Summer squash fields forever. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We are having our massive Central Texas Food Bank potato gleaning today, 6/1, out at the Garfield Farm! Plus, pickling season has begun. Our Wholesale Manager, Mike, has been getting all the calls from his pickling folks to get pounds and pounds of pickling cucumbers. We are gearing up for our bulk tomato sale as deliveries start next week!

Greens are almost completely done for the season, okra and eggplant have officially arrived, and melons are not too far behind. Stay hydrated, Austin, it's hot!

In case you haven't heard, we are hiring! Head on over to our site to check out some of the available positions.

Baby squash. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Blossoms. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Gorgeous colors on patty pan squash. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Squash and zucchini harvest from the harvest trailer view. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Brenton at the helm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvesting potatoes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Digging up 'taters. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The potato harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Hi Montana! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Updates on the grapes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Gorgeous green tomatoes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

All the shades of tomatoes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tomato harvesting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

A hard-working crew. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

That summer red. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We think that our staff is the best in the business (okay, okay, we are a little biased), but the JBG family hails from all over the place and covers the gamut in talents and interests. We love sharing events, adventures, and side projects that inspire and excite our JBG-ers (food-related or not) with the community. Check out the staff-curated list of favorites below!

JBG peeps. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Scott (Staff Photographer) - There is a hilarious and touching play happening this weekend and next at Hyde Park Theatre. It’s called Small Mouth Sounds, written by Bess Wohl and produced and directed by Mark Pickell with Capital T Theatre. One of the actors, Jason Phelps, was just interviewed on my podcast, Austin Art Talk. It’s a great episode. Please check out the play, and listen to the interview here!

Scott & Jason Phelps.

Nate (Delivery Driver) - Been spending most weekends riding my bike and chillin' with my dog Rocko (Texas Heeler)! Some good parks to check out in Austin if you ride or skate: House Park and Mabel Davis Park.

Nate flying on his bike.

Lucas (Delivery Driver) - I just got a new canoe! I love it, and I hope to get a big straw hat soon too. Hoping to check out Snake Island this weekend with some friends.

Lucas' new canoe!

Krishna (Operations Manager) - I recently built raised beds and a trellis with my 2 sons. The soil in my backyard is crushed concrete so raised beds were necessary for growing vegetables. We are growing cherry tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, peas, gourds, and watermelon.

Krishna's backyard garden.

Casey (Customer Service Extraordinaire) - I got married this year and wanted to recommend an amazing wedding photographer to anyone who is currently looking for someone to capture their celebration! Bill McCullough is an Austin based photographer with a very unique, creative style. He uses light and space to create beautiful, surreal photographs rendered in bright, vibrant colors. He also the master at improvising in the moment and capturing funny, odd scenes. His pictures feel like paintings and you can always find something new when you look again. Find more images on his site or his IG.

Casey by Technicolor Weddings.

Andrew (CSA Line Manager) - Nikki and I went to Dallas last month's for the 13th Annual Texas Frightmare Weekend. Lots of good vibes, costumes, and rarer collectibles for the horror fan aficionado. It's a must for any person who's looking for a good time.

One of the costumes at Frightmare weekend. Photo by Nikki Acosta.

Ada (CSA and Marketing Manager) - I'm currently on vacation, but can't miss contributing to my favorite monthly post! Restaurante Chamicos in Tulum. Vacation! Fish! All the people in Tulum who are so nice.

Fish at Restaurante Chamicos.

Mike Mo (Wholesale Manager) - Just finished Homeland in its entirety. I love it so. This season of Billions is worth a watch, too. Also, Heydon Hatcher. She's great and writes this blog.

This is Heydon wearing yellow boots. She's having fun. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We are doing something a little different this week on the farm blog. We are combining two of our spotlight series, as the couple highlighted meets the requirements of both! This past Tuesday, we had the immense pleasure of interviewing a creative powerhouse couple: Taylor Chambers and Valerie Wolf. If you've ever been enchanted by the nonpareil dining experience at Justine's, then your senses have been unknowingly seduced by the culinary handiwork of Taylor, the Executive Chef behind the scenes. Valerie, his better half, is a gregarious and visionary floral designer who notoriously stuns with her flower creations at weddings and events all year-round in and around town.

On a scorching hot Tuesday, they welcomed us into their bright Eastside home with freshly sliced watermelon in hand. A Townes Van Zandt vinyl spinning, carefully curated flowers throughout, and no shortage of portraits of family and friends tucked into mirrors and placed on shelves, we caught these two on a comfortable and quiet afternoon with their two cats, Chicken & Maggie, and dog, Bruce, milling about. We got the lowdown on chef life, how they deal with their weekly veggies, and favorite recipes & kitchen gadgets. Read the full interview below:

Taylor and Valerie. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

How long have you been a CSA member? Taylor (TC): Two to three years.

When you get your CSA box, what’s your standard plan of action? TC: We bring the box home, pull everything that’s old out of the fridge, and either make stock with the old stuff, or make a big dinner that night and try to use everything up. We just rotate it out.

Valerie (VW): It’s kind of our excuse to clean the fridge. The fresh produce brings a clean vibe to the house, which is really nice.

Who cooks more in the house? TC: Since I’m not here as much, she ends up cooking more often at home than I do. On my days off, I usually cook though.

VW: Yeah, if he’s got a night off, he’ll do the cooking. I offer help, but he’s usually got it under control and I won’t do much. When it’s just me and he’s working, I normally cook veggies and rice, or veggies and beans. That’s my go to. I’m working through the box every night that I’m here. The variety of the veggies keeps my go-to plate interesting.

Taylor and Bruce. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

What’s your favorite veggie to prep/cook and what’s your least favorite? VW: I love the carrots. Whenever there are carrots in the box, I’m stoked. Especially the rainbow carrots, because they are so beautiful and add so much color to a plate. Maybe it’s because we get so many of them from time to time, but my least favorite would be beets. I love them, but you have to boil them or something first and then store them. It’s just a bit more of a process. Even with juicing them, that’s a process in and of itself.

TC: Tomatoes. There’s nothing much better than a really ripe tomato. I just ordered the first case of the season for Justine’s this week! My least favorite would be collard greens. They aren’t hard to process or anything, it’s just there’s only a couple ways that you can use collard greens. Artichokes, on the other hand, I love, but hate processing. They just take so much work.

What’s your favorite recipe to cook at home? At Justine’s? TC: I make it here and at Justine’s, too. Kind of going off collard greens again, but you can take a collard green leaf, blanche it, cool it off, stuff it with rice, vegetables, and other things, roll it back up, and pan-fry it. Then you serve it with some kind of sauce. It’s kind of like a dolma. When it's served at Justine’s, it’s more of a rice, ground pork, vegetables, and sausage mix rolled into a collard green.

Salt-roasted beets are really good, too. You take a bunch of beets, cover them in salt, herbs, and throw them in the oven. They get seasoned and infused with all the herbs - you pull them out, cool ‘em off, pull the skin off, and cut them. They get perfectly seasoned. You can put thyme and sage in it, and get that taste… they’re really good in salads.

