Barn Crew staff, Andrew Thompson and Andrew Fry went out to represent JBG at the Dave Matthews concert!

Guess who contacted JBG about buying some of our vegetables?  Dave Matthews!  Along with REVERB, he and his band have this great program that supports both local farms and local food banks.  Here's how it works - when concert goers buy a custom Dave Matthews Band Naglene bottle for a $10, that $10 is used to buy vegetables from a local farmer.  Then, these vegetables are given to an area food bank.  We feel very lucky that the Dave Matthews Band chose JBG during their stay in Austin, and we were thrilled that the vegetables they purchased all went to the Capital Area Food Bank.   What an amazing idea!  To read more about the Dave Matthews Band REVERB Farm to Family Drive, just click here.

And in the audience that night - JBG staff member, Misty, and her husband, enjoying the tunes of the Dave Matthews Band!

By Jessye Hipp

Looking for a vegetarian option for your next party? These Fiesta boats are the perfect fun (and delicious) choice.

Fiesta Veggie Boats

Time: 45 mins Serves: 2

-1 medium-large zucchini, halved and seeded

-2 small (1 large) leek, diced into half moons, light green and white parts only

-salt & pepper

-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

-1 tbls olive oil

-1 small (1/2 large) carrot, peeled & diced small

-1/2 cup black beans, drained & rinsed

-1 tsp ground cumin

-1/2 tsp chili powder

-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

-non stick spray

Garnish:

-guacamole

-salsa

-sour cream

-fresh cilantro

-lime juice, freshly squeezed

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Put the chopped leek into a medium bowl with cold water; allow to sit for 5 minutes to allow the sand and grit from the leeks to fall to the bottom of the bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small sauté pan over medium high heat, warm the olive oil. Gently drop in the leeks with a slotted spoon, draining off as much of the water as possible.

Add the red pepper flakes, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook until the leeks are soft, about 7 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, and allow the leeks to caramelize, about 10 minutes.

Add the carrot, cook for another 7 minutes until they are beginning to soften.

Add the black beans, and cook for 3 minutes until the beans are warmed through.

Transfer the bean mixture to a separate bowl. Allow to cool slightly.

Add ½ of the grated cheese, mix well.

Transfer the zucchini halves to a baking sheet that has been coated lightly with non-stick spray.

One spoonful at a time, stuff the bean mixture into the zucchini halves.

Top with the remaining shredded cheese, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes and the zucchini is cooked through and the cheese is bubbly.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then garnish with which ever toppings you prefer! Enjoy!

CSA Box Contents Week of May 11th

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Over the weekend, I had an epiphany.  Where it happened is no surprise - I was on a tractor in the field.  What was atypical was the time of day as it was after midnight on the past Friday.  Who plows their fields so late at night?   Not me, usually, but that night turned out to be far from usual.

The thing is, I had the tractor over at Hergotz Lane for the weekend, and come Monday, I knew I would have to send it back to the Garfield farm. I was already up late on Friday, so I thought, why not do it now? That way, I figured wouldn’t have to worry about getting it done over the weekend.

So, around midnight, I set out to till our cover crop back into the soil.   It was simply beautiful out there in those fields, and the night air was pleasantly cool.  And it was quiet – that is until I turned the tractor on.  Once it started running, I put on my headphones to listen to String Cheese Incident.  I was working into the wee hours, but I couldn’t have been happier – a lone farmer on his tractor listening to music.

It turns out, I wasn’t as alone as I thought.  As the night wore on, I began to encounter other creatures.  First, I saw a family of deer. I turned my tractor off and took off my head phones and just looked at them until they moved on.  About an hour later, I saw something that took my breath away.  It was a lone male coyote.  With its white fur, large stature, and big tail, at first I thought it was a wolf.  I couldn’t believe how pretty he was, and, again, I stopped my tractor to watch him.

When the coyote was gone, I got back to tilling the fields, but I kept the image of him in my mind. He was so striking.  I was hoping he would reappear and kept my eyes open for any movement.  That’s when I saw the third animal from a distance, but I wasn’t sure what it was.  I got a little closer and saw that it was a wild boar.  Let me tell you, this was no skinny little hog – it looked like it weighed over 300 lbs, and its head appeared to be about two feet long!  I stared in amazement.

There’s so much we don’t see once nightfall comes.  This is especially true for people who live closer to the city center.  We go about our days oblivious to most of the nature around us.  I suspect this is the way the animals want it, given all the harm we humans can cause. Often, we don’t consider how our actions will affect the other living things around us.  That night, though, I had the very real feeling of being part of something larger than myself.  As I looked at those beautiful animals, I thought, this is their home, too - it isn’t just my land.

When I was back in college and super idealistic, I used to think a lot about the interconnectedness of animals and people.  I remember stating that I didn’t think I was any better than other species.  A true Dead Head, I used to say that we are all one – the people, the animals, the environment.  Now, as an organic farmer, I know that I cannot live in complete harmony with nature - the very act of planting a field creates a man-made division.  And, we do have to do things like manage unwanted pests – remember those cucumber beetles I was talking about last week that we used our bug vacuum on? Clearly, we are faced everyday with issues in the natural world that we try our best to manage.  Perfect harmony is an ideal, not a reality.  The question for me now is, how do we get closer to this ideal?

As those of you who read the blog know, I've recently developed a new understanding of the value of teamwork.  I have been wondering, why not seek out people who can help me make this vision of being in closer harmony with nature possible?  Why not find people who are experts in things like biodynamic growing and true sustainability?  Now, this is exactly what we are doing.  I want to make this the best organic farm that I can, and I know I need to reach out to others to make this a reality.

