Contents:
1) In Your Box this Week

2) Farm News

• Rainy Days at the Farm
• New Farm Tools – Lister and Fertilizer Applicator
• The Future of Food in Austin
• Gratitude: The State of being Grateful; Thankfulness
• Open House and Potluck – Saturday Oct 17th
  
• Artisan Spotlight – Potter Ron Newsome
• Changes in Delivery Days Planned for October

3) Events

• Outstanding in the Field
  
• Plein Air Austin Painting Group Celebrates Local Farms this Fall
• Toby Hemenway and your Backyard Ecosystem
• Citizen Gardener Gardening Skills Course
• Introduction to Biointensive Food Gardening

4) Quotable Food

5) Recipes

• How to Cook a Spaghetti Squash
• What’s for Dinner- JBG Member Food Blog
  

6) Produce Storage Tips

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

1) In Your Box This Week

Okra
Basil
Spaghetti Squash
Potatoes
Sweet Peppers
Pablano and Anaheim Mild Peppers
Jalapeno and Serrano Hot Peppers
Black, purple, green, white and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Summer Squash

2) Farm News

• Rainy Days at the Farm

Well, our unofficial ground breaking at the River Road farm was delayed due in part to the wonderful gift of rain this week. Yes, the rain can be intrusive to the farmers routine, but it also makes for a nice break in the routine for us. The air has cooled and crops are reveling in the newly found relief from the summer’s heat. While the rainfall has produced a delay in our field work, harvesting must continue. Workshares walked to the fields, carrying their harvest crates, last Saturday. The harvest lanes were flooded and the work a bit on the dirty side. Did I mention fun? Everyone had great fun, it’s like sending a bunch of kids out to play in the puddles.

One workshare asked how much rain can the fields take before the crops begin to suffer? On one hand, none of the plants will do well sitting in water, but our sandy loam soils drain nicely and within a day we had no standing water. Although I couldn’t give her any definitive answer to her question, we had a great discussion in the barn about water conditions in Texas.  I could only give a personal opinion; from my perspective replenishing the local aquifers is the most important outcome of the deluge and that seasonal crops are way down the list of importance when it comes to concerns of ‘too much water’.  Farmers in general play a game with mother nature, betting that she will cooperate and the crops will produce a profit for the farm. Sometimes we lose that bet and crops (and profits) suffer. But this is a short term loss for the farmer. Long term, however, we need the aquifers to be healthy.  I, for one, would willingly deal with a short term crop failure against the long term loss of our water resources.

New Farm Tools – Lister and Fertilizer Applicator

I really enjoy all aspects of managing the operations at JBG.  One task that I particularly enjoy is devising solutions to getting field work done in a timely fashion.  Last week after talking with some other farmers and seeing photos of equipment setups, I decided to work with Timo (our irrigator and mechanic) to make a tool to help us pre-shape our beds and also apply fertilizer at the same time.  By using the tool to do two jobs with one tractor pass….we save fuel and avoiding soil compaction.  Additionally the fertilizer is put exactly where we need it so none is wasted by applying it to the wheel tracks.

A lot of old farming tools are discarded by modern conventional farmers but they are still very useful on our small farm. We always keep our eyes out for tools and recently we found some old listers and gauge wheels as well a toolbars clamps that we could use with our Clampco fertilizer applicator.  This saved us several thousand dollars compared to a new machine….and after a few trial runs and tweaking the machine ended up working really well.  The next step was to then calibrate the machine based on how fast we drive across the field and also based on the type of fertilizer we apply.  Our newest interns, Michael and Keith tested the flow rates and developed a calibration chart for quick reference for future use of the machine. Now the hard part is driving a straight line across the field~ Brenton

• The Future of Food in Austin by Grit Ramuschkat, JBG resident

I’ve been a member of the “Slow Food” Organization for a couple of years and recently started attending the Slow Food Austin monthly chapter meetings, which are quiet good by the way. Marla Camp, Editor of Edible Austin and recently elected Chair of the Sustainable Food Policy Board (SFPB), was invited to speak at one of the recent meetings. The SFPB is a big deal, since there are only about a handful of such boards in existence in the country. The board is an exclusively advisory body to the Austin City Council.

Marla introduced us to the goals of the SFPB and led a brainstorming session on what tasks we’d like to see the board take on. One of the first tasks the board will be working on is to conduct a local food analysis to find out to what extend Austin feeds itself. The goal is to put into numbers, how much food is available locally, what impact do local food purchases have on the local economy and who buys what and where. One unofficial estimate of local food purchases currently is 3 %, an unexpectedly low number I find, considering all the CSA farms that seem to have sprung up in the past years as well as the traffic Austin’s farmer’s markets seem to get. It’ll be great to have a hard number on that. Where will we go from there, then? Wouldn’t it be great, if we could obtain a local food revenue of let’s say 20% or more?