VW: Like I said before, rice and veggies! I don’t really cook much. Taylor put cookbooks on the shelves so that I can start using actual recipes. So, that’s why he kind of takes over when he’s around.

Bruce staying close with Maggie scoping the situation. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

What’s the veggie that stumps you the most when you are cooking? VW: Turnips, for sure.

TC: There are quite a few, but same here. Turnips are good in so many different ways, but kind of like beets, there are only so many ways that you can prepare them and have them be delicious. Beets are so nice because you don’t have to do much to them for them to be good. I guess what stumps me the most is trying to use whatever we get from the farms that you don’t normally eat like carrot tops or fennel fronds. They are half of the veggie that you just got and you don’t want to throw it away. You can pull the leaves off the carrot tops and make pesto with it. The leek tops you can’t do much besides putting it in stock… it tastes like onions. That’s one of the most challenging things about getting farm vegetables. You guys will give us the whole plant and I try and figure out how to use the whole thing, in some shape or form.

Where did you learn to cook? TC: Just working, and working with different people! I’ve been in a kitchen since I was 15 years old. I’ll be 32 in July. I didn’t get really serious until I moved to Austin, though. I would just read books, try recipes, and switch out certain ingredients. I learned a lot from our old chef, Casey, at Justine’s. I just mostly immersed myself and tried to be a sponge over the years.

Chicken. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

What did you grow up eating? TC: Beans and rice! My dad made a lot of beans and rice. My mom and dad are both from Alabama, so they both like southern food. We had a lot of southern food. A lot of pot roasts and collard greens… but when they moved to McAllen, where me and my brother were born, they started getting into Mexican food. So we’d have chalupas, tacos, barbecues, and stuff like that. My dad is a pretty big cook.

VW: My mom worked really hard to make sure that we were eating healthy, but at the same time it was more processed stuff. It wasn’t like everything was scratch-made. It was casseroles of things made from canned ingredients. So when I met Taylor, it was all really eye-opening to me that you could make all the things that I had been accustomed to coming out of a can, and that you could know the source of where those ingredients came from.

I would say I’m an expert at snacking. I grew up on a lot of snacks. My mom would pick us up from school and would have a box full of snacks for us, healthy ones, like carrots and smoothies and that kind of stuff.

What is the most difficult part of working with farms and sourcing locally? TC: Honestly, a lot of time, price can be problematic, but that should be overlooked because you’re trying to support your community. The farm is trying to give you a good source of better tasting food than you can get from a large provider that is bringing in produce from warehouses. Another one is availability… you get whatever the farms have. You can’t do anything about that, so you have to read the availability sheet and try and get it as fast as you can. Most of the time JBG doesn’t run out as their list is usually always up to date. However, with smaller farms, it can be a different story. They can sell out of crops really quickly. Regardless, it really isn’t that difficult to work with local farms.

I feel like a lot of places in Austin already work with farms, and maybe everyone should. Most restaurants and chefs that I know, work with some kind of small farm for something. This one girl comes by once a year just to give us dewberries. I will not have seen her for a year, and then she’ll show up with a giant tray of dewberries for sale. That’s really fun, too. To source from the people who are really small and grow a random, small, and specific crop. That’s always a nice surprise when people come in like that.

A shelf in their kitchen. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

What’s the best part of working with farms? TC: Just the quality of the product that you get. It’s really good. The carrots that I get from JBG are probably my favorite snack to have all day. They’re way sweeter than anything that I get from larger providers. The texture is great, the color is awesome, and y’all have them for a long time. Simply put, the food tastes better.

Anything you think that readers would be surprised to learn about the day to day in a kitchen? TC: Maybe just the amount of effort that goes into the food that people order. Obviously, depending on where you go, the effort will be different. At Justine’s during our serving shift, there are only four people cooking the entire shift. It’s really small. I don’t think a lot of people take that into account, one: how busy the kitchen can be, and two: how many people are being a part of that process, because they never see it.

Do you have any advice for a home chef trying to cook with more seasonal vegetables? TC: Read cookbooks, and when you find recipes that call for certain vegetables, like if a recipe calls for yellow onions and leeks are in season… use leeks instead. Try replacing an item in a recipe with what you have available. It gives a whole new twist on the recipe. That will help you learn how to use vegetables, and reprogram your brain in a way to think that they can be used in all these different ways.

Taylor and Valerie. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Any quick recipe or technique that you want to share with our readers? TC: I mean, there are so many! Something really easy that you can do with beets, since we’ve been talking about them so much, is boiling beets. When you boil them though, throw in a bunch of herbs, vegetable scrap, ginger, garlic or even some red wine, cool ‘em off, peel ‘em, cut them in half, douse them in some cornstarch, and fry those in a little bit of butter and oil. You get some nice, crispy, flavorful beets.

Disclaimer: be careful when you are frying food at home because you can have an accident. When you fry something, you don’t ever want to go over halfway on your pot, and it’s better to use a pot instead of a pan. If you have a deep cast-iron, put a quarter of an inch of oil in there to fry something. If you want to deep fry something, use an actual sauce pot. Go no more than halfway with the oil, because when you put something in it, all the moisture that’s in it is going to expand really rapidly. It’ll settle down after a while, but if you put too much oil in it, it’s going to expand and you’re going to catch yourself on fire. Things like beets have a lot of moisture in them, so you don’t want to go too crazy with the amount of oil you are using when you fry them.

What item are you most excited about on the Justine’s menu? TC: I just did a celeriac and serrano coleslaw with grilled plum chutney and barbeque-rubbed roasted duck breast. It was my way of doing Texas barbeque but still trying to stay along the French lines. I was really happy with that one. I’m usually really happy with the blackboard that we do at the restaurant. The set menu is really good, everything is fantastic on that, but it’s repetitive... we make it every day. The pork chop is good, and the bolognese is really good. The specials board is where we get to have a little bit of fun, step out of the bistro boundaries, and do a little more creative, seasonal stuff. This is where we can get the weird, seasonal produce and do some cool, creative dishes.

Having a moment with Bruce. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

What’s your favorite kitchen gadget? VW: Mine is the immersion blender because it does so much work quickly for you. You just have to make sure everything is soft enough for it to work its magic, but once it is, it just purees anything so easily. Take something like butternut squash, it’s rockhard in the beginning, but once you boil it down and it’s softened up, the immersion blender can turn it into a perfectly blended soup!

TC: Besides my chef knife, maybe the sausage stuffer that we have. Mostly because I just really enjoy making sausages, but it does take a matter of skill… feeling the pressure and how much you need to crank it. There are a bunch of moving parts on it, and it’s satisfying to make a really well-made sausage. I really enjoy using the wood-burning grill, too.

