Contents:

1) In Your Box this Week

2) Farm News:

• From the Farmer’s Perspective…
• From Pig to Meat, by Grit Ramuschkat, JBG resident

3) Updates, Meetings, and Important Events

• Wholesale Updates
• Our First Slow Money Meeting
• JBG Accepting New CSA Members
• Stewing Chickens from Ringger Family Farm
• Workshares
• Celebration of Austin Farmers’ Market Move into Republic Square, postponed to January 23rd!
• A Fresh Idea: Screening of the documentary FRESH at St. David’s Episcopal Church

4) Quotable Food

5) Recipes

• Bok Choy Stir Fry
• Lamb Potato Carrot Stew

6) Produce Storage Tips

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

1) In Your Box this Week

Tangerines! (Orange Blossom Farm)
Oranges (G and S Groves)
Carrots – Big Bunches!
Grapefruit (G and S Groves)
Beets
Radishes
Mixed Lettuce
Bok Choy
Brussels Greens
Green Garlic
Broccoli florets

Scallions

Dill

Brussel Sprouts and cabbage coming soon!

**No worries, Orange Blossom and G and S Groves are also certified organic farms!**

2) Farm News:

From the Farmer’s Perspective…

You might say farmers are eternal optimists. If not by personality, then by circumstance. The nature of our work has us constantly looking ahead, unable to dwell on mistakes or misfortunes for too long, because a new task is always pressing. Even now as winter is right on top of us, the crew at JBG is busily planning for the spring, our most productive time of the year. This week, Travis built a greenhouse inside our greenhouse for the nightshades–tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. These heat-loving crops require constant temperatures around 80 degrees. Anything under 50 degrees and problems come up.

Angel, Keith, and the rest of the field crew have been transplanting onions this week and last, which was made slightly more complicated by the rain on Thursday and Friday. First, we were worried the low temperatures at the end of last week would damage or kill our transplants, which aren’t as acclimated to the elements as the older, more established crops. Now, all this rain (5 inches this week) has the potential to wash out the new kids, or may just disable our tractors (we can’t have them stuck in the mud!), which will delay the planting process, or could cause us to lose some transplants altogether. In total, we plan to plant nearly 30 beds of onions, and it’s all pretty time sensitive. The loss of even a day can cause serious interruptions in our schedules. On Wednesday night, the field crew worked until after 6pm to get as many transplants in the ground before the rains made the fields too muddy to work.

On Monday afternoon, the farm got a potato delivery–10,000 pounds! Yukon Gold, Purple Majesty, Red Gold, and Caribe. These yummy storage crops are in our coolers right now. Yes, the farm crew loaded 10,000 pounds of potatoes by hand. The tubers will be planted in the coming week to produce that spring crop everyone looks forward to. This year, I’m sure you noticed, we had fall potatoes, too. What you may not have known, though, is that fall potatoes are quite the accomplishment in central Texas. At least in farming circles. No other growers in this area have grown autumn potatoes on a large scale. We gave ourselves a big pat on the back for that one. Next year we plan on using our own seeds so that we don’t have to get them from an outside source.

Yes, farming in the winter, even in a mild climate like Austin, is difficult. Though it’s never too cold for too long, the variability in the weather makes it hard to stick to a schedule. Especially recently, there have only been a few windows of opportunity every week to get all of our seeding, transplanting, and harvesting done before the weather goes south again and we have to limit our field work. On top of that, the shorter days and lack of sunlight mean the plants just aren’t growing as fast or as big as they do in the summer, when the sun doesn’t set until around 9 pm (don’t you just love summer?).

It’s because of this difficulty that the winter is when we especially appreciate our CSA members. We know the boxes get a little leaner in the winter months, but our members stick with us because they know about the bounty that’s coming. All the hard work we put in now will be returned to us tenfold come April and May. That is the greatness of Community Supported Agriculture. It’s our community–ie, all of you–supporting your local farmer, through thick and thin, through the lean months and in the bounty. It makes all of you a part of team, part of the cyclical process of organic farming. All of us at JBG are very grateful and humbled by your support.

As we were packing our last boxes of the week on Friday (180 of them!), and the standard bluegrass medley was playing on the speaker in the barn, there was so much buzz and activity that we seemed to forget the grey weather outside, and that we were all sopping wet from harvesting and washing that morning. A perfect example of our farm’s ability to lift spirits, even on the dreariest of days.

As it turns out, the perfect outdoor activity for a record-cold Austin winter day is killing a hog. Major benefits are natural refrigeration and no flies!

