CSA Box Contents Week of Nov 2nd

CSA Box Contents Week of Nov 2nd

Medium Box
Beet, Red
Broccoli
Cabbage, Green
Carrot, Orange
Greens, Kale, Curly
Herb, Cilantro
Kohlrabi, Purple
Lettuce, Romaine
Pepper, Poblano
Potato, Sweet

by Megan Winfrey



Whenever something unfamiliar to me appears in my CSA box, I've become determined to use it as a main ingredient in at least one meal that week. I've grown to look so forward to this experiment because I get to learn all about a new ingredient, upping my foodie status, and I get to share it with all of you! This week, kohlrabi was on the menu - and after making the recipe below, I went back to the JBG booth at the farmer's market and got more!

Pulled Venison with Kohlrabi Slaw

For the venison:

• 2 lb. venison ham
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 3 tbs. brown sugar
• 1 tbs. ground mustard
• 1 tbs. lemon juice
• 2 tbs. soy sauce or Bragg's
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• dash of nutmeg
• 5 drops of hot pepper sauce
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 8 hotdog or burger buns

For the slaw:

• 1/2 a head of cabbage, shredded
• 2 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and grated
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/2 an onion, minced
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or mayo
• 4 tsp. apple cider vinegar salt and pepper to taste

Place the venison on a cutting board and rub a generous amount of salt and pepper on all sides. Put the ketchup, brown sugar, ground mustard, lemon juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, nutmeg, and hot sauce in a bowl and mix well.

Put the venison into a crock pot and top with the sauce. Pour the chicken stock around the venison, then cook on low for 8 hours. Check periodically and add more chicken stock if it dries up.

Prepare the slaw by putting all of the vegetables into a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, yogurt, and apple cider vinegar and pour it over the vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate until the venison is done cooking.

Prepare the buns however you like by toasting them with butter or leaving them plain, like I did. Once the venison is done, shred it with two forks and drain off excess liquid, if necessary. Assemble the meat onto the buns, top with cold slaw and enjoy!

This week's photos contain a lot of the damage we've seen at our farm this week. We hope you'll consider supporting the farm during this tough time. But don't forget that we are in our peak fall season, and despite the rain are harvesting loads of fresh vegetables for you and your families! Thanks as always to our farm photographer Scott for his work documenting the JBG farm, and special thanks to Assistant Farm Manager Jason for adding his photos this week as well.

Drip tape pulled from their carrot beds. Photo by Scott David Gordon

The trees around Dry Creek. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Muddy, but still here! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Broccoli. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Broccoli harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Who knew carrots grow on trees? Photo by Scott David Gordon

Despite the weather, we managed to get some sweet yellow onions in the ground this week. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Broccoli harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Some fields were partially affected. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We've got carrots in your CSAs this week. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Heavy winds destroyed our greenhouses. Photo by Scott David Gordon

The gully. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Brenton points out where this irrigation used to be. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Butternut squash strung up by the creek. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Assistant Farm Manager Jason captures the rain deluge at the Garfield Farm. Photo by Jason Hamelwright

Photo by Jason Hamelwright

15+ inches of rain. Photo by Jason Hamelwright

Garfield Farm. Photo by Jason Hamelwright

Photo by Jason Hamelwright

 

Dry Creek was forced to take a shortcut through our farm, taking over an acre of farmland with it. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Sponsor-A-Share to Help Your Farmers and Neighbors

Interested in helping JBG recover from our flood damage, and helping the communities affected by this natural disaster? We're happy to announce a partnership that will enable you to do both.

Together with the Capital Area Food Bank, we're going to be providing flood victims with shares of fresh vegetables. Capital Area Food Bank is working with several MARCs (multi agency resource centers) to ensure that flood victims and shelters housing those victims have food to eat.

Usually, these shelters provide shelf staple items, so fresh produce is a luxury. We're thrilled to be able to help provide this food, but we need your help! Purchase a 1, 2, or even 3 vegetable shares and they will be distributed to flood victims in Travis, Bastrop, and Hays county.