What are you cooking these days at home? TC: When I cook at home, I get to do whatever I want to end up doing. It’s usually along the lines of Texas meets Mexican meets French. Everything I know now is based off of French cooking style and techniques. But, I really enjoy using peppers, spices, vinegars, fire, and smoke. I really do enjoy cooking at home. We don’t have the same luxuries that we have at the restaurant, but it’s still a lot of fun to spend the afternoon working over the grill, listening to music, and being surrounded by loved ones.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Do you have any advice for new CSA members? VW: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. When we first started getting the veggies, I didn’t even know what some of the stuff was. We used to pick up at in.gredients and had to change to pick up at the farmer’s market. The change-up was at first a bummer, but now we know that the farmer’s market setup is so nice! All the veggies are out, and everyone that works at the market is super knowledgeable. You might as well use that resource, especially if you aren’t used to cooking seasonally or not sure how to use a particular veggie. Use the recipe cards that come in the boxes, too! The turnips and beets, I didn’t grow up on that stuff, so when we first got them, I was pretty stumped. Now, I can hold my own… you just have to jump in and figure it out.

TC: You kind of nailed it. Be careful of the size of box you select, too. We bought one that was too big for the two of us. If you don’t figure out how to use it before it all goes bad, you end up wasting a lot of food.

VW: Start smaller than you think you need, and figure out how much you actually use, and then choose the size that best fits your lifestyle. I think it takes a lot of trial and error, and mostly, just don’t get discouraged if you’re two weeks in and didn’t use any of their veggies… it takes some time. It definitely did for us.

Maggie staying cool with beer and watermelon. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

What makes the CSA worth it for you guys? TC: It tastes better, in my opinion. A lot of the produce that we get is stuff that you just can’t get at HEB. It’s really nice to have that variety that Valerie mentioned earlier, too. Of course, in certain seasons, like winter, you aren’t growing as many different varieties, but now when you’re getting peppers, tomatoes, and carrots… it’s really awesome.

When you aren’t gushing over your CSA, what do you do? TC: This is a new hot topic, but I’m in an ax-throwing league. Every Tuesday for the next 7 weeks, I’m ax-throwing. I’m going to make it to finals, hopefully. Besides that, I do things around the house and enjoy our time together. I’m the Executive Head Chef at Justine’s - there are many hats under that umbrella. I mostly dream about food, make sure that everyone else can cook it the way I’m dreaming about it, and try to keep the ship afloat.

VW: I am a floral designer. I run my own company called Davy Gray. I mostly do flowers for weddings and events. I’m starting a ceramics class this week out at Laguna Gloria - that should be fun. That’s what I’m going to be doing with my free time!

Valerie's flower genius.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what three things would you bring (water and food excluded)?

VW: Taylor (and all of this three things), ax, and matches.

TC: pocket knife, a compass, and a very large first aid kit.

A huge thanks to Taylor and Valerie for their continued support of the farm, allowing us to feature them, and for being such strong forces of good in our community! ‘Til next time!

CSA Box Contents Week of Jun 4th

CSA Box Contents Week of Jun 4th

Large Box
Beet, Red
Cabbage, Red
Carrot, Orange
Cucumber
Eggplant, Black
Greens, Amaranth
Herb, Oregano
Okra
Onion, Ball
Pepper, Serrano
Pepper, Sweet Medley
Squash. Summer Medley
Tomato

Recipe and Photo by Megan Winfrey

As someone who slices a lot of vegetables, I can't believe I lived nearly 30 years without owning a mandolin. I'd curse myself everytime I made a gratin, crudite, or baked chips- hand throbbing and arm quivering- struggling to cut perfectly thin slices and (obviously) not able to do it consistently. But then, I'd find myself at Target, eyeballing the $30 mandolins (like, why are they so expensive!?) and talk myself out of the purchase.



Needless to say, as the photo speaks for itself, I finally took the plunge and I've gotta say, SO WORTH IT. I can wait to put that bad boy to use this summer on everything from red potatoes to squash and beyond.

Rainbow Chard & Potato Pie

• 2 tbs. butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 5-6 JBG red potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch chard, thick stems removed, rough chopped
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350.

Heat the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent. Spread them out evenly in the bottom of the skillet and remove from the heat.

Arrange potato slices, overlapping, in the bottom of the skillet and up the sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, a third of the chard, and a third of the cheese. Repeat layers until the ingredients are used up, ending with the cheese.

Cover the skillet with a lightly oiled piece of foil and bake for about 1 hour, 15 minutes. The potatoes should easily pierce with a fork.

Gently remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes, until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Let rest for a few minutes, then slice and serve!

Tomatoes on the vine! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Week 23 has us in a tomato fervor. We are knee deep in these summertime fruits and relishing the beginning of what seems like it will be a long and fruitful (literally) season! Get your bulk orders in ASAP to enjoy some of this summer crop. Heavy winds from the storm on Sunday broke some of our older tomato stakes. Needless to say, this meant we had some repair work to do earlier this week, along with some tomato vine re-tying.

We cannot wait for the annual JBG Tomato U-Pick next Saturday, June 16th. You and your family are invited to our Garfield, Texas tomato fields to harvest your share of our tomato crop. It's from 7:30 until noon. Pre-purchase a box now for $25 or buy a box the day of for $30. This is one of our favorite events, and is absolutely wonderful for kiddos! Bring them along for some awesome memory-making and a tomato-tasting good time.

In other news, we have a boatload of new staff at our packing shed and on the tomato crew. We are excited to have new folks and extra hands to get veggies to the people. This week, we said goodbye to our amazing Market Manager, Lyndsie. We will miss her! However, we are also happy to welcome Devon who will be taking over for her. Welcome to the crew!

Tomatoes on the vine. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tomatoes growing! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The tomato harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Amaranth. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Graffiti eggplant. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kirby in the fields. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Sorting 'maters. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tomatoes ready for market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Taste the rainbow. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

A quick reminder: Our annual Tomato U-Pick is a favorite event of the summer and is just around the corner! You and your family are invited to our Garfield, Texas tomato fields next Saturday, June 16th to harvest your share of our tomato crop. Rows and rows of juicy red fruit, ripe for the picking. A note on the kiddos: We might be biased, but we really think this is one of the best events out there for your kids, and we really hope you consider bringing the whole family. Get your box now!

Potatoes! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Did you know that the average age of farmers is around 58 and that this figure has been on a steady rise for the past 30 years? Even in Austin, a city where the hunger for local food is as vibrant as a vine-ripened tomato, it is increasingly hard to find folks who want to work at a farm. In the current May/June issue of Edible Austin, Kristi Willis wrote about the shortage of restaurant workers in a piece called "Calling All Cooks". We feel a similar plight, and the title could just as easily have been "Calling All Farmers". Often, we have trouble fulfilling our staffing needs, making it very difficult to harvest the vegetables that many of Austin's farm-to-table restaurants (as well as schools and CSA members) rely on. We are aggressive with our job postings, creative with our promotion of positions, offer competitive pay, health insurance, fresh vegetables, bonus opportunities, incentive programs, cold beer.... and still our job postings often go unanswered.

