Photo by Scott David Gordon

From the Farmer's Perspective: So, You Want to be an Organic Farmer...

Here at JBG, we get a lot of emails from aspiring young people wanting to try their hand at farming, and looking for a place to start. There are so many different paths into farming, and this week I wanted to feature 4 things you can do if you're interested in owning your own farm some day:

1. Try your hand for a day as a farmer.

Did you know that JBG offers volunteer slots at both of our locations - at our Hergotz packing and processing barn, and also at our Garfield Farm, where you can work in our greenhouses or out in the fields. Before you take the next step in starting your own farm, it's important to make sure the lifestyle is one that suits you. Farming is hard work, and more often than not it is extremely un-glamorous. Become a regular volunteer and you'll learn a lot from our staff, who have been doing this for years. We now have Saturday and Sunday volunteer shifts available in our greenhouse!

Our Greenhouse Manager, Brandon, waters transplants for Fall. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Email volunteer@jbgorganic.com to sign up for a volunteer shift and we'll be sure to send you home with lots of organic veggies for you and your family.

2. Intern or work at an organic farm.

One great way to learn how to farm is by taking an internship or apprenticeship at another farm, working side by side for a full season/year with an experienced farmer. Not only does this give you the practical experience of a full gamut of weather conditions, soil preparations, planting, cultivating, and harvesting throughout a season, but by working with someone who has been farming for years, you'll have the opportunity to ask questions and learn from an expert. Your internship will prepare you for paid jobs on other farms to continue gaining experience in agriculture on your way to starting your own farm. Interested in working for a farm here in town? We're hiring for a number of positions at JBG! Check them out here.

When looking for an intern- or apprenticeship, you have a lot of options to consider: Location? Small or large farm? CSA model or wholesale? Veggies, fruit, livestock, or a mix? Urban or rural? There are endless options available to you. Other things to consider - does the farm provide living quarters? Stipend? What is the teaching style of the farmer?

The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) has a wonderful list of farm opportunities, searchable by state, accessible here. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) also has opportunities for short- and long-term farming opportunities all around the world.

Farmshare students harvest lettuce.

3. Enroll in Farm School!

One potential downfall of the apprenticeship model is the lack of dedicated "education" time on the farm -- at the end of the day, there is an endless amount of work to do on most farms, so your education will have to be very hands-on, in the field. This model definitely works for some folks, but for others, it might not be enough to gain a true understanding of the bigger farm ecosystem, or other aspects of a farm such as business development. If you're looking for a slightly more formal introduction to farming, there are a new crop of farmer education programs popping up all over the country - and central Texas is a hotspot!

No doubt by now you've heard us mention Farmshare Austin. This local non-profit has just closed their application process for it's second class of aspiring farmers for a six-month intensive education program in organic agriculture. Don't worry, interested farmers can also apply for their Spring class before January! In addition to the field experience of running an organic farm, Farmshare students are given 200 hours of dedicated classroom education time, covering topics from soil management, to crop planning, to business development.

Austin Community College has also launched its own Sustainable Agriculture program, set to launch this fall with its own dedicated educational farm at the ACC Elgin campus. This two-semester course will guide students through farm an business planning with an impressive set of teachers and lecturers from the Austin farming community.

There are a plethora of other farm schools throughout the country, from the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology to Appalachian State's Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture degree, and many other options between the two coasts.

4. Get started in your own backyard - or a neighbors!

Most of you have probably heard the story by now of my backyard hobby getting out of control, which led to the beginning of JBG as it exists today. I encourage you to start gardening or farming wherever you have the opportunity! This might be in your backyard, on a family member's piece of unused land, or by paying/trading a friend or neighbor (maybe in vegetables!) to use some space that would sit fallow otherwise. Land access is one of the most difficult barriers facing aspiring young farmers today, but don't let that stop you from growing your own food and practicing your growing skills NOW. We'll be here to fill in the gaps to keep your fridge stocked with organic goodies year-round.

To hear more of the farmer's perspective, follow @farmerbrenton on Facebook and Instagram

Flowers soaking up the sun. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The farm looks absolutely great these days! Our fields are filled with a mix of late summer crops like melons, eggplant, and more, while  we are also seeing the first of some fall crops ready while we fill the farm with new transplants. Overall the farm is looking really vibrant. The crews at the Garfield Farm have been hard at work on the transplanter this week; you can see photos of the team putting a new round of Broccoli into the ground in Scott's photos below! Also of note this week we're bringing the first of everyone's favorite -JBG's organic Kale - to the markets this weekend, so be sure you don't miss out!

