CSA Box Contents Week of July 20th

Harvesting under blue July skies. Photo by Scott David Gordon

As I mentioned last week, I am very excited to be finally moving ahead with the construction of the new barn at the Garfield farm. Once built, this new facility will allow us to consolidate all of our operations in one location. This is huge because it means we won't have to transport our harvests from Garfield to Hergotz for washing and packing. It also will bring all of our staff together making it easier to work as a team. The only downside is I will have a longer commute in the morning! I have gotten used to getting up, grabbing my coffee, and taking a short walk to the office to check in. The good news is I won't have to be driving back and forth all the time - for that, I'd trade my early morning walk to the office any day.

In anticipation of this big change, we are also taking another close look at our organizational structure. At JBG, I like to think we operate inside of a process of continual improvement (most of the time!), and right now, we are focusing on refining job descriptions and identifying the gaps for which we need to hire. I imagine that soon, we will have new positions that need to be filled.  So, if you are interested in working with us, make sure you stay tuned to the blog and keep checking our jobs page at https://www.jbgorganic.com/jobs.

I have to say, with the new facility in place, the Garfield farm is going to be an even better place to work - it looks beautiful out there. I gave a tour of the farm earlier in the week to the Southwest Region Produce Team of Whole Foods Market, and I think they, too, liked being out in the fields. Various Whole Foods teams visit JBG throughout the year, and I always look forward to these tours. It's amazing to me that, despite how big they've grown, this local market still takes the time to visit our farm several times a year. I also have to thank them for letting us use their stores as pickup sites for our CSA members. This is extra work for them - and they certainly don't have to do it - but they take it on because they want to support us as a local farm and the CSA model as well. I am very grateful for their efforts on behalf of JBG. Thank you, Whole Foods - I can't wait to see you out at the farm again.

Photo by Scott David Gordon

CSA Members - Customize Your Boxes Now!

And CSA members - I wanted to make sure that everyone was aware that our CSA box customization feature is fully up and running! What this means is, each week, you can swap out up to two vegetables you don't want for ones that you do. For example, let's say you don't want beets or okra. You can now swap them out for two vegetables on our swap list - you get to choose!

I love the CSA model, but I also know it can be hard on families if there are vegetables you (or your kids!) just won't eat. With this system that allows for up to two trades, we are giving the traditional CSA model just a little more flexibility. You will still be eating in season and eating locally but with more choice. In the long run, it will also help us know more about our community's preferences as we can then take the information garnered from your swaps and use it with our crop planning.

Also, one more thing: our current model of customization requires you to make changes each week to your box within a small window of time. The window of time is short because we need to communicate the daily harvesting needs with our field crew; after a certain point, they won't be able to get it done in time (see below for the specific time windows).

HOW TO CUSTOMIZE:

1. Login to your JBG account during your customization window (see chart below) at jbgorganic.com (If you forgot your password, you can reset it or give us a call or e-mail to reset!). 2. Click on the button that says "customize this delivery". (If the button doesn't show up, that means it's not your customization time window). 3. Choose two items you don't want and swap them with two items that you do from our swap list! Enjoy!

IMPORTANT: In order to meet the demands of our harvesting schedule, these swaps must be done within a short window of time each week. The customization window will open for all members Saturday at 1am. This gives us time to determine, based on what's happening in the fields, what will be available for harvest and to post this on our site. The customization window, as shown in the chart below, will close depending on your pickup day. So, those who pick up earliest in the week will have the shortest time to make changes. While this is not ideal, it lets us harvest the freshest possible vegetables for you and still allow for customization.

Pickup Day & Location   Customization Opens - Customization Closes

Tuesday Delivery & Pickup             Saturday 1AM-Sunday MIDNIGHT

Wed. Delivery & Austin Pickups    Saturday 1AM-Monday MIDNIGHT

Wed. San Antonio Pickups             Saturday 1AM-Sunday MIDNIGHT

Wed. Houston Pickups                    Saturday 1AM-Sunday MIDNIGHT

Thurs. Delivery & Austin Pickups   Saturday 1AM-Tuesday MIDNIGHT

Thurs, Fri, & Sat Dallas Pickups      Saturday 1AM-Monday MIDNIGHT

Fri Delivery & Austin Pickups          Saturday 1AM-Wed MIDNIGHT

Sat & Sun Market Pickups                Saturday 1AM-Wed Midnight

Check your inside label when you get your next CSA share to see how our crew sees the customized contents. If you tried to customize, but there was a hiccup in the process, please shoot us an e-mail at farm@jbgorganic.com.  Thank you and hope you are enjoying this customization feature.

Melon harvest toss. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We've got a whole lot of melons coming in!  Check out these images Scott David Gordon of the harvest and of all of the new planting we are doing.