Last week, we had more potatoes in our field than we have labor to harvest. Specifically, we had over 10,000 lbs of potatoes that lay underground, unable to be harvested because our field crew is that understaffed. Such a debacle is a familiar problem to farms our size. When we planted these potatoes, we didn't account for the severe labor shortage seen across all of Austin for entry-level jobs.

Wonder why we are telling you about this dismal potato plight? Because there is a beautiful silver lining! We are very relieved and happy to announce that with the help of the Central Texas Food Bank, we cobbled together a plan to save these 'taters. Instead of getting plowed back into the soil, the CTFB helped us rescue these Yukon Gold and Red Pontiac potatoes last Friday, June 1st. We sent out an SOS email and the community responded. Volunteers came out in the morning and harvested as many potatoes as possible. The event was a HUGE success. With around 20 volunteers/staff, we harvested 8,690 lbs of potatoes in 4 hours. Can you believe it?

Wonder what's happening with the 'taters? CTFB is doing a couple different things with the potatoes that were harvested. About 10% have already been distributed to a local Austin partner agency of theirs - arguably some of the kitchens that need them most, and two main things will be happening with the rest:

• About half will be reworked into “Stew Bags,” a 10-20 lb bag of assorted produce CTFB distributes. These bags will be distributed to many of their partners throughout Central Texas.
• The other half will be sent on weekly container loads of produce that CTFB sends to Temple and Waco, where they will be split up between several partners of CTFB in those areas.

Check out some of the images from the gleaning day below. Thanks to everyone who came out, and a huge thanks to CTFB for everything you do in our community. Keep Central Texas fed!

Potato gleaning.

The potato gleaning crew.

Working hard, slingin' 'taters.

Look at all the potatoes!

Position Title: Field Crew Operations Manager

Location: Garfield, TX                                                 

Reports To: Farm Owner                                                       Supervises: Transplant Crew

Position Summary:

The Field Crew Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of tillage and planting at the farm.  They must be very hands-on, actively leading the staff on the farm to achieve the company goals. This position requires a results-driven individual who can also maintain positive dynamics within the farm work environment.

Responsibilities

• Supervises work of planting crews and tillage operators (4 people total)
• Works closely with the Crop Planning Manager and Farm Owner to understand the schedule and set priorities
• Works closely with the Bed Preparation staff to make sure the beds are ready for the transplant.
• Motivate and lead the farm staff, improving productivity and efficiency through training, internal growth and education
• Professionally manage basic H/R duties at the farm under direction from Operations Manager
• Produce vegetables with excellent quality and high yields
• Ensure that Johnson’s Backyard Garden agricultural policies are followed and that the farm’s cleanliness and orderliness represents the company well
• Be a Team player working with the Farm,Harvest,Irrigation and Barn Managers.
• Responsible for hiring Transplant / Tomato crews when needed.

Qualifications Required

• Minimum of 2  years of farm production experience, with some management experience
• An understanding of agricultural methods, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation and farm equipment
• A track record for following through on projects and getting things done in a timely manner
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office products and other farm management software
• Excellent judgment in prioritizing responsibilities and delegating tasks to staff members
• Excellent communication and team-building skills
• Ability to work additional hours as needed, particularly during peak seasons
• Highly organized with excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Preferred

• Spanish fluency
• Experience operating farm machinery
• College degree

Physical Requirements

• Ability to repeatedly lift 50 lbs
• Ability to withstand exposure to varying weather conditions

Schedule: Full-time, Generally 6:30am-4pm M-F, hours vary with seasons.

Compensation & Benefits:

Compensation is dependent on experience Range from $15-$18/hr. Paid bi-weekly. Permanent employees are eligible for Individual Health Plan benefits. Weekly veggie boxes and bi-weekly eggs included.

Directions for Applying:

Please send an email to jobs@jbgorganic.com with the following format. Following specific directions is the first way to impress us!

• Subject Line should read “[Job Title]: [First Initial]_[Last Name]” … For example, “Planting Crew Coordinator: J_Smith”
• Email body should be short & sweet - help us notice you! Ensure that it contains your contact information.
• Attach three documents to your email, ensuring that their file names are clear: 1) Cover Letter 2) Resume 3) List containing contact information of two professional references

Thank you for your interest in JBG Organic! You will be contacted for further information if we find that you might be a good fit for this position.

The responsibilities & duties listed above are intended to communicate general priorities of this position, but should not be understood as an exhaustive list of all work requirements to be completed at JBG Organic. Farms require flexibility! We are committed to training, developing, and promoting from within the company based on performance.

JBG Organic provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, marital status, or sexual orientation.

CSA Box Contents Week of June 11th

CSA Box Contents Week of June 11th

Large Box
Beet, Golden
Carrot, Orange
Greens, Amaranth
Herb, Basil, Red
Leek
Okra
Onion, Ball
Pepper, Jalapeno
Pepper, Sweet Medley
Potato, Yukon Gold
Squash, Acorn
Squash, Farmer's Choice
Tomato

Servings: 4 / Total Time: 45 minutes / Author: The Migoni Kitchen

Summer is here in Texas and while we are not so excited about the heat, we are loving the summer veggies and fruits right now. Loads of summer squash, tomatoes, melons, and stone fruits – it’s our favorite time of year for produce! Our CSA box this week featured beautiful zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplants, so immediately the idea to make a ratatouille came to mind. Ratatouille is a French provencal vegetable stew typically made with zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. It’s a humble dish that’s often prepared as a side but when using great quality produce can truly shine as the main dish.

Ingredients:

Ratatouille Ingredients:

• 1 Medium Eggplant, sliced into thin rounds
• 3 Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, sliced thin
• 1 Medium Zucchini, sliced thin
• 1 Large Russet Potato, peeled and sliced thin
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• 12 ounces Grapeseed Oil and Canola Oil

Tomato Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• ½ of 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 14.5 ounce can of crushed tomato
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ¼ teaspoon brown sugar

Ratatouille gorgeousness. Photo by the Migoni Kitchen. 

Instructions:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in dutch oven over medium heat.

Next, add diced onion and garlic into the dutch oven and sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and onions are slightly translucent.

Add in crushed tomato, herbs, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and sugar. Stir until sauce begins to simmer then lower temperature to low heat and allow to cook until slightly reduced.

While the sauce is cooking, in a frying pan, heat the canola oil to a medium-high temperature. Once the oil is hot, cook the sliced eggplant in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan.

Remove the eggplant slices as soon as they begin to brown, placing them on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Repeat this step with the potato slices.

Remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Next, arrange the sliced vegetables into the bottom of the pot - alternate between the potato, zucchini, squash, eggplant, and tomato slices. Arrange into spiral shape.

Cover and place the dutch oven back on the burner on medium to low heat for about 20 minutes. Then remove remove lid and allow the vegetables to continue simmering for another

20 minutes while the excess water evaporates.

Serve with rice or crusty French bread.