I prefer to say, harvesting a hog though. Words like killing or slaughtering make something that once was natural to us sound unnecessarily cruel, bloody and harsh. Like a farmer tends to his vegetables he tends to his animals: providing for them the things they need to grow best. The harvest concludes their lives in the fields, however stands at the beginning of their lives on our plates. I want to say that animals and plants have an afterlife and a happy one, too. Arranged on our plates in vibrant colors and ever-changing combinations they bring us joy and nourishment.

As we eat other species, we engage in a relationship. A contract rather. As they give us their life, we give them a good one. Recently though, we humans have fallen short of fulfilling our part of the contract. Happily, this was not the case for the pig we harvested on that cold Saturday in early January.

Our pig spent its last night out under the stars on a thick bed of hay in a little fenced-in area overlooking the pastures of its home.

When we arrived on the farm, we positioned our gunman right next to the pig-pen. For a fast death, the pig must be shot in the head between its ear and eye. To lure the pig into a good shooting position, we threw some food into the pen in the corner closest to the gunman. Our pig, however, was not interested in the food, but instead spent a good long time gazing into the other direction, away from us, out towards the pastures and the raising sun. Then it slowly turned, facing the gunman. It raised its head and chest looking the gunman straight in the eye, telling him, it’s ready for the task that lays ahead. Then it comes, the shot. The bullet cuts through the air like a sharp blade cuts through paper. Before the shot there was stillness, after the shot, there was commotion. We moved fast into the pen to cut the pig’s throat.

As our pig gracefully executed its part of the contract, us and the farmer did the best to fulfill ours. The farmer provided a beautiful life for the pig, raising it on open pasture and feeding it organic feed. We provided a fast and humane death. Later we cut its meat into official cuts, prepared them accordingly, arranged them on a platter with an array of vegetable side-dishes and enjoyed them in the company of our friends.

For more pictures of the hog harvesting day, follow this link (use a little caution.  Some images are a bit graphic):

http://gallery.me.com/stevenmattern#100705&bgcolor=black&view=grid

3) Updates, Meetings, and Important Events

• Wholesale Updates

Our wholesale website is up and running! You can check it out at www.jbgorganic.com/cart. Unfortunately, the extended cold weather has affected our production, so we will not begin wholesale deliveries until late February or early March. In the meantime, though, if you are interested in becoming a customer in the future, set up an account with us. Remember, all new accounts require approval prior to ordering from our web site. Thanks to all who are following along and are interested in becoming a wholesale customer. We encourage you to give us feedback so that we can give you the best service!

• Our First Slow Money Meeting

As you probably know, JBG will be expanding from 20 acres to 70 in 2010. In 2009, JBG signed a contract to purchase 40 acres of an old dairy on River Road, about a ten minute drive east from our current location on Hergotz Lane. This is some of the last remaining farmland in Austin, and we are ecstatic about preserving such a vibrant and fertile piece of Austin’s history. The crew here at the farm spent October and November carefully preparing the soil at River Road, and we are just beginning the first plantings of the new year.

This expansion is generating a lot of excitement around the farm, along with a lot of changes. We are hiring new employees, constructing new buildings, and growing more organic vegetables than ever before. We have also started attending three Austin farmers markets weekly and wholesaling to local markets and restaurants. We are happy taking on this new work, but we need the right infrastructure and equipment to make it all happen. That’s where you, as slow money supporters of JBG, come in.

For more details, come to our first Slow Money Meeting, which will take place next Thursday, January 21st, at 7:00 pm in the farm office (right next to the packing shed). Learn how you can make a significant contribution to the future of Johnson’s Backyard Garden, and the organic food movement in Austin. Please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com if you plan on attending. Also, join our slow money mailing list.

• JBG Accepting New CSA Members

Johnson’s Backyard Garden is expanding, and we are inviting Austin residents to become new CSA members. If you know anyone who loves local, organic vegetables as much as you do, let them know about your CSA membership, and encourage them to look us up! Our goal at JBG is to have a real impact on Austin’s local food chain by providing as many Austin residents as we can with food straight from our farm. So share the news with your friends, family, co-workers, church members, or anyone else you’d like to share fresh, organic veggies with. Word of mouth is our best advertising!

• Stewing Chickens from Ringger Family Farm

The best all natural way to treat the common cold is homemade chicken soup! Get your chickens now from Ringger Family Farm. These chickens are hens raised on pasture, with no hormones or antibiotics, and are chemical-free. Processed with care by the Ringger Family.

