Harvesting baby arugula. Photo by Scott David Gordon

August is always a period of transition here at the farm. All of the crews are still working hard to harvest summer's abundance - melons, eggplant, and even some warm-weather greens are some of the favorites coming out of the field this week - but the focus has started to shift towards the upcoming Fall season. I love to plan for the future on the farm, and I always have big dreams for what we're going to do next. Here's what we've been doing this week:

Remember those grapes we planted back in March? Well, this week we are building our trellis, and man, this is a BIG project. Our new mechanic jumped right into a busy first week of work cutting 600 steel pieces for the new trellis. And that's just the first step of the process! Next we will drill holes in the metal, attach them to their posts, string cordon wire between the posts, and then train the grapes up! When I first planted these grapes, I didn't think about all the work that would go into creating the vineyard. As a farmer, you have to be an eternal optimist - I like to envision the end goal of a project without worrying about the obstacles along the way - sometimes you just have to jump right in and learn as you go! Luckily, we have some top-notch crews here at JBG who can make my big dreams a reality and I'm grateful to them this week.

We're building a Geneva Double Curtain trellis for the grapes we planted earlier this year.

Crop planning for Fall is another project that's been a focus for our time and energy at JBG this week. This spring and summer brought some of the wildest weather we've seen in years, and the floods definitely had an impact on our Summer crops. But I can feel that this is going to be the best fall yet! We're starting to transplant Fall brassicas - cauliflower, broccoli, collards, etc., and it feels like we are ordering seeds like crazy right now! Brandon and Adrienne in the greenhouses are working overtime, and we might even have some Saturday volunteer shifts coming up in the greenhouses - stay tuned!

Especially at times like these, I am grateful to farm for such a supportive community. It's the commitment of our CSA shareholders that helps us pay for these seeds, tools, inputs, and labor upfront, before our harvest, in order to make the Fall season happen at JBG. This is what Community Supported Agriculture is all about. If you've been thinking of joining our CSA or know someone who has, now is the time of year when your membership can make that extra difference in helping support your local farm. We're offering the first box FREE for new members with the code VEGNOW at checkout. I hope you will join us!

Brandon in the greenhouse. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We're all feeling a little cooler after that Thursday afternoon rainstorm! The field crews were all grateful for the short break from their work as well. This week we're harvesting more Summer bounty while beginning to seed and transplant loads of your favorite crops for Fall. We've got some lovely greens available this week as well as you'll see in the photos below. Enjoy!

Zinnia. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Baby arugula is an August favorite around here. Photo by Scott David Gordon

The sunflowers sure are getting tall! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Eggplant harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

The eggplant is thriving despite the hot weather. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We've still got loads of sunflowers! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Arugula is back! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Montana seeded our first fall Cilantro this week! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Cilantro seed. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Montana on the tractor. Photo by Scott David Gordon

It's going to be a great Fall season at the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Our zinnias are doing great, especially after Thursday's rain. Photo by Scott David Gordon

A honeybee visits our flower patch. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We're starting to see greens again at the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Look for red mustard at markets this weekend! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Harvesting mizuna. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Our first Fall successions are in the ground! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Sunflower harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We can't get enough of these sunflowers. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Building a shade structure at the Garfield farm will allow us to grow more nursery stock like figs and grapes. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Putting in the posts for our new shade structure. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Harvesting malabar spinach. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Papalo and arugula growing - so much green! Photo by Scott David Gordon

 

By Megan Winfrey

I just love the colors in this week's recipe. So fresh and vibrant! Too bad the colors don't hold out too well after baking - but hey, it makes the preparation all the more enjoyable! This is a simple, delicious dish that pairs equally well with red meat or chicken, or could also serve as a main vegetarian course. Enjoy!

Purple Potato and Summer Squash Casserole

• 10-15 purple potatoes, sliced long-ways
• 5-6 round summer squashes, sliced into rounds
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 17 oz. box of tomato soup (I used Pacific Naturals)
• 2 cups grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese (or a blend of both)
• Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350ºF

Put a layer of tomato soup into the bottom of a small-medium casserole dish. Start with the sliced potatoes and make a single layer on top of the soup. Next, make a layer of squash slices. Next, sprinkle a layer of sliced onions and chopped garlic. Top with salt and pepper & a 1/2 cup of cheese. (1 cup of cheese will go into the layering, and 1 cup will go on top)

Start again with a layer of soup and repeat that process until the vegetables and soup are all utilized. Top with the remaining cup of cheese, cover with tin foil, and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the tin foil for the last 10 minutes of baking, for a total of 1 hour in the oven.

Let cool for about 10 minutes and serve!

CSA Box Contents Week of August 17th

We have fresh-cut organic flowers! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Interested in working on an organic farm? Consider joining our amazing team!  We are looking for a Farm Administrator, a Tractor Driver, a Farm Handyman, and a Wholesale Packing Crew member. Click here to see a full listing of these jobs and requirements.  Thank you!

Early morning okra harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

This week has been a hot one!   As our photographer, Scott David Gordon knows, the best time to be on the farm is in the morning.  He arrived just as the sun was coming up to capture images of the okra harvest.  The good news is, despite the heat, our crops are doing well, and we are in full production mode in our greenhouse preparing for fall planting.  And, as you will see from Scott's pictures, our fall tomato plants are looking good - we've been busy getting stakes in the ground to support them as they grow taller.  Hope you all are finding a way to stay cool in this August heat - fall will be here before you know it!

The sun coming up over the okra fields. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Okra reaching for the sky. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Just harvested okra. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Fall tomato plants ready to be staked. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Tomato plant closeup. Photo by Scott David Gordon

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

Just harvested bok choy. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Basil closeup. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Adrienne gathers transplants for Fall planting. Photo by Scott David Gordon

And those sunflowers are still going strong! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Here's parting shot of this week's sunflower harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Yes, you!  Farmshare graduated an amazing group of students this Spring, and now they are gearing up to start their second class of organic farmers-in-training.   They've launched an Indiegogo Campaign that will enable them to complete their campus and give students the best possible experience - we hope you will give them a hand by clicking here.

This is a crowd-funding campaign, so support is needed at any level from as many people as possible.  This means you!  Please give and please spread the word.  And this year, they have some amazing perks to thank you for your contribution - click here to see them all.

Farmshare Austin is an innovative 501(c)3 that envisions a future of resilient local food economies that provide farmers with livable incomes, value the resources needed to farm, and ensure organic food access.