Working with big cucumbers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We are swimming in tomatoes and the U-Pick is tomorrow! Come and join the fun. It's the perfect event for the kiddos and adults alike. You can pick our famous zinnias to take home with you while you're at it. A bouquet is the perfect adornment for your kitchen table or gift for a loved one. In other news, melon mania is just around the corner. Get ready for the most refreshing summer treat!

Peppers! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Zinnias. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Zinnia close-up. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Zinnia closeup. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bell pepper beauties. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Peppers on the way. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Plentiful harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Okra close-up with bloom. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Sortin' 'maters. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In case you sign up for the CSA and find yourself a little overwhelmed, don’t fret one bit. We met up with our tenured recipe blogger, Megan Winfrey, to get a couple of CSA hacks that she uses on the regular. She’s held the blogging post for a little over three years now, and seamlessly juggles family, friendships, career, and cooking with flourish and ease. With summer underway and an influx of new and potentially perplexing crops appearing, we couldn’t think of a better person to chat with about simple ways to utilize the weekly veggie haul to their full potential while also living a very full and busy life.

Megan in the kitchen. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We bopped over to her Brentwood home one day this week and arrived as both Hunter, her husband, and she were returning home with their spirited daughter, Louisiana, in tow. Both multiple-generation Texans, their cozy home reflects their deep roots to the hill country and their immensely warm and honest personalities. Hunter immediately cracked open a beer, donned his loose summertime garb, and set to carefully curating the music; while Megan poured herself a glass of wine, and casually started dishing CSA secrets and cooking for her loved ones simultaneously. Check out some of their summertime cooking hacks below:

• Get yourself a good knife. The one I have, I’ve had since my college years, and I (and Hunter) sharpen often.
• Try to roast most of the bulk stuff (squash, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, carrots) and have those portioned into containers and ready to go for Lou (their daughter) for dinner. It’s very simple - olive oil, salt, and pepper for roasting - flip ‘em halfway through the time allotted for whatever vegetable you are prepping.

Roasting squash. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• It’s usually half and half, half the box gets prepped right away for Lou’s dinners and then the other half stays fresh for Hunter and me. I keep a couple squash and zucchini in the fridge for us… I’ve been making zoodles a lot lately.
• Just wing it! Just cook it however because it’s food and it’s gonna be good!

Roasting tomatoes for salsa. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• I don’t always prep all of the box immediately. Just stick it in the fridge on busy weeks and get to it when you can.
• If I'm really on top of it, I try to deal with the greens and all the gentle produce ASAP. Get them washed, trimmed, and in bags with paper towels. It’s super beneficial to have them ready for cooking when I get home from work.

Definitely a busy week! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• One of my best mom hacks is making Lou dinner when I get home from work, she sits down and eats while I prep dinner for Hunter and myself. Her bedtime is at 7:30, so I don’t have a ton of time to make a full meal with her biting at my ankles. I don’t necessarily have time for all of us to eat at the same time and that’s okay!
• Lou has her portioned plates which consist of whatever roasted veggie I’ve already prepped (the aforementioned bulk veggies), a little bit of fruit, and a little protein of some sort. That being prepared for the week already is super helpful.
• On the weekends, either Saturday or Sunday, I spend all day meal prepping and cooking. I will also make a nice, fresh meal that we will all share. That’s our family meal for the week. Otherwise, we eat separately for the most part, which is nice. Hunter and I need that time to sit, talk, reconnect before we crash out around 9.

Megan and Lou. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• Freezing melon! Cut it up, freeze it, put it out on the plate (while your kid is being super distracted and not eating), it thaws, and serves nice and cold. Or you can freeze it on sticks - a little melon pop! Delicious.
• Getting Lou to try things from the farm, I bribe her. To be honest, It usually turns out that she loves it. If I promise her something that she loves after trying the new veggie - she tries it (always acts like it’s gross and inedible), gets the treat, momma walks away, and then she’ll usually finish the new thing she didn’t want to try initially. When the watchful eye dissipates, she can’t deny the deliciousness! She’ll usually eat the entire plate. So, parents, try it! Parents are always right about the yummy factor, come on.
• When cauliflower gets those brown spots, just brush it off with a scrubber.

Scrubbing the cauliflower. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• I can a bunch of tomatoes every year, and use them throughout the year. We still have three cans from last year. When you pop it open, it smells like summer. They are so versatile. You can make a sauce or put them in a soup, make it as a base for proteins, or put them in greens… you can use them literally in anything! It makes everything so much better, especially when it’s fresh and organic tomatoes. There’s no other smell or taste like that - it’s so sweet, earthy and wonderful.

Megan's canned tomatoes.

• Make caprese! Super easy.
• Eat a ripe tomato for breakfast... just cut it into slices and enjoy.
• Watermelon and tajin - I put it in a tupperware, take it into bed on a weekend morning, or into work (I keep tajin in my drawer at work). It’s so tasty, satisfying, and not super heavy. Same with melon and cucumber. YUM.

Tajin at work.

• A quick and easy meal - cold noodles (soba noodles or zoodles), peanut rice vinegar dressing or some sort of Asian dressing, and cucumbers. A summertime staple for sure.
• Blending watermelon or melon into pops (boozy for the adults!).

Hunter checkin' in on Meg. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• Slicing up any and all veggies in the summertime and eating it with Grandma’s hummus. Slice up cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, squash, or peppers - the only thing I wouldn’t do is potatoes or onions I think.
• Squash pickles - make ‘em last.
• For zucchini, I love making zoodles. I just got a spiralizer and I love it.
• For okra, roast it & change it up with different spices, or make a tomato/okra sauce.
• It’s not feasible to all sit down and eat together with two working parents sometimes and that’s okay.
• Be cool with simple meals and leftovers. Repurpose leftovers/mix and match what you have prepped to make different meals
• You can always share if you have leftover veggies! Share the veggie wealth - take it to work or share with a friend.

Hangin' with Sky, their cat. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bonus Parent Hacks -

• Have a plan for the week. For a while, I was feeling a ton of pressure to make dinner every night for the family. Then we created a schedule for the week - Monday: Hunter does something for himself, Tuesday: we go out to dinner as a fam, Wednesday: I do something for myself, Thursday: we cook, Friday: we all hang out with friends together, Saturday and Sunday: we cook and meal prep all day. This has us looking forward to Thursday. I’ve had it in my schedule, Hunter can wrangle Lou, and I can make something nice for all of us. It’s also helpful in utilizing the box. I can use whatever is left in the box for our special dinner. Then, I’ll get a new box and I’m ready to prep again. It’s a cycle.

The Winfrey fam. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• Dad advice/partner advice from Hunter: if you’ve got a partner who is well versed in preparing and preserving produce you should really insist that they teach you so that you can help out. Take the time to learn about preparation, etc, so that one can split the responsibility and increase the likelihood that you will use every little bit of the veggies.
• Tell your kids where the food comes from and then they will become way more interested. Kids learn about farms and vegetables in school. When your kid takes part in potlucks and the u-picks that JBG does, then they are able to identify with the food because they've been there.
• Get kids involved in the kitchen if they are old enough! Entertainment and learning potential combined.
• Teamwork! Work together in the house.