Should you wish to make a larger donation, please call or e-mail the farm. Thank you for your support as we enter a this period of rebuilding for our farm and our communities.

To sponsor a CSA share for those in need, visit jbgorganic.com/flood.

From the Farmer's Perspective: Halloween Floods - An Appeal for Help

Well, I know that my blog last week was titled "The Ups and Downs of Flooding," but after last Friday and the week that has followed, it has been increasingly difficult to find the "ups" in our current flooded situation at the farm.

As expected, I woke last Friday to the sound of rain on the roof, but by the time I was up and getting my day started at our Hergotz location, I realized that this was not going to be like any other rainstorm we've seen at JBG. It was really coming down - our crews watched as sheets of rain continued to fall for hours and hours without any signs of stopping. As our loading dock at Hergotz began to fill with water, I saw that we had a potential disaster on our hands. So, I called the Garfield Farm and told them that we needed to get our pump to Hergotz to remove the water before it reached the electrical transformers for our refrigeration units.

Garfield and Hergotz last Friday.

Temo told me he'd be on his way in a minute - he loaded up the pump and started driving from our Garfield to our Hergotz location but quickly ran into a problem. Highway 71 had a river flowing over it and was impassable! Temo turned around and tried to drive east on 71 to come into town the long way, but 71 was blocked from the other direction too. We realized that all of our neighbors on Tucker Hill in Garfield were also trapped. JBG team members hunkered down in the equipment barn and our offices while the storm raged through our farm, blowing doors off of buildings and ripping greenhouse plastic to shreds. After over 15 inches of rain, the storm lulled and we were able to evacuate the staff out Highway 71. What we didn't know is that the real damage was yet to come.

Assistant Farm Manager Jason captures the rain deluge at the Garfield Farm. Photo by Jason Hamelwright

Later that afternoon, "Dry Creek," which runs through the middle of our farm, turned into a wet and muddy wrecking ball, as 40 miles of upstream runoff came rushing down towards the farm. With too much water for the creek bed and nowhere to go, the creek took a shortcut through our fields. You can see our fields in this video from the Texas Game Warden's flyover. Our flooded farm is clearly seen from 2:25-2:34 and around 4:34 as well. We're horrified to see so many of our neighbors still stranded at their homes during the flyover.

Dry Creek, as viewed from the Texas Game Warden's helicopter.

When the creek receded, it took over an acre of our field with it, leaving a 20 foot deep gully in its wake. Much greater than the crop loss from this incident is the loss of our soils. Our soils are irreplaceable - we have been putting labor into increasing the fertility of our topsoil for 5 years at the Garfield location, and for so many years before that the soil was built from the dairy located at this property. We're not sure exactly what to do with this pit now (except maybe to build a pond), but one thing that is for sure is that it won't return to its productive state anytime in the foreseeable future. Additionally, over 20 acres of irrigation drip tape was washed off of the fields, and we have been finding carrots and butternut squash 10 ft up in the trees on the farm (seriously). Drip tape and layflat are strung like a messy spider web on fences, trees, and even nearby homes in the neighborhood. A number of fields were hit by the creek that afternoon, and we're looking at about 1/3 of our crops either gone, partially damaged, or flooded beyond recovery.

Back at Hergotz, I felt helpless - unable to help Temo and the crew in Garfield, and watching our loading dock fill up with water. Damage reports continued to flow in all day, and this past week has been a muddy and hard-fought scramble to regain some normalcy on the farm. With a rented pump, we have been able to pump water from flooded areas of the field, although now that it's finally out, four days later, we have more rain in the forecast. We tried to seed some spinach this week, but with all the time spent cleaning mud from the tires and equipment it hardly seemed worth the time and effort. Some sweet onions and a few other transplanted crops made it into the ground, and I'm thankful for that. But, with at least two more El Nino-driven storms in the near future, it feels like 2015 has been hitting us with destructive weather from all directions.