For a moment we were all pondering over what Austin could and could not produce locally. The extend of local food production these days seems to depend more and more on local rainfall or better the lack there of. Indeed, local experts recently suggested to declare the Austin area to be in a permanent state of drought. This would make Austin a marginal food growing habitat. We might not be able to grow our own rice, suggested one of the members in the audience. While growing our own rice or wheat on a large scale seems a little far fetched, one has to question Austin’s capability of growing peaches for example. While it never occurred to me that peaches require a lot of water, it made sense thinking about the juicy flesh we love to bite into. Considering the reputation of Fredricksburg grown peaches and the impact on tourism, this was a quiet shocking “food future thought”. However, I do think that there are many steps that can be taken in between growing or not growing. Growing with less water for example or changing attitudes about how our food has to look… . It becomes clear though, that water preservation has to become a topic in the forefront. The city of Austin made water conservation mandatory this year. Water preservation has to become reality not only for commercial growers but it starts in our own backyard gardens and front yard gardens, too.

What do you think? Can Austin feed itself? To what extent? What are the possibilities and limitations? Please direct your comments to Grit Ramuschkat and we will post them for you.

Members as well as Non-Members can attend the Slow Food Chapter Meetings. They are held the first Thursday on each month from 7:30 to 9 pm at the Habitat Suites.

For more information check the Slow Food Austin website.

The meetings of the Sustainable Food Policy Board are being held the first Monday of each month from 12:30 to 2:30 pm and are open to the public.

For more information on the Sustainable Food Policy Board go to Edible Austin

• Gratitude: The State of being Grateful; Thankfulness, by Keith McDorman, JBG Intern

I’m new here. New to organic vegetable production. New to full-time life on a farm. New to Austin. New to Texas. I’m a new intern here on the farm and I’ve been here for three weeks. What I’m not new to is the art of being grateful. Here are a few things that I’m grateful for:

I work outside every day. I am up before the sun and down after its gone. I am close to the natural, close to nature, I am a part of it. Living in a city makes me forget this. Living on the farm lets me remember. For this I am grateful.

I work with and near an abundance of high quality vegetables that are not tainted by the toxic poisons of human ingenuity. I eat them to my heart and soul’s content. For this I am grateful.

Every day I put my body to use – my legs, my arms, my core, my everything. I am forever exhausted, but in such a good way. For this I am grateful.

Brenton loves what he does. And when he laughs he has a silly giggle. It makes me smile. For this I am grateful.

When it is time to eat breakfast, or break for lunch, Angel says “Breakfast Time” or “Lunch Time” or “Taco Time” or “Melon Time!” He is joyful in all he does. It is such a pleasure to work with him. For this I am grateful.

I work side by side with two full time employees and three other interns. We laugh and talk and sing and eat together as we face each busy day. These people are incredible. I am glad to be around them. For this I am grateful.

Happy is a chicken and she lets us pick her up. She lays eggs all over the place for us to find. Gus is a neighborhood dog that comes over to be pet. Frankie is the farm dog who sprints up and down the farm lanes. There is a peafowl that makes all sorts of peacock noises. I might be getting a kitten. And this all happens in the place that I live. For this I am grateful.

On Wednesday and Saturdays we get to work with an ever evolving crew of volunteers. The positive energy and the conversations and the change of pace (and the occasional cookies) that they bring is delightful and refreshing. For this I am grateful.

Even if I never grow up, I want to be a farmer some day. I am here as an intern on this farm to continue the learning process to bring me a little further on that path. So far it has only been three weeks, but I like what I see.

• Open House and Potluck Saturday October 17th
  

Our Fall Open House and Potluck is coming up soon – we’re planning on Saturday Oct 17th, 3pm till dark. We’ll be sending out an official Evite invitation soon to collect RSVPs. We offering live music, farm tours, and lots of good potluck food. Last time the food was so delicious we had several folks request recipes afterward. So please consider printing up your recipe and bringing it along for others to copy and take home.

• Artisan Spotlight – Beth’s Dad….Potter Ron Newsome

Ever wanted something beautiful yet functional to serve your farm vegetables in?  If so, you’ll have a chance to see Ron Newsome’s pottery on Saturday, November 14 at Clayways on Burnett Road (http://clayways.com).  Ron is Beth’s father, and he and Beth’s mother, Lynn, spent a year living at JBG when Brenton and Beth first moved from here their house on Holly Street.  Lynn and Ron were extremely helpful during this first year, assisting Brenton and Beth with the transition and taking care of the children.

