Garlic stays in the ground all winter, from November to April

1) In Your Box this Week

2) Farm News:

• From the Farmer’s Perspective …. Fabulous Greens
• The Consistency of Change, by Grit Ramuschkat, JBG Resident

3) New South Austin Pickup Location Replacing Brodie/Slaughter THIS WEEK!

4) New Round Rock Pickup Location

5) Updates, Meetings, and  Events

• Johnson’s Backyard Garden Slow Food Farm Tour and Heirloom Plant Sale, March 6th, 13th, and 20th, from 10am to 2pm
• It’s That Time of Year Again!  Johnson’s Backyard Garden Annual Spring Potluck
• Resolution Gardens will Build a Garden for You!
• Intern Donations Requested!
• So Long, Keith; Good Luck Urban Patchwork!

6)Quotable Food

7) Recipes

• Easter Carrot Soup
• Warm Turnip Greens Dip

8) Produce Storage Tips

9) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

A harvest of Red Ace beets

1) In Your Box this Week

Carrots
Turnips
Spinach
Broccoli
Kale
Lettuce
Dill
Green Onions

Avocado from G&S Groves
Oranges and Grapefruit from G&S Groves and Jonas Ybarra

(Jonas’ grapefruits may not be as pretty, but they’re just as tasty!)

2) Farm News:

• From the Farmer’s Perspective… Fabulous Greens
  

We are almost finished planting potatoes at the River Road Farm.  Good thing, too, because our greenhouse is just bursting with transplants ready to go out.  Because we only have one transplanter, we’ve had to give priority to planting potatoes instead of transplanting other crops.  This week we should get back on schedule, though, and the beautiful plants in the greenhouse seem to have perked up in anticipation.  Hopefully with our expansion in the coming year, we won’t have to do this balancing act again.  The snow day last week wiped out a bed of cauliflower transplants, which are more susceptible to the cold than their green cousins, broccoli.  What is doing very well in the field, though:  the leafy greens.  We hope you are enjoying the kale, spinach, and mustard you’re getting in your boxes!  Cooked greens sure are tasty on a rainy day.  And don’t forget that gorgeous lettuce!  As the heads get bigger in our field, so will the amount of lettuce you get in your boxes.  Take notice of the lettuce in your box these coming weeks, and you’ll be able to watch them grow yourself.

Lettuce transplants

• The Consistency of Change, by Grit Ramuschkat, JBG Resident

These human-induced changes tend to catch our attention and often are rather finite (however, again, “finite” is not a term in Brenton’s repertoire). They often scare us a little and sometimes we feel resistant to accept them. However, I do have to say that with change being so prominent at this farm, I feel I have become more flexible and open to change myself.

Then there is nature, which itself is in constant motion. Nature’s changes are more subtle though and tend to quietly sneak up on us. Nature-induced change is cyclical also, and thus, while constantly changing also reoccurring. This steadiness of change tends to comfort us and reassures us that we are part of a bigger picture. In nature, change and consistency become one.

How can we associate fear and resistance with one type of change and reassurance and comfort with another? Could we possibly take the feelings from one and transfer it onto the other, to make it also comforting to us? After all, it is change that propels us, that gets us somewhere (again, look at Brent!). Change is what nature does and since we are part of nature, let’s embrace change into our lives as well!

3) New South Austin Pickup Location Replacing Brodie/Slaughter THIS WEEK!

Beginning THIS Friday, March 5th, Brodie/Slaughter will no longer be a CSA pickup site.  The new site in South Austin will be:

8110 Cattle Drive, Austin, Texas 78749

If you are currently picking up Fridays at Brodie/Slaughter, you do not need to do anything at this time.  You will automatically be transferred to 8110 Cattle Drive for your March 5th pickup.  If you are picking up at a different pickup site and would like to change your pickup location to 8110 Cattle Drive, please call us at 386-5273 or email the office at farm@jbgorganic.com.

4) New Wednesday Round Rock Pickup Location!

Beginning Wednesday, March 10, 1119 Sam Bass Road will no longer be our Round Rock pickup site.  The new Round Rock pickup site will be:

2009 Bent Tree Loop, Round Rock, Texas, 78681

If you are currently picking up Wednesdays at Sam Bass Road, you do not need to do anything at this time.  You will automatically be transferred to 2009 Bent Tree Loop for your March 10th pickup.  If you are picking up at a different pickup site and would like to change your pickup location, please call us at 386-5273 or email the office at farm@jbgorganic.com.

5) Updates, Meetings, and  Events

• Johnson’s Backyard Garden Slow Food Farm Tour and Heirloom Plant Sale, March 6th, 13th, and 20th

Saturday, March 6, JBG is collaborating with Slow Food Austin on a Slow Food Farm Tour and Heirloom Plant Sale.  Come by our farm to tour our greenhouse, fields, and participate in a discussion about organic farming and CSAs in Austin.  Browse through our heirloom Ark of Taste transplants and take some home to plant in your garden!  JBG’s heirloom transplant sale will continue through the first three Saturdays in March from 10am to 2pm.  These three weeks we will also be carrying heirloom transplants at the Downtown Austin Farmers Market and the Sunset Valley Farmers Market.

For two weeks only, current CSA members may order these transplants for pickup at their CSA drop off sites.  This sale will extend from Tuesday, March 9th- Saturday, March 20th.  If you are interested in purchasing heirloom transplants for your pickup during these dates, keep an eye on our web site for available varieties and directions for ordering.  We will send out an email to members once these details are online.

Boston Marrow Squash

• It’s That Time of Year Again!  Johnson’s Backyard Garden Annual Spring Potluck

Saturday, April 10th, Johnson’s Backyard Garden will host its Annual Spring Potluck!  Come join us for live music, great food, tractor rides around the farm, and lots of fun activities for the kids.  We truly believe that our CSA members are some of the best cooks in Austin, so come hungry to this locavores heaven, with tons of locally-raised and prepared dishes.  We’re ready for this year’s potluck to be the best one yet!  JBG will be sending out Evites soon, so save the date and keep a look out!

• Resolution Gardens will Build a Garden for You!

Resolution Gardens will build a garden for you! If you’ve wanted to start growing some veggies in your back yard but haven’t got the time, tools or know-how, give Resolution Gardens a call. They’ll do all the hard work that it takes to get a garden installed including plants, soil, seeds, compost and siding- and then presto! you’re ready to start gardening for yourself.  They can even help you maintain, harvest and re-plant from season to season. From 4×8 Raised-Beds to Yard Farms and everything in between, if you want to grow food, they’ll help!

Resolution Gardens is located at 2205 W 35th Street.  For more info, check out www.resolutiongardens.com.

• Intern Donations Requested!

The interns are on the lookout for kitchen and bedroom supplies for their humble trailers.   Specifically, the interns need a microwave to heat up their lunches, and a washing machine for their dirt-caked work clothes!  If you have any gently used home goods you’d like to donate for our intern housing, please call us at 386-5273 or email Carrie at farm@jbgorganic.com.

• So Long Keith.  Good Luck Urban Patchwork!

Keith just completed his 6-month internship. We'll miss you!

JBG’s charming intern Keith McDorman completed the last day of his internship at the Downtown Austin Farmers Market on Saturday.  Keith is going to begin new employment at the non-profit CSA, Urban Patchwork.  Urban Patchwork supports community gardens and urban, local farms, as all the farmland is within the boundaries of the urban neighborhoods who choose to participate.  Neighborhood residents and businesses host farm plots in their yards in exchange for fresh veggies and other opportunities that reduce cost of living and increase the quality and value of their land and lives.  For more information on Urban Patchwork, visit www.urbanpatchwork.org.

6)Quotable Food

“A good farmer feeds all its animals even the ones that can only be seen with a microscope.” –Jean Paul Courtens, Roxbury Farm Soil Fertility Manual

7) Recipes

• Easter Carrot Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

1 1/2 pounds carrots, cut into 1/4 inch rounds

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 5 to 6 minutes.  Stir in the carrots, broth, ginger, 1 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are soft, about 20 minutes.  Let cool at least 10 minutes.  Using a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth.  Return to pot and rewarm over medium heat.  Meanwhile, whisk the cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form.  Fold in the remaining salt and dill.  Divide the soup among individual bowls and top with the dill cream

• Warm Turnip Greens Dip

5 bacon slices, chopped

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 bunch turnip greens, finely chopped

12 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces

1 8oz container sour cream

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup grated parmesan

Method:

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium high heat 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 Tbsp. drippings in Dutch oven.  Saute onion and garlic in hot drippings 3 to 4 minutes.  Add wine, and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of Dutch oven.  Stir in turnip greens, next 4 ingredients, and 1/2 Parmesan cheese.  Cook, stirring often, 6 to 8 minutes or until cream cheese is melted and misture is thoroughly heated.  Transfer to a lightly greased 1 1/2 qt. baking dish.  Sprinkle evenly with remaining Parmesan cheese.  Broil 6 inches from heat 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.  Sprinkle with bacon.

8) Produce Storage Tips

Spinach, Kale, Collards and Mustard Greens are best stored in a plastic bag or Tupperware in the vegetable crisper for 3-5 days.

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

Our full greenhouse

9) 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