These stewing hens are not available in stores, but are what your grandmother used to make chicken soup. They come bagged individually (3-4 pounds) and frozen. Simply store in your freezer until you need one. Put in crockpot overnight with herbs of your choice, salt, and water. Make your soup the next day! Also, the chicken and broth make wonderful chicken enchiladas. We’ll include our favorite recipes upon request. $10 each. Contact ringgerfarm@gmail.com or 923-2053 and inquire about delivery dates for this week. Free delivery in the east or central Austin area for orders of 10 or more.

• Workshares

Due to the rain, we may not be cutting potatoes as soon as we thought. But we will need help soon with this big project. Stay tuned for more information!

• Celebration of Austin Farmers’ Market Move into Republic Square, postponed to January 23rd!

The Austin Farmers’ Market will begin its 8th year in 2010, and with it, a re-launch of all that this premiere market represents in Republic Square Park. Come for the celebration that unfolds January 23rd with double live music, a cast-iron dutch oven cooking demo, fish grilling, Simply Fresh cooking demo, sack races, free cocoa for the kids, tastings galore, trivia hunt with prizes, live music and kid’s patch. The activities will last all day!

When/Where

Austin Farmers’ Market

Republic Square Park

4th and Guadalupe

9am – 4pm

Free parking available

• A Fresh Idea: Screening of the documentary FRESH at St. David’s Episcopal Church

Come out to a screening of FRESH, a documentary about the state of America’s food system, and what all of us can do to support local, organic farming. There will be a discussion after the movie, and Brenton will be giving a short talk. Bring a dish to share, and enjoy eating and talking about organic food with others of like mind.

Friday, January 22, 6:00pm, at St. David’s Episcopal Church, 301 East 8th Street

4) Quotable Food

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” -Virginia Woolf

5) Recipes

• Bok Choy Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds bok choy, plus any other veggies you want to add, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons canola, vegetable or peanut oil

1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

3 tablespoons broth or water (or 2 tablespoons broth/water + 1 tablespoon wine)

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Method:

1. Start by trimming the stem off – don’t trim too much – just the end. Cutting the thick stem off will ensure that the bok choy cooks evenly. Separate out the leaves, keep the tender center intact and clean under running water. Drain.

2. Finely mince garlic and grate fresh ginger with a microplane grater. Grating the ginger helps break up the tough fibers! (and yeah, sometimes when the ginger is nice and fresh, I don’t even bother peeling off the paper-thin skin)

3. Place wok or frying pan on your stove and pour in the cooking oil. Add the garlic and ginger. Turn the heat to medium-high. Let the ginger and garlic gently sizzle in the oil. When the aromatics become fragrant and light golden brown, add the bok choy leaves and all the other veggies. Toss very well to coat each leaf with the garlicky, gingery oil for 15 seconds. Pour in broth, water or wine. Immediately cover and let cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and drizzle a bit of sesame oil on top.

• Lamb Potato Carrot Stew, by Neysa

It’s a tradition for Greeks to have roasted lamb on New Year’s Day as a celebration. This New Year’s, I gave lamb a little bit of a twist by turning it into a stew, and using some of the lovely veggies from our farm. Hope you enjoy!

1 pound stewing lamb cuts

1 pound potatoes or sweet potatoes, quartered

2 or 3 large carrots, chopped

2 or 3 celery stalks (may substitute fennel bulbs or kohlrabi or any other meaty veggie)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, or several stalks of fresh garlic

Beef stock

Olive oil

2 tbsp. Oregano

A pinch of Chili Powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Lightly sear the lamb cuts in olive oil in a shallow pan. Do not cook all the way through yet. As that cooks, begin the soup in a large pot. Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat. When soft, add carrots and celery (I used fennel when I made this on January 1st). Cook for two minutes. Add potatoes and oregano. Cook another 3-5 minutes. Add mostly-cooked lamb cuts (they’ll finish cooking in the soup), then add 8 cups of stock, or a combination of stock and water. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let it cook, uncovered for 35-50 minutes. You’re looking for the right thickness and intensity of flavor, so keep a close eye on it; taste and adjust. Adding a little flour helps thicken the broth a bit. Add chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, with crusty bread.

6) Produce Storage Tips

Store Bok Choy in a plastic bag in your vegetable crisper. Wash immediately before using.

Remove the tops from carrots before storing them in you refrigerator. Greens draw out nutrients from the root.

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

Johnson’s Backyard Garden
9515 Hergotz Lane, Box E
Austin, TX 78742
Office Phone: 512.386.5273
Office Hours: M-Th 8am to 5pm, Friday 8am to 12pm

The farm office is closed 12 pm to 1 pm for lunch.

e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at 2:19 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.