We are finding lots of vegetables in the trees around Dry Creek. Photo by Scott David Gordon

What You Can Do to Help

With a long and costly repair process ahead of us, the farm is seeking your help as we rebuild after this disaster. Luckily, we still have about 90 acres that are producing well despite the wet weather. We build in some insurance at the farm by diversifying our outlets - in a situation like this, when we're hit during peak season, we can fill all of our CSA members shares by cutting back on wholesale. While this hurts farm revenue, it ensures that we can always take care of our CSA community by keeping your boxes full of organic vegetables year round. We hope that in return, our community will rally to help take care of the farm. Here are a few things we're asking:

• Consider a long-term CSA subscription: This is the number one way you can support JBG, especially after an event like last Friday. Long-term subscriptions are an investment in the farm - you provide capital upfront for us to start damage repair and the replanting process, and in return you receive local, organic vegetables delivered straight to your home or community! We have a guaranteed outlet for our crops, which is the best security we could ask for in this time of stress and uncertainty. Join the farm and receive discounts on 10, 26, and 52 weeks of Community Supported Agriculture. Sign-up online or call the farm to set up a long term subscription.
• Not a member? Join our CSA: Join our CSA to aid your local farm and farmers during this time. It provides an outlet for our vegetables and makes you a partner in the farming process. Plus, you and your family will get to enjoy eating the best local and seasonal produce each week. Joining our CSA is easy and affordable - and you can start receiving vegetables right away!
• Increase your support: For anyone looking to support the farm, consider the many ways in which you can help provide assistance. CSA members - have you tried our add-ons of eggs and coffee to your CSA share? Now might be the time. Buy your veggies at the farmers markets each weekend? Consider spending an extra $5, $10, or $20 during this time of need.
• Sponsor a Share: If you already have your weekly fill of veggies, we hope you will consider sponsoring a share for victims of last weeks flooding. We are partnering with the Capital Area Food Bank to provide sponsored CSA shares to flood victims in Travis, Bastrop, and Hays counties and we need your help to do it! Fresh food is a scarcity in disaster situations, but you can help provide it by visiting https://jbgorganic.com/flood and purchasing a share for your community in need.
• Give the gift of local: We offer Gift Certificates for farmers markets and for CSA shares - invite your friends and family to eat with JBG! Even your support of the farm through hats, t-shirts, and totes will make a difference. These make great holiday gifts. You can even sponsor-a-CSA share and give this on behalf of the friend who has it all. Find these items and more in our Gift Certificate page and in our Farm Shop.

Our carrots are muddy right now, but they sure do taste good. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We're still planning on hosting our annual Potluck and Harvest Hustle 5k next Saturday, November 14th and we would love to see you support the farm by joining us! Enjoy a day on the farm with us, joining with the community in support of local agriculture, despite its muddy difficulties. You can see the farm firsthand by running or walking the Harvest Hustle 5k and eating, drinking, and dancing with farmers, friends, and family. It would sure cheer a lot of your farmers up to see you out there! Tickets are available at https://jbgorganic.com/hoedown.

To finish on some good news.. everyone on the farm is really pulling together to recover from this event. We really have one of the best teams in the business. We were successful this week in getting a fair amount of crops transplanted - sweet yellow onions, shallots, broccoli, endive, kohlrabi, bok choy, lettuce and parsley. We also were able to direct seed a few crops as well. And, we harvested our first cauliflower of the season today! We'll just have a few bins at markets this weekend - better get there early if you want to get your hands on some.



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

CSA Box Contents Week of Nov 10th

 

by Megan Winfrey

I am loving this cooler weather, as I'm sure we all are. Will Texas ever get the memo that fall starts in September? Not November or even...god forbid...December. Gotta love our great state! That being said, I'm making soup while I can because it will probably be hot again next week. 

This recipe is great because almost everything you need came in last week's CSA box! I went to the market at the Triangle and picked up some fresh parsley from the lovely gals at the JBG booth to complete the ingredients list. 