During his stay in Austin, Ron used the studios at Clayways, which continues to carry some of his pieces.

Ron studied for two and one-half years with F. Carlton Ball at Old Town Potters in Tacoma, Washington, and he received a BA from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington at the same time.  Ron and Lynn currently live in Wadley, AL (Lynn’s hometown), where his permanent studio is located.  Wadley, which has a population of 650 people, was recently featured in a story on NPR (click here) to read more, use this link: http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=112493600)  Wadley suffered the loss of hundreds of jobs when Meadowcraft Incorporated, the nation’s largest manufacturer of outdoor wrought-iron furniture, shut down earlier this year.  This closure has devastated the town of Wadley.

Ron continues to create beautiful works despite what’s happening in Wadley. Of his work, he writes:

“I try to make plain pots.  My effort has been to make pots that are useful, quiet and complimentary of a slower pace of life.  They are designed for simple everyday living and use and, if they function as well as I intended, will be pleasing as companions over a long period of time.” All of Ron’s pots are high fire stoneware, and all the glazes are safe.

Brenton and Beth wanted members to know about Ron’s work.  As an individual artisan living in Wadley, AL, there’s little chance members would come across his work on their own.  Unlike corporations with large advertising budgets, individual artisans often rely on word of mouth.  The current economic conditions in Wadley further attest to the importance of these community links.

He has a wide assortment of vases (large and small), bowls, covered dishes, casseroles, pitchers, large salad (or fruit) bowls, cream and sugar sets, condiment trays, plates, tea pots, mugs, tumblers and goblets. If members would like more information or photos please contact Ron at 256-610-0157 or email lnewsome@centurytel.net.  Also, he will be at Clayways (http://clayways.com) on November 14^th (look for details in coming newsletters).

• Changes in Delivery Days Planned for October

Several weeks ago, we asked our Saturday members if they would prefer a pickup on a weekday, and overwhelmingly, those who responded said yes. Therefore, we will gradually begin phasing out our Saturday deliveries starting the second week in October.

We will also be adding 4 new sites and offering pickups on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. All of the current pickup locations will remain the same, but we will add sites in Lakeway, Westlake, Allendale/Crestview, and South Congress. These changes will allow us to increase our membership, shorten our waiting list, and facilitate worker scheduling. In order to make the most efficient use of gas and time, we will group the pickup days by geographical area.

We will work with current Saturday members to accommodate their schedules during our transition by continuing to offer them the same Saturday delivery schedule until November 1st. If Saturday members wish to change before November to a week-day pickup, a Friday pickup will be available at beginning October 9th at the sites listed in the chart below.

TIMELINE:

We will continue to keep everyone updated as we make these changes over the next two months. Please let us know if you have any concerns or questions about these upcoming changes. You can email us at farm@jbgorganic.com or call the office between 7:30am and 12:30pm at 512-386-5273. Also, we seeking volunteers to host pickup locations for Tuesday afternoons at Lakeway, Westlake, Wednesdays in Allendale/Crestview, and Fridays in Travis Heights. Please contact us if you’d like more information about hosting.

3) Events

• Outstanding in the Field

Get your tickets while you still can for the Outstanding in the Field (OITF) dinner here on the farm on September 29th. OITF’s mission is to, ” is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it.” To read more about Outstanding in the Field, please visit their website at http://www.outstandinginthefield.com. We hope you can join us for this wonderful event in September here at JBG.

• Plein Air Austin Painting Group Celebrates Local Farms this Fall

The artist members of the Plein Air Austin group will be celebrating local farms this fall by gathering to paint at several organic Austin-area farms over several weekends. Each “paint out” will begin at 9 a.m. and wrap up by noon. Each event will feature plein air artists working in oil, pastels or watercolor and capturing lively scenes of farm stands and shoppers as well as beautiful old barns, funky tractors or whatever else catches our creative attention.

Artists of all kinds are invited to join us on these paint-outs and need not be members of Plein Air Austin to participate. Or, if you’re an art lover and collector, drop by a paint-out and meet the artists – who knows, you may end up the lucky buyer of a painting as freshly created as your farm stand produce. To let us know you’ll be participating, please visit www.pleinairaustin.org and click on “Calendar”. The artists are excited to celebrate local farms and promote the health, environmental and community benefits of eating locally. Bountiful places and beautiful art go hand in hand!

First stop for “Celebrating Local Farms” will be Boggy Creek Farm on September 12 at 3414 Lyons Road, Austin.