One last fam photo. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

'Til next time! A huge thank you to the Winfrey fam for letting us feature them, and their continued support of the farm.

TOMATOES! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Texas tomato season is brief! Seize the summer and order some bulk tomatoes to ensure you get your fill of this special fruit. Here is a guide to the tomato varieties we're growing this year in case you caught yourself wonderin'. *CSA Members: Remember to log in to your account before ordering if you'd like to get your tomatoes delivered along with your share. Give us a call if you have any questions about our bulk tomato sale: 512-386-5273. Order online here and get to making delicious and succulent 'mater treats! Peruse some ideas below.

Happy Summertime!

Tomato + peach salad with labne. Photo by Rick Cortez.

A tomato salad by Mackenzie Smith, begging to be eaten. Photo by Rick Cortez.

Tomato gallete. Photo by Rick Cortez.

CSA Box Contents Week of June 18th

CSA Box Contents Week of June 18th

Large Box
Beet, Red
Carrot, Orange
Cucumber
Eggplant, Medley
Herb, Thyme
Leek
Melon, Farmers Choice
Okra
Onion, Ball
Pepper, Sweet Medley
Squash, Butternut
Squash. Summer Medley
Tomato

Recipe and Images by Nadia Tamby

Though I have used most of my basil in caprese-like salads and other savory dishes, I wanted to use the fragrant basil in something sweet. Panna cotta is a great summer dessert – it is cold and creamy, you can make it ahead of time, it’s low-mess, and you don’t need to turn your oven on! Think of it as a summery cousin to crème brûlée. Serve it with whatever fruit is in season.



Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of basil, only leaves (about 1 cup of leaves, packed in)
• ½ cup sugar (or less, if you prefer)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 envelope (or 1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¼ cup water

Instructions:

Pour the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it to allow it soften. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, basil leaves, half and half and the heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.



Remove it from the heat and cover it with a lid. Let the basil steep for about 5 minutes then fish out the basil leaves using a sieve and gently press on them with the back of a spoon to squeeze the cream out back into the pot or into another bowl. Don’t forget about the basil – keep the steeping time short or else you might have an off-putting basil flavor that is just too much for dessert. A light steep is perfect for this delicate panna cotta.



Discard the wilted basil leaves. Whisk the gelatin in until completely smooth and it has dissolved into the cream mixture.

Stir the sour cream in and whisk until smooth again. While the mixture is still warm and pourable, pour into small glasses, jars or ramekins for individual portions. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or 6-8 hours). This will be best eaten within two days.

When you’re ready to serve it, pair it with tart fruit to offset the creamy panna cotta. I would even recommend tossing your fruit in a teaspoon each of white balsamic vinegar and sugar before topping the dessert off. I like serving it with a strawberry coulis if I have time to make it, but just fruit will do! You can also crush shortbread cookies on top for a little added texture. The possibilities are endless but of course, you can just grab a spoon and eat it straight out of the fridge :) I topped mine with honeydew melon, Texas peaches, strawberries, and a teaspoon of basil brandy that I got recently from the St. George distillery in Alameda – so good!

Gorgeous. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

A huge thanks to everyone who came out to the Tomato U-Pick this past weekend! There was such a great turn-out. We had a blast getting lost in towers of tomatoes with our Austin community. Another huge thanks to Cold One Pops and Barrett's Coffee for keeping everyone cool and caffeinated. We are hoping that we will have enough tomatoes to throw a last-chance Tomato U-Pickin a couple of weeks, so stay tuned for more news on that!

Kiddo getting into it. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tomato loot. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

So many tomatoes! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Ada pointing at tomatoes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Keeping everyone caffeinated. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Family fun! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Family fun! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Full to the brim. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The littlest tomato picker. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In the fields! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tomatoes! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Missoula and Casey telling everyone what to do! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

More tomatoes! And HERBS! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Family time. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In the tomato towers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

This week on the blog, we have a guest writer, Nora Chovanec. She is Director of Marketing & Agriculture at Texas Farmers Market. In the piece below, she dives into why shopping at farmers' markets is important, fun, and vital for the community. Check it out and get to the farmers' market(s) this weekend! 

Gorgeous day at the Mueller market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

With so many different ways to grocery shop these days, it can be hard to know where to begin. Do I visit the grocery store, receive a food delivery service, order off Amazon, sign up for a CSA or visit my local farmers’ market? While all of these avenues have benefits and drawbacks, as someone who has been shopping with my momma at farmers’ markets since I could barely walk and now helps run Texas Farmers’ Markets in Austin, I’m here to make a case for why the farmers’ market should be your go-to spot for weekly staples! As my friends can all attest, I have so many reasons for why you should shop at a farmers’ market, but here are just a few to whet your appetite:

• The produce options are out of this world! Think about the fact that when you go to the grocery store you buy food from a shelf that usually says something like “tomatoes” and you have a couple of different options and all the tomatoes look perfectly round and blemish free. But have you ever seen a tomato grow in a garden? Very rarely does a tomato found at the store look like one pulled from a vine. And that is because grocery store tomatoes varietals are often selected to be good for transport and long shelf life, not flavor. When you shop at the farmers’ market our farmers are more focused on delicious flavor, unique options, optimal nutrition and what types grow well in central Texas. The next time you are wondering exactly how different veggies are from the farmers’ market versus the store, do a taste test. Buy a bunch of carrots from the store and one from the market and see for yourself. You will never want to buy a carrot without a leafy top ever again!

Tomatoes freshly picked. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• You are investing your money in the local economy! Studies have shown that for every dollar spent at the farmers’ market, twice as much economic activity is generated within the region. So that means more jobs for farmers and less money in the pockets of agribusiness and GMO food conglomerates. Doesn’t it just feel better to know your buying habits are helping send your farmer friend’s kid to college instead of putting more money in the pocket of a CEO?
• The produce is fresh, fresh, fresh! Almost everything you buy at the farmers’ market was picked that day or the day before in order to retain the perfect ripeness and flavor. Farmers’ can’t afford to store their harvest for long on the farm, so you are ensured that whatever you buy at market is going to be peak freshness to enjoy at home. On average, the produce you buy at the grocery store is stored for at least a week, sometimes up to a year, and can come from anywhere in the world. Who wants a nine month old carrot from California on their dinner plate? I surely don’t!

Picking up from market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• Sustainability is key! At Texas Farmers’ Market, we have a strict rule that farmers’ and ranchers be completely transparent with their growing practices. We do farm inspections of every vendor to make sure that our farmers are growing what they are selling at the market. That means, if a farm is certified organic (like Johnson’s Backyard Garden!), we check their papers. If a farm promotes themselves as using “sustainable practices”, we collect detailed information about what they put into their soil and make sure that chemical pesticides and herbicides are not a part of their practices. You will not find greenwashing over here, folks. Have a question about a farmer’s growing practices? You can ask them in person instead of trying to figure out a label full of fancy marketing speak. And let me tell you, farmers love talking about their practices! They are proud of the work they do and want to share it with you. Our farmers know that taking good care of the land and their ecosystem is taking care of their business, their customers and our planet, all at the same time.