This soup is amazing! Take my word for it, you'll be making different versions of this all winter. 

Bavarian Vegetable Soup

• 4 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled
• 1 small head of cabbage, shredded
• 5 carrots, peeled
• 4 bell peppers
• 1 bag of green beans, washed and trimmed
• 1/2 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or as needed to cover
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. paprika
• Greek yogurt or sour cream for topping
• Prepared horseradish for topping
• Salt and pepper to taste

Once the kohlrabi, carrots, and bell peppers are prepared, cut them into small matchsticks. You could also grate them, but I like more bite to the vegetables, once cooked.

Combine all of the vegetables and parsley into a stock pot and cover with stock or a mixture of stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until everything is tender. Season with sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and garnish with a tablespoon of greek yogurt and teaspoon of horseradish.

CSA Box Contents Week of Nov 10th

Medium Box
Beet, Red
Broccoli
Cabbage, Savoy
Carrot, Orange
Greens, Dandelion
Greens, Kale, Curly
Herb, Dill
Herb, Fennel
Potato, Sweet
Scallions

by Lucas Rager

Maybe we'll call it a floodtoon this week...

Curly kale. Photo by Scott David Gordon

This week's sunshine was a much needed respite from a wet few weeks. The farm is looking beautiful and we hope you'll come see for yourself at this weekend's Potluck and Harvest Hustle!

Our cauliflower harvest is starting to pick up! Photo by Scott David Gordon

We grow lots of unique cauliflower including this green variety. Photo by Scott David Gordon

"Cheddar" cauliflower. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Thanks to our volunteers this week who helped clean off some seriously muddy sweet potatoes! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Rows of cilantro at JBG. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Cilantro. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Montana checks this seeding as we trial our new "tickle tilling" technique. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We'll have both green and red Fall tomatoes at markets this weekend! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Rainbow chard. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Dill. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Andrew sprays green onions in the barn. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Do you know someone with wholesale produce experience, great people and organizational skills, and a love of local organic agriculture? Do we have a job for them! JBG is hiring for a Wholesale Sales Manager position and we're looking for a great candidate to join our team! Read the job description to learn more here.

Seeding this week. Photo by Scott David Gordon

From the Farmer's Perspective: Practice Makes Progress

After the farm saw historic flooding last week and yet another rainy weekend, I have never been happier to see the sun! It’s amazing what you can get done in 5 days without rain and boy, we really needed it. We’ve spent the week cleaning up fields, harvesting new crops, and learning a lot about how to handle moisture on the farm. The fields that were unaffected last week are really thriving from the deep watering, and this week felt like a big step up.

The JBG crews have been hard at work harvesting loads and loads of root crops this week. The ground is still very muddy, so those containers are coming in heavy! Our weekly farm cartoon has felt pretty accurate for the week. It’s a lot of hard work, but it sure is exciting to see such a great variety of root crops coming from the fields! This weekend, our farmers markets will be ripe with sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, three kinds of turnips, and lots of radishes - expect to see favorites like our black Spanish, watermelon, and daikon storage radishes, french breakfast and red radishes, and a new variety we grew this year called an icicle radish! It looks a little bit like a daikon radish, but is a shorter day crop with a crisp flavor, a bit milder than daikon.

Doug washing carrots in the barn. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Working in wet soil is a challenge for farmers everywhere, but this week the field crew made huge steps in learning how to deal with this challenging situation. Since we had around 15 inches of rain the previous week, even with this week’s sunshine only the top 1 to 2 inches of soil have dried out in our fields. So, Angel and Montana began using a new technique that I first heard about from Boggy Creek Farm years ago. I’ve heard Carol Ann talk about “tickle tilling,” which is a shallow bed preparation that Boggy Creek uses on their permanent beds. This week, we tried our hand at “tickle tilling,” since we would have a muddy, cloddy mess from the wetter soils if we tried to till the soil any deeper. It worked! We were able to get back to seeding this week with dry, smooth seedbeds.

Another advantage of this technique is that we keep permanent beds, where our tractor tires always travel in the exact same paths in the field. This way, the area where the vegetables are grown are never driven on and the soil isn’t compacted and can provide better structure for healthy plants. As farmers, we are continually trying new methods and learning from these experiments, and while practice can't always make perfect, it certainly makes progress. I think that this new technique is going to really help the farm in the future and I am grateful the crew was able to solve the problem of seeding into wetter soils this week - this shallow tillage has been an invaluable tool this week. Thanks for the tip, Carol Ann!

Montana gives the thumbs up on our new tillage technique. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Although we still have a long rebuilding process ahead of us after the floods, this week was hopeful and full of progress. I know it seems a long ways off, but another notable event is that this week Assistant Farm Manager Jason and I sat down to begin planning our spring season at JBG! We’ll be balancing the workload of our peak harvest season with the long process of crop planning for the next few months, but as a farmer you always have to be looking forward even when things are busy or difficult. We’ll be seeding tomatoes again before you know it!

Green fields and some much-needed sunshine. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Potluck and 5k Harvest Hustle is this Weekend!

This Saturday, November 14th, we hope to see you at our much anticipated fall hoedown! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate local farming and food with the JBG community than to invite all of you out to see the JBG Garfield Farm. Rogue Running is putting on our 5k Harvest Hustle, where you can tour the farm on a beautiful run (or walk) through the fields (don’t forget - there’s also a 1-mile Kids’ Fun Run!).

Bring your favorite dish to share in our community Potluck and see what other folks in the JBG community have been making with their veggies too! Children get in free to the event, and we hope to see the whole family enjoying the live music, cooler weather, and fall festivities the farm has to offer this time of year.

Buy your ticket at jbgorganic.com/hoedown. The Harvest Hustle starts at 3pm - I’ll see you at the starting line!

We'll see you on Saturday! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Going out of town for the holidays? Donate your share!

If your family is headed out of town for the holidays, we hope you will consider donating your Thanksgiving or Christmas share to The Settlement Home. Through JBG’s long-standing relationship with this organization, your CSA box can help feed children, young adults, and families with histories or trauma, abuse and neglect in our community. Learn more about how The Settlement Home serves Austin on their website. Donating your share is easy - just email the farm to let us know you want to participate and we’ll do the rest!

If donating your holiday share isn’t an option, we hope you’ll consider joining our Sponsored Share Program. You can donate CSA shares directly to The Settlement Home. or donate vegetables directly to Central Texas flood victims. Your participation will not help our farm begin its rebuilding efforts, but will also send fresh, local vegetables to those in need in our community.

Holiday Gifts - Market Bucks and CSA Gift Subscriptions

When thinking about the holidays, keep JBG in mind for your foodie friends! We have gift certificates available for your farmers market-shoppers, busy families, new parents, or anyone who would enjoy eating locally. Gifts are available as Market Bucks or as CSA subscriptions - find these at jbgorganic.com/gifts. If you're trying to find a unique local gift for the friend who has it all, consider donating a CSA subscription on their behalf - email us for more details on this special gift arrangement.

CSA Box Contents Week of Nov 16th

CSA Box Contents Week of Nov 16th

Medium Box
Beet, Red
Cabbage, Green
Carrot, Orange
Cauliflower, Romanesco
Greens, Asian
Greens, Kale, Curly
Herb, Dill
Kohlrabi, Purple
Scallions
Squash, Butternut

by Megan Winfrey

Since it's been so nice out lately (in between the rainy days), my daughter and I have been walking to the farmer's market almost every week to get our box and hand pick items from the bins. It's sort of our little ritual, and it gets us out of the house at a crucial time of day when it's hours from bed time but things are starting to go south. This last week's market trip was extra awesome for two reasons. One, my husband got to come with. Two, the CAULIFLOWER. Geez Louise, it's gorgeous! I've been wanting to make these cauliflower cakes for awhile, and really loved the way they turned out!