On Sept 19, we will visit Green Gate Farms at 8310 Canoga Avenue, Austin.

September 24, we will paint at Johnson’s Backyard Garden, 9515 Hergotz Lane, Austin.

October 10, artists will paint at Juniper Hills Farm outside Dripping Springs.

About Plein Air Austin: Plein Air Austin promotes painting directly from life through paint-outs, exhibitions, and fellowship benefitting artists as well as the community. It is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization with more than 80 artist members. Learn more at www.pleinairaustin.org.

• Toby Hemenway and your Backyard Ecosystem

September 24, 7 pm. Toby Hemenway, author of the popular permaculture guide, “Gaia’s Garden,” will talk about creating backyard ecosystems. BookPeople, Sixth Street and Lamar Boulevard. www.bookpeople.com (For a schedule of additional permaculture events and classes, visit www.permie.us/ )

• Citizen Gardener Gardening Skills Course

September 26, 8:30 am to noon. Basic gardening skills course presented by Citizen Gardener that includes information on Austin’s growing season(s), climate, soils, plants, as well as guidance on how to raise safe, nutritious food for your family. Bahá’í Faith of Austin, 2215 E. M. Franklin Ave. Register at http://basiccourse9.eventbrite.com For more details on the Citizen Gardener program, visit www.citizengardener.ning.com/

• Introduction to Biointensive Food Gardening

October 4, 9 am to 2 pm Introduction to Biointensive Food Gardening with the nonprofit Green Corn Project. This is a hands-on class that teaches the basics of “Double Digging,” an organic gardening method that builds the soil and produces more vegetables in a small area. Visit www.greencornproject.org/gc/ for class details, and while you’re there, sign up as a volunteer to help dig and plant fall vegetable gardens for Austin’s underserved communities.

4) Quotable Food

“Be fruitful and mulch apply.” Keith Johnson, Permaculture Activist Magazine

5) Recipes

• How to Cook a Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is a good alternative to pasta, potatoes, or rice. The cooked squash flesh shreds into threads like thin spaghetti or vermicelli, hence its name. On average, a spaghetti squash measures about 12 inches in length and about 6 inches in diameter. The squash should be an even light yellow color and firm with no bruises. Store whole at room temperature up to 3 weeks. Spaghetti squash is available year-round with peak season in fall.

Spaghetti squash has a very mild flavor, thus it is usually served with a sauce of some sort. It may also be enjoyed simply with salt and a bit of butter. Cooking the squash is very simple.

You will need:

• 1 spaghetti squash.

• Large sharp knife.

• Baking pan.

• Oven.

• Kitchen fork.

Prick the spaghetti squash all over with a skewer so it will not burst while baking.

Place whole squash in a shallow baking pan. Bake in preheated 375 F oven for 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise with a serrated knife. Scoop the seeds and fibrous strings from the center of the cooked spaghetti squash. Gently scrape the tines of a kitchen fork around the edge of the spaghetti squash to shred the pulp into strands.

Cooked spaghetti squash is usually served with a sauce or gravy because the flesh is very bland in flavor. It may be served alone as a side dish with the addition of salt, pepper, and butter. Any pasta sauce that you can create will be excellent with spaghetti squash.

• What’s for Dinner

Melani Novinger, yet another one of our dedicated CSA members, wrote to inform us that she also has a food blog. Please read on……..

“I wanted to let you all I know that I too have a blog based off of what I get from the CSA (plus other local Austin produce/meat).  I started it about a year ago for some friends who wanted to know what in the world I did with all the produce I was getting, how to make homemade applesauce, and how to make an easy chicken broth.  It has lots of recipes for the CSA vegetables, beef (we got a 1/4 cow from Indian Hills Organics this year), farmer’s market produce, and baked goods (baking is my weakness)—focusing on the whole slow food, “if you know where your food came from it’s better” philosophy.  Thought I’d let you all in on it too.

It’s called What’s for Dinner and you can find it at:  http://melscooking.blogspot.com ”

6) Produce Storage Tips

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

Peppers should be stored in the crisper, and washed before use.

Basil can be stored upright in a jar of water at room temperature, or in an open bag on the counter. These three all do well frozen also (they will loose texture but not taste).

Eggplants and Potatoes are best kept moderately cool, no lower than 50 degrees. A cool, dry dark place is best- on the counter, in a cupboard or basket. Don’t whole store onions in the refrigerator because the moisture is bad for them. Don’t store potatoes near onions. The onions will absorb moisture from the potatoes.

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

Checkout our storage tips on our website for a more complete guide, and of course, feel free to contact us with any questions.

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Information

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

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

e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 5:22 pm and is filed under Newsletters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.