A Tiger Swallowtail visits our zinnia patch. Photo by Scott David Gordon

This summer has been a great one for colorful flowers! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Zinnia. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Jason and Brandon in the greenhouse. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Young brassica transplant. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We've been very busy on the transplanter this week. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

We're loving the pickling cucumbers this season! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Harvesting cucumbers - and eating a lot to stay cool in this heat! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Have you tried our Red Mustard yet? Photo by Scott David Gordon

We have our work cut out for us. Photo by Scott David Gordon

John gets transplants ready to go into the field. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Sweet potato greens. Photo by Scott David Gordon

A field of brassicas. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Summer squash in the morning light. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Itty bitty zucchini. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Head to markets for the season's first Kale! Photo by Scott David Gordon

We have Lacinato Kale headed to market this weekend as well. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We're harvesting Collards this week too! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Green mustard. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Our summer harvests are still going strong, with beautiful colors on our Sweet Peppers. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Come lend a hang in our greenhouse! Photo by Scott David Gordon

We're excited to announce new weekend volunteer hours at the farm! A ton of requests for weekend opportunities come through our inbox, and with this Fall looking to be one of our busiest yet, we need YOUR help to help us seed for the upcoming season.

Beginning this weekend, we have shifts available from 8am-1pm on Saturdays and Sundays at our Garfield farm! We invite you to come out to our greenhouses and join our farm team for a day. We'll even reward you with some veggies for your time!

Email volunteer@jbgorganic.com to reserve your slot. Hope to see you at the farm!

Adrienne in the greenhouse. Photo by Scott David Gordon

CSA Box Contents Week of Aug 24th

By Megan Winfrey

I love this week's recipe, because its a breakfast, lunch, or dinner-sorta dish. It's also really easy to throw together in a pinch, and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand. Except this time, I didn't have one of the most important ingredients - and egg to fry and put on top. I sincerely apologize for this, because the dish would look A LOT better with an egg on it (but what dish wouldn't?). 

Venison and Veggie Hash

• 1 venison ham, chopped 
• 4 red potatoes, cooked and chopped
• 5 small bell peppers, chopped
• 2 zucchini, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 3 tbs. butter
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tbs. flour
• 1 egg per person
• Salt and Pepper

Heat the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes, onion, bell pepper, and zucchini, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Make a well in the center of the vegetables and add the meat and garlic. Once the meat starts to brown, incorporate everything together and cook for another 5-8 minutes. Add the chicken broth and flour and stir. Let simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken, stirring occasionally.

Once everything is thick and bubbly, turn off the heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Fry the eggs, sunny side up, and serve over the hash. Be sure to take a moment to appreciate the yolk dripping over delicious meat and vegetables before taking that first, glorious bite. 

It's time to pull out your planners and start blocking off dates! The next few months are jam-packed with some exciting farm events for our community -- we're wondering when we're going to have time to work in the fields with all the fun happening!

August 21 - Creative Mornings @ in.gredients

Tomorrow morning, Brenton will be speaking at the Creative Mornings Austin event at in.gredients, East Austin's zero-waste grocery store. He'll go into the history of Johnson's Backyard Garden, as well as his personal life before JBG and some of the factors that led him to becoming a farmer. Don't miss out - photos of Brenton with the original VW bus will be resurfacing!

Tickets to the event are sold out, but you can join the waitlist by clicking here.

August 27 - Ceres Vegetable Society Pop-Up @ Ginny's Little Longhorn

Our friends at Ceres Vegetable Society are at it again - they've teamed up with the folks at Ginny's Little Longhorn, the original North Austin honkytonk, to bring you a summer pop up market next Thursday! Sign up for a mystery box and add ons ranging from locally raised rabbit, mustard & tarragon sausages to grow-at-home mushroom kits.

Pre-order your mystery box and delicious local and artisanal food products here.

A photo Brenton took at Ginny's last week!  

August 29 - Farmer as Artist @ Prizer Gallery

Now in its third year, Farmer as Artist is an annual event hosted by the Prizer Gallery that showcases the creative side of the Texas agricultural community. This year is sure to be a good one, with pieces representing JBG, Boggy Creek Farm, Tecolote Farm, and many more!

The event is free and open to the public, the event page can be found here.

September 27 - Sunday Supper hosted by TRA

Come out to the Garfield farm to join JBG and the Texas Restaurant Association for a celebration of local farmers, chefs and the magic that happens when they come together! We have a group of top local chefs who will prepare samplings for folks to enjoy with craft beer and wine. Proceeds benefit the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas and the Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation.

Tickets to the event can be purchased at the event page, and there are also a limited number of volunteer tickets available here.

October 24 - JBG Hoedown and Harvest Hustle

We had so much fun hosting a 5k fun run at the farm this spring, that we've decided to do it again! Save the date for the JBG's annual Fall Hoedown and Harvest Hustle on Saturday, October 24th. There will be great food and drink, live music, and a full day celebration of our awesome community at the JBG Garfield farm. Hope to see you there!