Cauliflower Skillet Cakes

• 1 large head of cauliflower, broken into chunks
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• 1 cup cubed cheddar
• 1 cup bread crumbs or corn meal
• 1/2 cup diced scallions
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 tbs. butter
• squeeze of lemon
• salt and pepper

Put 3" of water into a large pot with a vegetable steamer. Add the chunks of cauliflower, bring the water to a simmer, cover, and steam until fork tender, about 15 minutes.

Then, coarsely chop the cauliflower in a food processor or in a large bowl with a potato masher. It should be pretty chunky. Transfer the cauliflower mash into a large bowl, add the egg and mix well. Add the cheese, bread crumbs, scallions, garlic, and bacon. Mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.



Heat a small, non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Add the butter and heat through. Spoon the mixture into the center of the pan and press it out to the edges, creating an even layer. You want it pretty thin so that it will be easier to flip.

Let it cook for about 8-10 minutes, undisturbed. Carefully flip with a wide spatula and let the other side cook for another 8 minutes. Serve out of the pan and top with greens and a dash of lemon juice.

 

by Lucas Rager

Happy hump-day, everybody! We've never seen potatoes like these before..

Thanks for coming out to the Fall Hoedown last Saturday! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Posing on the tractors. Photo by Scott David Gordon

A makeshift frame (and maybe the beginnings of a tractor tire playground!) Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Brenton gets ready to start the Harvest Hustle. Photo by Scott David Gordon

And they're off! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Running past a new cilantro block. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Thanks to everyone who came out and ran through the farm last weekend! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Silas Lowe and his band played some great Americana for everyone. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Future farmer perhaps? Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Our Asian greens trial plot. Photo by Scott David Gordon

At the farm this week we harvested a new crop of Asian greens - Tat Tsoi, Komatsuna, Choy Sum, and Mizuna from left to right.

Brussels Sprouts are getting bigger! Photo by Scott David Gordon

The beginning buds of the Brussels Sprouts. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Daikon radish. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Daikon harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We've still got some signs up from the Harvest Hustle! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Fall tomatoes (both green and red) will be headed to market this weekend for your Thanksgiving dishes! Photo by Scott David Gordon

A beautiful fall day at the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon

 

Next week's CSA schedule will be a bit different due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Listed below are the changes, please contact us if you have any questions!

All Thursday CSA Pickups & Home Deliveries have been rescheduled for Tuesday, November 24th. Same time, same place, earlier day.

Lakeline Farmers Market will be closed on Saturday, November 28th. If you normally get your CSA here, it will be sent to the Pop-Up Thanksgiving Market on Tuesday, November 24th from 4-6pm at the regular Lakeline farmers market location.

Mueller Farmer Market will be closed on Sunday, November 29th. If you normally get your CSA here, it will be sent to the SFC East Market (2921 East 17th St, 78702) on Tuesday, November 24th, from 3-7pm.

Waco Farmers market will be closed Saturday, November 28th. If you normally get your CSA share here, it has been postponed for 1 week. Let us know if you'd like to donate, instead.

All Thursday Dallas Pickups have been rescheduled for Tuesday, November 24th. Same time, same place, earlier day.

All Friday Dallas Pickups have been rescheduled for Wednesday, November 25th. Same time, same place, earlier day.

All Friday Pickup and Home Delivery customers can reschedule their pickup or delivery to a Tuesday or Wednesday pickup location to get their veggies early and get cookin'! If you'd like to reschedule your delivery, please let us know by Monday, November 23rd.

To contact the farm about scheduling, please call us at 512-386-5273 or email us farm@jbgorganic.com

Donate or Sponsor a Share

If your family is headed out of town for the holidays, or if you're trying to avoid an overflowing fridge, we hope you will consider donating your CSA share to The Settlement Home. Your donated share helps feed children, young adults, and families in Texas with histories of trauma, abuse and neglect. The Settlement Home has benefited from your generous holiday donations for many years! This nonprofit needs around 150 shares a year to meet their minimum needs--help us reach this goal by donating and/or sponsoring CSA shares!