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

New planting. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Rows of squash. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Zucchini in the field. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Squash harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

By Megan Winfrey

Last week, I decided to make pickles out of the bounty of cucumbers I'd received. I wasn't planning to blog about it, because my pickle recipe isn't anything to write home about. But upon discovering that I didn't have salt (and I wasn't about to wake the baby for a grocery run), I had to improvise. And that, I thought, was worth a blog post.

ACV Pickles

Canning Jars

Pickling cucumbers (the short, fat ones)

Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother

Additions such as:

Garlic

Sliced Peppers

Peppercorns

Dill

Red Pepper Flakes

This one is super easy, folks.

Cut the ends off the cucumbers and slice into rounds or spears.

Pack your jars with the cucumbers and any of my suggested additions.

Fill the jars to the brim with ACV.

Put the lids on tight and refrigerate for 3 days.

I thought these turned out FANTASTIC! A little intense for some, sure - but I'm a die hard fan of pickles and ACV, so it worked for me. ACV has endless health benefits and these pickles are a great way to get your daily dose without drinking it straight. I'll be using mine with pulled pork sandwiches and tuna salad!

CSA Box Contents Week of July 13th

Recently, I took a little trip to California.  Actually, it wasn’t so little since I drove all the way there (and back!) in a 1970 VW bus.  Also, the journey was a pretty significant one because it took me back in time – and not only because of the bus.  The reason I drove was to meet up with old friends to see the Grateful Dead play again.

As many of you know, I used to be quite a Deadhead, and in my younger years, I followed the Grateful Dead around as they toured the country.  To support myself, I made and sold grilled cheese sandwiches out of my – you guessed it – VW bus.  So, when I heard the band was going to play again, I knew I had to go.

I guess I could have just taken a plane, but I couldn’t resist the idea of driving in a VW bus one more time.  I figured, this might be my last chance.  So, I looked on Craigslist and found a red beauty from 1970.  It was love at first sight, and that bus ended up doing an amazing job on the road.  And, I even used it as a kitchen to sell grill cheese sandwiches again!  Believe it or not, I made enough money to pay for the whole trip.  The only trouble I had was five (yes, five!) flat tires, but, one by one, I replaced them all.

There is something about hitting the open road that’s amazingly freeing.  For me, it's pretty hard (nearly close to impossible) to leave my worries about the farm behind, but this time, I focused primarily on the road ahead of me.  I was able to do this only because I know I have such an amazing staff – really, the best.  I have to thank them for allowing me to take this journey - it is because of all of you that I had the confidence needed to step away for a couple of weeks.

I have to say, though, by the end of the trip, I could feel the farm pulling me back like a magnet.  That trip was incredible – I can’t even describe how much fun it was.  But for me, there really is nothing I love to do more than farming, and I am glad to be back.   There is one thing, though, that I’ve kept with me from my journeys, and that’s the VW bus.  I can’t stop driving it, despite being back at work.  I think my old truck is probably feeling a little neglected right now as it hasn't moved from the driveway since my return.  I've even put farm plates on the VW bus, making it an official farm vehicle!  
I figure, what better form of transportation for a local Austin farmer?  If you see me driving around town, be sure to wave!

When I first went out to the Garfield farm after my return, I was amazed at how incredible the fields looked.  Really.  It feels like the tide is finally changing after the struggle we went through following all of that seemingly endless rain.  We suffered a fair amount of damage in terms of decreased yields; plus, all of that water washed away much of the fertility we added.   But now, it seems things are looking up.

And I have even more good news: this past Wednesday, our plans for the new barn at the Garfield farm have been approved!  We can now start construction on what has been a lengthy process.  Those of you who read this blog know that I have been trying for years to build a new barn here - it’s hard to believe we are actually going to break ground!  This will be such a huge improvement for our farm as we will finally be able to consolidate our operations in one location.  Right now, we grow the vast majority of our crops at the Garfield farm but then wash and pack them at our Hergotz location.  Having everything in the same place will increase our efficiency and bring all of our staff together.  I can’t wait!

So, while I’m grateful (yes, grateful!) to have had the chance to take to the road to see the Dead again, I’m even happier to be home.  For me, there is nothing like being back in the fields.  I guess I really am a farmer at heart.

Beautiful fields. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Our fields are looking good out there - and full of lots of summer favorites including tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, and squash.  This week, we've also been harvesting arugula and malabar spinach.  As always, thanks to our crew for all of their hard work out there.

Onestino & Juan work on the arugula harvest. Photo by Scot David Gordon

Arugula close-up. Photo by Scott David Gordon

View of arugula harvest from above. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Carrot harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Melons! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Watermelon! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Yellow squash & blossom. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Pepper on the vine. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Shaping new beds. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Malabar spinach. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Okra. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon