We planted the garden at Lee Elementary this week. Photo by Scott David Gordon

It's the beginning of the school year for many Texas families this month. Our kids are slowly switching gears and getting their heads back in the classroom, and getting used to not spending quite as much time outside as they did over the summer. However I had a fun excuse yesterday to get a few kids outdoors to learn a little bit about growing vegetables at their school, and I had a lot of fun!

Thursday morning, I went to Lee Elementary School where my kids Drew, Ada, and Jimmy attend, to get the students out of the classroom to plant their school garden for the fall! It was great to spend the morning outside with the kids, and I think they really enjoyed it too! While JBG isn't in the business of building or maintaining school gardens (there are a LOT of great Austin organizations helping our community with this), when Principal John Hewlett approached me and asked if I would lend a hand, I knew that it would be a fun opportunity.

Excited gardeners. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We also got to hear from Principal Hewlett about farm-to-school programs and how he's getting Lee Elementary involved! Farm-to-school programs vary greatly in size and scope, and alongside school gardens they are a great way to connect our kids to growing their own food, and encourage healthier choices in the lunchroom. We were excited to announce last week that JBG is now an AISD approved vendor, and we are definitely looking forward to bring farm-fresh veggies into the lunchroom this year. Principal Hewlett had some great thoughts on farm-to-school and I wanted to share some of them with you this week!

JBG: What's the state of farm-to-school programming in Austin?

JH: There's been a big shift lately within AISD, really trying to bring farms into the schools. In the past, there have definitely been elements of that, but the district has made some real gains in that area. The biggest one I've seen recently is a move towards inclusion of that food into our cafeterias. Now we are able, to my understanding, to request JBG produce in the cafeteria!

Planting bok choy. Photo by Scott David Gordon

JBG: Has it been a difficult process to get to this point?

JH: Brenton approached me last year asking who to talk to about becoming a vendor within the school district. I honestly thought it was going to be a much longer process than it has been, which indicates to me that the district is really interested in doing this. I think it really comes from a desire within communities to have that food in schools - that's where it really starts.

JBG: What do you think makes farm-to-school programs important?

JH: There has been a really long-standing desire within our school community to improve the offerings in our cafeteria. We have lots of students who bring their own lunches, and are bringing fresh produce from home into school. To have that same level of nutrition offered in our cafeteria is something that the parents and the district have a big interest in. AISD leadership has been great when I've reached out - for example, Wendi Caudill, who oversees the cafeteria program, worked in conjunction with Lauren Hyatt, our cafeteria manager this year for a made-to-order salad bar! So, there have been these incremental changes, even just in my one year here at Lee, which have been really encouraging.

We also planted lots of romaine lettuce - maybe destined for Lee's salad bar! Photo by Scott David Gordon

JBG: Have you encountered any obstacles in getting healthy, local foods into the cafeteria?

JH: I think everyone is interested in fresh healthy food for kids, but we definitely encounter challenges too - we continue to see that the most popular food is pizza, and other maybe not-so-healthy options. But I really love to order from our made-to-order salad bar, and I try to not order and leave, but sit with some of our kids and talk to them about the food, so they understand that it's there and available for them. It’s a paradigm shift for us and for them -- we aren’t necessarily used to seeing something like that in the cafeteria, but its a change that were really excited to see!

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Principal Hewlett was full of praise for the parents in the Lee Elementary community. He has definitely noticed that parents are introducing their kids to local food outside the classroom, like bringing them to farmers markets, and so  when they see the same local organic veggies in the cafeteria it's already a familiar concept to them! For example, I couldn't believe that some of the kids recognized Fennel and Chard from the transplants we put in the ground this week! Everyone was even really excited to taste test some new veggies when offered. In Principal Hewlett's words, "Out parents to a great job informing their kids about healthy choices outside of school." So thanks, parents, for helping us to raise the next generation to eat locally and organic, and please let us know how we can help support your farm-to-school programs too!

Got an idea for a fun way to bring JBG to your school? Selling CSA boxes door-to-door instead of candy for your next fundraiser? Buying local veggies from the farm for your next school event? We'd love to hear your ideas!

Thanks for having us, Lee Elementary! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Miguel sure looks happy to be harvesting bok choy! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Thank you, Scott David Gordon, for capturing these beautiful images from the farm this week. As you can see, things are VERY green around JBG these days. We've got a slew of Fall crops, especially greens, coming out of the fields, and this week's favorite has got to be this beautiful bok choy. Our greenhouses are full to bursting, and we're keeping busy seeding more fall favorites each week. If you haven't been out to the Garfield Farm recently, you can still sign up for a volunteer spot in our greenhouses 7 days a week by emailing us at volunteer@jbgorganic.com. Hope to see you out there!

Bok choy in the field. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Curly endive. Photo by Scott David Gordon

There is still a ton of transplanting to do. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Fields of green. Photo by Scott David Gordon

The curly kale is looking great out there! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Curly kale harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Getting ready to transplant. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Bok choy ready to go in the fields. Photo by Scott David Gordon

A volunteer seeding at our Garfield farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We're still offering volunteer spots in our greenhouses 7 days a week! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Birds watching us work from the pile of tomato cages. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Greenhouse Manager Brandon waters transplants outside our greenhouses. Photo by Scott David Gordon

The greenhouses are especially full this time of year. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Sweet potatoes have started rolling in. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We still have an abundance of summer crops like these banana peppers too. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Tomato stakes coming out of the field really makes it feel like Fall around here. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Brenton went to Lee Elementary to help the kids put in their fall gardens this week. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

3 bits of reading from around the web for you to check out this weekend... enjoy!

Ever feel overwhelmed on your CSA pickup day? Unsure of how to tackle that mountain of produce? Well, our friend Rachel Johnson breaks it down for you on Cooking Light this week, and we thought her explanation was so great we wanted to share it with you!

NCAT's Southwest Office in San Antonio just released its Feasability Study for a Texas Organic Food Hub. We are highly supportive of this effort of NCAT and the USDA to promote and accelerate the growth of organic farms in Texas.

Scott James is going to be setting up his typewriter and writing poetry at JBG's Fall Hoedown this year - check out his Instagram for a preview of his project! The Hoedown, set for October 24th, is only 5 weeks away and we couldn't be more excited!!

By Megan Winfrey

The weather is changing, and the most glorious of all seasons is upon us! I know, I know...we don't get to REALLY experience Fall here in Texas, but any reprieve from the heat, even if only for a few days, is much welcome and celebrated. 85 degrees? Give me a chai latte, leggings, and comfort food. After making this week's recipe, I've had all of those things today - and I'm feeling pretty good about it.

Smothered Okra over Rice

• 2 tbs. butter
• 3 slices of bacon, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
• 3 small JBG bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, roughly chopped
• 2-3 lb. okra, trimmed and sliced to 1/2" thickness
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand (see photo)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup white rice
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Heat the butter over medium in a dutch oven or deep skillet. Add the bacon and cook until the fat renders. Add the garlic, onion, bell peppers, and celery and cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until okra is tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.



Prepare the rice according to the packaging. I always do 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water, and a pat of butter. Bring to a boil, stir, cover, reduce to low, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat but keep the lid on for another 10 minutes until all the moisture is absorbed.

Serve the smothered okra over the rice, garnish with celery leaves if desired.

CSA Box Contents Week of Sept 14th

Photo by Scott David Gordon

From the Farmer's Perspective: A JBG Playground and Farm to School

As many of you know, I really love art, and I’m always trying to find new ways to create space for artists on the farm (by the way - this Saturday is your last chance to check out Farmer as Artist at the Prizer Gallery!). I’ve also had a dream for a long time to create more community space at our farm, to make events like our spring and fall hoedowns an even more exciting place to bring the family. This week I wanted to let you in on a big project I’ve been working on - plans for a playground at the Garfield Farm!

With all of the seeding and planting and building going on at the farm, you might be wondering where I’m finding the time to think about things like a playground. I promise I’m not trying to do too much, but these sorts of things just seem to track me down! I have a funny knack for accidentally networking, and it seems like several times a week I connect with people by accident, and am inspired to take on new projects without seeking them out. Really! Remember how I went to see the Grateful Dead play in California? Well, on my road trip back to Austin, I met someone who put me in contact with a man named Mark Hemphill, who lives in Atlanta. While Mark and I haven’t actually met yet, we’ve certainly been in contact, and he’s a really creative guy! Right now he and I are collaborating on a design for a farm playground made from reused tractor tires, and I’m excited to share the beginnings of the project with you.

I've been working with Mark Hemphill to visualize the re-use of some of our old tractor tires!

While this was just starting to take form, I made another really interesting connection at the farmers market a few weeks ago. I ran into a man named Paul Clarence Oglesby and his wife, and found out about Paul's sculptural art. Paul works in concrete, and creates some really amazing forms and spires - I was amazed when I saw them! Paul also has a strong horticultural background, and a really neat permaculture garden at his house in Austin. It seemed like too perfect a coincidence! So, I’m working with Paul to plan for a project at the Garfield Farm - I was thinking we could integrate this work in with the kid’s playground! Between the recycled tires, Paul’s work, and of course some old vintage playground equipment, this playground is going to be a blast.

An example of Paul Clarence Oglesby's work.

While I don’t think we’ll have the playground ready for the Fall Harvest Hustle (October 24th is coming up soon! Have you saved the date yet?), maybe we’ll have it ready for the kids by Spring. If you have any ideas for our newest project, be sure to drop us a line.

We have another piece of great news for your kiddos this week, one that is sure to make school lunches a little more exciting. JBG has been approved to be an official vendor for the Austin Independent School District!! We are incredibly grateful and excited to be pairing up with Austin’s schools to provide fresh produce from a local farm. AISD parents can help us out by calling or writing to your school administration - let them know that you would love to see JBG on the menu! A huge thank-you to AISD for raising the standard on school nutrition programs and allowing us to feed the next generation of change-makers. You can find out more about how AISD is improving school lunch by visiting their website.

Growing healthy kids!

This yellow squash could be making it's way into your child's school lunch this fall! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Now, with all of this said, I’ve got a ton of projects I’ve got to get moving on - we are hoping to finish a 12,000 square foot shade house by next week among all the other things! Be sure to say hi at one of our weekend markets - we’ve got a myriad of produce coming out of the fields right now. After a really challenging Spring and Summer, the farm is looking absolutely beautiful and I am so proud of the produce we are bringing to market - especially all of the new Fall greens coming in!

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

This week we have a beautiful photo series to share with you. James, from the JBG barn crew, recently visited Cuba, where his partner Molly has been documenting a number of Cuban farmers for her studies on DIY culture within the country. We sent James with some JBG gear to trade, and they came back with some incredible photos and stories to share with us!

When the United States, amidst communist fears, instituted its trade embargo against Cuba in 1960, the country relied on the Soviet Union as its trading partner. When the Iron Curtain fell, however, and the Soviet Union dissolved, Cuba lost access to much of the machinery and pesticides it had depended upon. Despite this, the country met the economic and agricultural turmoil head on and in the end emerged as one of the world’s leaders in efficient and organic farming.

While photographing and studying DIY (Do It Yourself) culture in Cuba, I visited farms across the western half of the island meeting farmers and learning about their (amazing) solutions to these resource shortages. Having James along for the ride allowed for some fantastic cultural exchange and great conversation about – you guessed it – vegetables. We left a little piece of JBG with each of these farmers and returned with a wealth of knowledge and some great memories. Here are a few of our favorites:

This is Tony, who helps run his family-owned farm, Finca Acroecologica El Paraíso. Using biofertilizers, produced by insects and animals like geese and rabbits, the finca generates enough vegetables and fruits to feed Tony and his wife, Rachel, their large family, and the flow of visitors that comes to the on-site restaurant for lunch and dinner daily.

When I first visited the finca, I gave this JBG bag to Rachel, who operates the restaurant. James was wearing his JBG shirt when we returned, and she immediately recognized it. Before serving us one of our best meals in Cuba, Rachel ran to the back to show us that she is still proudly toting the bag around Viñales.

This is Esteban, a young campesino in the Valle de Viñales, who lives on his family farm and works both tending to the land and taking care of the horses. The Valle de Viñales is “off-the-grid” and instead operates on solar energy. Many farmers like Esteban have houses outfitted with solar panels.

Esteban lights a cigar, homemade with local tobacco. Viñales is located in the Pinar del Río province, which is known for its tobacco, growing 70 percent of Cuba’s much-coveted crop. Almost all of the tobacco grown in Cuba is organic.

It’s important to stay hydrated in Cuba’s almost unbearable heat (especially in August!) so Esteban scaled a tree and before we knew it, we were all sipping fresh coconut water. Baracoa, a town in eastern Cuba, is considered the coconut capital, but we were plenty happy with these fruits from the west.

Meet El Negro, a self-sustaining farmer who lives deep in the Valle de Viñales harvesting fruits, vegetables, and coffee among other things. El Negro stands in front of his newly built house, which he constructed with his own two hands and the help of some neighbors.

One of El Negro’s largest crops is yuca (or cassava). Photographed here, El Negro has just harvested young yuca. Generally, this root is not harvested until a year or so after planting. El Negro and Esteban return to El Negro’s house from a visit to the fields to check on the crops. With fertile soil and the right climate, the Valle de Viñales is a rich agricultural area, growing everything from tobacco to bananas and beans.

After buying some mangoes from this kind man in the Valle de los Ingenios outside of Trinidad, he invited me to share some fruit with his friends, all of whom grow their own food. They loved looking at the array of vegetables that JBG grows and comparing their harvests.

For fun, I have also added a picture of this young boy in the streets of Habana Vieja. We gave him and his friends JBG stickers. They asked about the meaning of “JBG” and then ran around holding their stickers up in victory.

Thanks so much for sharing your adventure, Molly and James! Molly Mandell is currently a student at the University of Texas performing independent research for her thesis in the department of American Studies. You can see more at www.mollymandell.com. Hope you enjoyed her photos as much as we did!