Market scene. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• Seasonality is special! While it can be very convenient to be able to buy blackberries year-round in Texas, the truth is that blackberries bought in December have either been stored for months or shipped from far, far away. Both of those things mean your berry is going to have very little flavor and a very big impact on the environment. If you shop with the seasons, you are guaranteed to not only have flavorful, nutritious produce, but excitement every time you visit at the farmers’ market. Trust me, when your favorite items are back into season, it will feel like your birthday every month of the year. In Texas we are lucky that we have two growing seasons, so we can keep our farmers’ markets full of seasonal produce year-round. That means you will never find a banana at Texas Farmers’ Market, but you will find ripe, sweet strawberries in spring and the tastiest melons in the summer.
• Shopping at the Farmers’ Market is fun! When you visit the farmers’ market you can simply shop for what you need and go home, or you can bring a friend, have a snack, chat with a friendly farmer, listen to some live music and linger a while. Farmers’ market people know that shopping at the market is a social affair and that food just doesn’t taste as good when it is delivered to your doorstep with the click of a button. Need a mid-week pick me up after staring at a computer for three days? Why not plan an after-work happy hour with your friends at Texas Farmers’ Market at Mueller on Wednesday nights 5-8pm! Hump day just got a lot better now that you can hang by the lake and take home some tasty produce to get you through the rest of the week.

Gorgeous Mueller Farmers' Market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

But don’t just take my word for it, determine for yourself if these reasons to shop at the farmers’ market ring true. Visit us at Texas Farmers’ Market at Lakeline Saturdays 9am-1pm and Texas Farmers’ Market at Mueller on Wednesdays 5-8pm and Sundays 10am-2pm. Hope to see you at the markets!

CSA Box Contents Week of June 25th

CSA Box Contents Week of June 25th

Large Box
Carrot, Orange
Cucumber
Eggplant, Medley
Greens, Amaranth
Herb, Basil
Melon, Farmers Choice
Okra
Onion, Ball
Pepper, Hot Medley
Red Potato
Squash. Summer Medley
Squash, Acorn
Tomato

Recipe and Photo by Megan Winfrey

Tomato infusion has fascinated me for years. In high school, the local boutique had a line of "everyday scents" perfume. Titles like Dirt, Fresh Cut Grass, and Sea Air sparked my interest and I vividly remember standing there with friends smelling each and every one, giggling about how silly it was to wear a perfume that smelled like dirt. But we liked it! They all smelled really good! My favorite of all of them was called Tomato Water, and I would use the sample all the time. Today, I'm mostly into tomato infusions of the boozy variety. If there's a tomato cocktail on the menu, I will definitely be ordering it. To be clear, I'm not talking about Bloody Marys - I'm talking about subtle, crisp, and refreshing tomato infused water or liquor. The next time you're at the Highball on S. Lamar, order the Heirloom Tomato Martini if it's available. It's the best drink I've ever had.

After making salsa and pasta sauce for the year with my tomato haul from the U-pick, I had about 3 cups of San Marzanos left. Perfect, I thought, for a vodka infusion. Behold.

Tomato Martini

For the infusion:

• 1 1.75 liter bottle of good vodka
• 3 cups chopped tomatoes
• 3 tbs. peppercorns

For the martini:

• 1/4 ounce Dry Vermouth
• 1/4 ounce Clamato (optional)
• 1 ounce tomato infused vodka
• Olives, onions, cherry tomatoes, dilly beans for garnish

Infuse:

Pour the entire bottle of vodka into an airtight container. Add the tomatoes and peppercorns, stir to combine. Close the lid and keep in a cool, dry place for 3 days. After 3 days, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. It will take awhile to fully drain. Mash the soaked tomatoes with a muddler to release every drop possible. Once strained, return the infused vodka to the original bottle, a mason jar, or the container you used to infuse it in.

Shake it up:

Add the tomato vodka, vermouth, and clamato, if using, to a shaker with a few cubes of ice. Shake shake shake for about 30 seconds, or until your hand is almost numb. Strain into a martini glass, shaking out every last drop. Add garnishes and drink up! According to my husband, they are "dangerously delicious."

Sun hemp. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

This past week, while our staff photographer was out of town, we had guest photographer, Megan Winfrey, take a stab at capturing the farm. This name might ring a bell as she is also one of our recipe bloggers (do yourself a favor and check out her most recent recipe for a bangin' Tomato Martini!). When she's not working full-time, momming it up, snapping beautiful images of loved ones, or knee deep in veggies, she gets her zen by slinging vintage at her online shop, Loyal Vintage. Talk about a Renaissance lady. In this collection of images, she gives us a fresh perspective of JBG with film photos from her Zenza Bronica medium format camera. She talks a little about how she initially became interested in photography, and what shooting at the farm was like this past week. Check it out below.

I got into photography in high school. My school offered beginner and advanced darkroom photography classes, and I took both. In the advanced class, you got to go off campus to shoot - which was a huge selling point for me. (what high school student doesn't want to leave during the day!?) But, it became so much more than a free hall pass. I became completely obsessed and spent all of my free time in the darkroom developing negatives and printing images. I purchased my first camera, a Minolta SRT 101 off eBay, found lenses and flashes at a garage sale, and set out to shoot anything and everything. Everything I saw became a photograph. I had countless photo shoots with friends in graveyards, backyards, abandoned houses, and open fields. My (now) husband and I fell head over heels during this sweet time, constantly photographing one another, hoping to be the next Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe (roles reversed).

By the time I went off to college at St. Edward's, I had myself a pretty provocative portfolio. I decided to minor in Photo Communications, so I "wouldn't be stuck photographing weddings for a living" - this was 2007, before wedding photography morphed into the stunning art form it is today, and I might possibly regret that little quote - but basically I didn't want anyone telling me what, when, who or how to take pictures or to have my livelihood dependent on it.

Tower of tomatoes. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

So, I took all of the classes I could during those 4 years and learned everything from digital photography (hate) to large format film photography (LOVE). I shot, and still do, mostly for the love of it. The photos I take are for me, family, and friends to look back on, enjoy, and remember. The occasions where I get to shoot for someone else are a real treat. It brings me back to being a student, just me and my camera, looking for the perfect shot.

