week to slate.com. She recommended reading 'The Locavore's Dilemma: What to do with the kale, turnips and parsley that overwhelm your CSA bin.' OK, so it's not exactly a receipe but it is good reading about how to deal with your overflow of veggies each week.
    • Spinach Pie:
    • By Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, About.com
    This savory spinach pie gets richness from cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, and eggs. You may substitute 1 pound of thawed frozen spinach for the fresh, but be sure to squeeze out all the water. Like quiche, the pie may be served warm or at room temperature. Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes 1 teaspoon butter 1/4 cup diced sweet onion 1-1/2 pounds fresh spinach, large stems removed and coarsely chopped 1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese, at room temperature 3/4 cup milk 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 4 eggs 8 ounces (2 cups) grated Cheddar cheese, divided use 1 unbaked prepared pie shell Gently saute sweet onions in the butter in a large, deep skillet until translucent. Add chopped spinach and stir constantly until spinach has released its water. Remove from heat. Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour in the spinach mixture. Pull up the corners of the cheesecloth, and twist to squeeze out all of the water. Let cool to room temperature. Preheat oven to 375 F. Beat cream cheese with milk, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add eggs, beating until combined. Stir in drained spinach and onions and half (1 cup) of the Cheddar cheese. Pour into prepared pie shell and bake for 25 minutes. Remove spinach pie from oven. Sprinkle remaining Cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Return to the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes, until cheese melts. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting. This savory pie is good warm or at room temperature. Yield: 6 to 8 slices
    6) Produce Storage Tips:

    We aim to grow and package our vegetables to maintain the highest taste and nutritional quality possible. However, once they’ve left the farm it’s up to you to keep them fresh and nutritious. There’s no refrigeration at the CSA drop points so it’s best to pick up your box as early as possible. Here are some additional tips on how to store this week’s share:

    Spinach, Kale, Chard, Lettuce, Salad Greens, Bok Choy, Braising Mix and Cooking Greens will stay fresh in the crisper for 4-7 days and should be kept in plastic bags. Any bunch greens can be freshened by cutting an inch of the bottom stalks and soaking the entire bunch in cold water for 10 minutes. Place in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few hours to revive.

    Broccoli will last 4-7 days in plastic bags in the crisper.

    Oranges and Grapefruit are best kept at room temperature of 60-70 degrees and used within two weeks. Do not store in plastic bags.

    Parsley and Cilantro are best with bottoms of stems trimmed, placed upright in a jar of water in the fridge. Basil can be stored upright in a jar of water at room temperature, or in an open bag on the counter. These three all do well frozen also (they will loose texture but not taste).

    Checkout our storage tips on our website for a more complete guide, and of course, feel free to contact us with any questions. The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your guide for how to can, freeze, dry, pickle or ferment just about anything.

    Ladybugs have found the sunchokes and will assist us with any aphids that decide to take lunch here.

    7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info:

    Johnson’s Backyard Garden 9515 Hergotz Lane, Box E Austin, TX 78742

    Office Phone: 512.386.5273 Office Hours: M-F 8am to 12:30pm

    e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com website: www.jbgorganic.com

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