Donating your share is easy. Just email us and tell us the dates you would like to donate your share(s), and we'll do the rest!

Sponsoring a share is easy, too. Need your vegetables for your holiday meal but still want to help those in need? Checkout our Sponsored Share program here.

Photo by Scott David Gordon

From the Farmer's Perspective: Giving Thanks

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks, Ada! Photo by Scott David Gordon

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

Sponsor a share with JBG and give back this holiday!

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

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

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

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

 

CSA Box Contents Week of Nov 23rd

CSA Box Contents Week of Nov 23rd

Medium Box
Cabbage, Savoy
Carrot, Rainbow
Cauliflower, Orange
Greens, Chard, Rainbow
Greens, Kale, Curly
Herb, Parsley, Curly
Potato, Sweet
Scallions
Squash, Butternut
Tomato, Red Slicer

By Megan Winfrey

Homemade gifts are sort of my go-to. This year, thanks to JBG, my family will be receiving a plethora of holiday preserves and food stuffs - all of which I look forward to sharing with ya'll! And to my family members who read this...sorry for the spoilers :)

Sweet Potato Apple Butter

• 12 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 5 cups apples, cored, peeled, and diced
• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tbs. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 3 tbs. cider vinegar
• Any size mason jars, rings and lids

Put all the ingredients except the cider vinegar in a 9 quart crock pot. Cook 9-10 hours on low (I put mine on overnight).



When ready to can, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Sterilize the glass jars by boiling them for a solid 10 minutes. Do not boil the lids and rings. While the jars are sterilizing, puree the contents of the crock pot in batches, liquid included. Put the puree in a large bowl and stir in the cider vinegar. Remove the hot jars from the water using a pair of canning tongs and set on a wooden cutting board or a kitchen towel.

Fill the hot jars with the hot puree, leaving an inch of open space at the top. Put the lids on, but don't tighten them too much because oxygen needs to be able to escape. Tighten only until they resist. Return the jars to the boiling water for processing. Make sure the water completely submerges the jars. Boil for another 10 minutes, remove with your canning tongs, and place on a kitchen towel to cool. Let cool all day or over night - you should hear the pinging of the cans sealing as they cool. Some jars take longer than others to seal, and some seal quietly.

Once completely cooled, you can test your seal by removing the ring and lifting up gently on the lid. If it stays closed, your seal is set. If not, re-process in the boiling water for another 10 minutes and repeat the cooling process - or refrigerate and use within 2 weeks. This stuff is DELISH. It's like pumpkin pie in a jar.

 

By Lucas Rager

This week sure felt like the beginning of winter on the farm with the first frost on Monday. We've got our Spring garlic in the ground, all of the summer crops harvested from the field, and are busy with loads of greens, sweet potatoes, carrots and more!

Garlic for Spring. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Rows of garlic. Photo by Scott David Gordon

After the frost, we've sure got some sweet carrots! Photo by Scott David Gordon

The winter cover crop is coming along nicely. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Our sweet potatoes FINALLY stopped growing after Sunday's frost. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Sweet potato harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

This year's crop is especially big! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Temo dumps sweet potatoes into a harvest bin for storage. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Bok choy has been a favorite this season. Photo by Scott David Gordon

The lettuce block is sizing up nicely! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Romaine lettuce. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Our greenhouse is filling up with onions to be planted! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Dinosaur or lacinato kale. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Curly kale (left is unharvested, right is harvested!) Photo by Scott David Gordon

 

Photo by Scott David Gordon

From the Farmer's Perspective: Winter is Coming

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

First frost!

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

Photo by Scott David Gordon

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

Sweet potatoes come in lots of shapes and sizes.

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

Certified organic citrus is back! Photo by Scott David Gordon

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

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

 

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