The day I shot these images for JBG, it had been raining and terribly humid all day. I drove out to the farm in the early evening, parka on, cameras loaded, nervous about the rain and mud and the pressure to get good images. I was listening to NPR, as always, and they repeatedly played clips from the audio tape of children and parents being separated at the border, with no disclosure warning. Each time those baby's voices rang out, my body reacted with heaving sobs, uncontrollable. I hadn't heard the tapes yet. By the time I got to the farm, I had to sit there in my car for a few minutes, wipe tears away, and regain myself. The rain had stopped but dark clouds loomed, mimicking my mood. I started walking the farm in search of images worth capturing, focusing on keeping my footing in the thick, slippery mud. Image after image, my fingers became less shaky, my feet more certain, and my mind more at ease. The daily pressures of adulthood, parenthood, and politics slowly melted away with each shutter snap and there, covered in sweat and dirt with nothing around me but nature, the hard work of others, and a will to capture it, I felt a sense of peace that has eluded me for what feels like forever.

--Megan Winfrey

Gorgeous bell peppers. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Melon on the vine. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Purple basil. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Zinnias. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Onions curing. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Truck graveyard. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Farm vista. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Big rig. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Peppers. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

It’s summer alright. You walk outside and are marinating in sweat within moments of leaving the house. That summer sunshine serves some serious heat-packed punches, especially if you work outside. We’re looking at you, field crew! After work, you delightfully hop into the car only to be met by the sizzling burn of that sunbaked car-seat leather and a steering wheel that stings even the slightest graze of your fingertips. So, when the heat has us delirious and pressing ice to our foreheads, what do we think about? Well, air-conditioned moviehouses and refreshing and yummy snacks, of course. That’s right, how about just skipping it all, sidling up next to a pal on a comfy couch, and enjoying a flick in a nice, dark, air-conditioned room? Well, lucky you, because this week, we have 10 either farm(ish)-related and/or Austin-related movies for you to enjoy with a curated snack to pair. Check ‘em out below!

Alamo screening at the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Son-in-Law (1993)

When a country, farm girl from South Dakota heads to a hip college in LA, she has some serious culture shock. She is homesick and miserable until she befriends psychedelic party animal, Crawl, who comes back home with her over the holidays and really shakes things up Cali-style.

Watch this movie with Cowboy Caviar! Fresh veggies and beans to mimick the wild, bright garb that Pauly Shore dons throughout the movie meets the corn-farmin’, cowboy lifestyle of South Dakota.

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

Evelyn Couch, a housewife having a mid-life crisis, meets a vibrant, breath-of-fresh-air woman, Ninny Threadgoode, in a nursing home. Ninny’s stories of her past, her community, the Whistle Stop Cafe, and mostly stories of her wild sister-in-law, Idgie, bring Evelyn a fresh perspective and a new lease on life.

Watch this movie with fried green tomatoes. What else? With Farmer Brenton’s authentic Alabama recipe, you’ll feel like you’re sitting in Whistle Stop Cafe with Idgie and Ruth.

Making fried green tomatoes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Take a dive back in time to a more carefree and less populated Austin. Filmed all over town, you’ll see glimpses of all your favorite capital city haunts throughout the movie. Linklater’s coming-of-age classic oozes with summertime - last day of school hazing, rowdy keg parties, and no-good shenanigans of school-free days. Plus, McConaughey as Wooderson is not to be missed.

Watch this movie with delicious french fries made from our Yukon Gold potatoes. These blase high schoolers spend a lot of time cruising around Austin, hitting mailboxes, and grabbin’ burgers at the Top Notch drive-through. So grab a handful of fries because it'd be a lot cooler if you did!

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

Set on the last day of camp in the early 80s, this hilarious comedy shows campers and counselors alike trying to tie up loose ends, make out, and have show-stopping performances ready for the talent show by the end of the day. You wondering how this is farm-related? Well, it's the only movie we know with a talking can of veggies. We love you, Mitch!

Watch this movie with watermelon slices & Tajin or watermelon popsicles. We can’t think of anything more refreshing on a hot day of camp than a simple slice of melon with a splash of Tajin. Take it up a notch and make some ice-cold watermelon pops for some serious refreshment.

Watermelon pops on a hot day. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Man in the Moon (1991)

In Reese Witherspoon’s film debut, she plays a young tomboy, Dani, burgeoning into womanhood with a tight bond to her older sister, Maureen. Farm boy, Court, comes into play and throws the sisters' relationship amiss with their mutual love and lust for him.

Watch this movie with veggie skewers. Inspired by old trucks, wide open porches, and expansive farm landscapes from the movie - we are thinking of summertime cookouts featuring the best of the summer produce (think onions, eggplant, summer squash, and bell peppers) grilled and eaten off the skewer. Perfect for movie-watching.

The Notebook (2004)

South Carolina summers are hot and sweaty just like Noah and Allie’s right-off-the-bat romance. Despite being madly in love, Allie’s high-falutin’ and massively rich parents do not approve of Noah’s socio-economic status. Thus, quite a tale of once-in-a-lifetime love ensues spanning over many years and lots of obstacles.

Watch this movie with potato leek pancakes. A savory pancake inspired by a savory scene from the movie. It’ll make sense after you watch it.

The Parent Trap (1998)

Annie and Hallie are twins that have just met for the first time at camp. Their divorced parents are living quite far apart... their mom is in England designing dresses, and their father is in California making wine. When they split years and years ago, each decided to take one of the kids. The twins decide to switch identities to meet their other parent, and maybe even reunite the family again?

Watch this movie with a Honeydew and Tomato Gimlet. The father of the twins, Nick, owns a gorgeous vineyard that gets you in the mood for a drink. So how about a refreshing cocktail?

Honeydew and Tomato Gimlet. Photo by Rick Cortez.

Field of Dreams (1989)

“If you build it, he will come,” a voice tells protagonist, Ray in his cornfield one night. He decides to act on this message (despite folks questioning his sanity) and builds a baseball diamond in the middle of his fields. Ghosts of great baseball players start emerging to play on his field, and soon he realizes the field is for way much more than just playing baseball.

Watch this movie with POPCORN. Come on, it’s obvious. There’s so much corn in this movie, and popcorn is the quintessential movie food. DUH!

Babe (1995)

Farmer Hoggett wins a piglet at the state fair, and boy does this little one shake things up once he’s at the farm. Border collie, Fly, takes the pig under her wing and teaches him the ins-and-outs of herding. A pig who can herd sheep? Will the rest of the farm hierarchy accept this unconventional hog?

Watch this movie with BLT bites. Okay, okay… bad joke? If meat isn’t your thing, how about a refreshing tomato, cucumber, and avocado salad for a little movie-time snackin’.

Tomato salad with friends! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Chef (2014)

Chef Carl has a culinary vision but works at a fancy LA restaurant with a controlling owner who often stifles his creativity. When Carl has a meltdown, he decides to quit, and head to his hometown, Miami, for some headspace. There he, his son, his ex-wife, and best friend decide to start a food truck and embark on a food-lovers’ road trip/journey across the US (one of the stops being Austin! Hey, Franklins + Guero’s!).

Watch this movie with a Veggie Cubano! This movie is jam-packed with gorgeous and delectable food. You will definitely want to eat or have something to snack on during this flick! What could be more perfect than a Cubano, just like what they serve at the food truck, but with a veggie spin?

Food trucks at the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Get the films queued up and make a snack! ‘Til next time.