Remember last week when I said we were crafting a new mission and vision statements for the farm?  I’ve already written mine, and it is something we are already doing - growing organically with love and passion.  Anyone who has ever seen me talk about farming knows I do not lack for passion. I truly love what I do, and it has made me happier than I thought possible. Farming organically for this community gives me a real sense of purpose, and my happiness comes from working hard for something I believe in - I feel like an incredibly lucky man.

And do you want to know what my long-term vision is for JBG - to be the best organic farm in the world!  I’m not aiming high, am I?  I know that sometimes practicality gets in the way of our ideals, but I also know the power of high expectations.  Our farm has improved so much over the last several years, and I see no reason to stop now.  Just over the past few weeks, we’ve made some big strides in creating a system of production that works in concert with nature.  For example, we are now in the process of establishing five bee colonies and three bat colonies. We’ve also planted an acre of grapes and an acre of flowers, which are sure to bring in even more beneficial insects.

A grape plant gets its start. Photo by Scott David Gordon

So, I may be aiming high by wanting to be the best organic farm in the world, but it is for a good reason.  I know my sense of purpose comes from serving this community and the environment we share – including all of its animal inhabitants. I feel so grateful to get to grow your vegetables that I want to celebrate.  Seriously – I do!  Come this Saturday, I will be doing just that at our CSA Member Potluck!  If you have a current CSA membership, I really hope you will join us. I want to thank you in person and show you what a beautiful farm we are creating together.  Below are the details on the CSA Member potluck this Saturday, May 9th!

All CSA members - join us for a potluck on May 9th! Photo by Scott David Gordon

CSA Members!  Mark your calendars for the CSA Potluck this Saturday, May 9th, from 6pm to 8pm at 4008 River Road!  This event is free and is exclusively for current CSA members and their families.  The CSA has always been at the heart of our farm, and we hope all members will come out on May 9th to celebrate being part of this amazing community.  We will have live music - and the food is certain to be out of this world since we have some really good cooks in this fine group of people!  In keeping with tradition, please bring a dish to share with fellow members and a blanket or chairs to sit on.

For more info and to RSVP, please click here.  Hope to see you there!

Our tomatoes are growing! Photo by Scott David Gordon

It looks beautiful out there at our Garfield farm.  We've had lots to harvest - and there's lots more on the way.  Check out the tomatoes growing.  And did you know we planted an acre of grapes?  We have an amazing variety of fruits and vegetables growing right now.

Blue skies and tomato plants. Photo by Scott Scott David Gordon

Building a trellis support system for our grape plants. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Temo works on setting up the irrigation for the newly planted grapes. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Lined up and ready to go to support the grapes. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Okra! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Parsnip harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Rows of green beans! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Green beans! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Green bean plant close up. Photo by Scott David Gordon

New growth gets its start in the greenhouse. Photo by Scott David Gordon

A sea of collards. Photo by Scott David Gordon

CSA Box Contents Week of May 4th

Riding out to the field. Photo by Scott David Gordon

I’m inspired! Things are going so well right now, I feel like I am on fire!  Really, I have never been so excited and full of ideas in my life - and for me, that's saying a lot.  I have been wondering about what has been making me feel especially passionate about farming these days.  Believe it or not, I think the answer is team-work.

I say believe it or not because I am not one who naturally gravitates towards working in a group.  I tend to like to do things myself.  It's funny, but when I was back at Auburn in college studying agricultural engineering, I remember being given a group assignment to design a 3-point hitch log-grapple - a tool that rural landowners could use to pick up fallen trees with a tractor and haul them away.  I really got into the assignment…so much so that I went home that night and sketched out the design.  But I didn't stop there.  I went to the back dock of a local Sears department store and found some old refrigerator boxes and drew out the design, cut it out and made a working model that night.  The next day, I biked over to school while carrying my proto-type log-grapple.  I was so proud, I announced to my group, "Here it is!"  The thing is, though, I had missed the whole point of the assignment.  I didn't get the chance to work with my group or to see what creative ideas they might come up with.

It is now 20+ years later, and I am just now beginning to understand the true value of team-work.  I have always known the importance of our amazing staff at JBG - clearly, without their hard work and dedication, the farm wouldn't be where it is today.  I think what I have failed to fully appreciate is the wealth of ideas and knowledge our employees bring to their jobs every day.  I like to think of myself as the primary idea man, and when I do this to the exclusion of others, I am just like that kid back in college rushing home to do the assignment all by himself.  Over the past several weeks, though, I have noticed a real shift in myself.  It was not a conscious decision – it something that I stumbled upon by accident really - but since I seriously want to our farm to be the best organic farm in the World, I decided to have a contest. I love competition, and I think that sometimes I may be a little too competitive - I have to watch it. But that day, I came into the office full of energy and announced to our farm office staff that I needed 5 minutes of their time.  Then, I got on the CB Radio and called in all the crew leaders.

All of us were sitting around the front office together in our old intern trailer now converted to our farm office. I gave everyone 5 sheets of paper and announced the rules of the game with enthusiasm, “I want everyone to take a minute and see what ideas you all have to make the farm better.”  What better way to spur a little competition, I thought, then to offer a little incentive?  So, I also offered cash!  After the 5 minutes were almost up, the creative juices were still flowing with everyone, so I could see that we couldn’t stop now.  They agreed to extend the game for another 5 minutes.  Then, everyone presented their ideas to the group. We made several changes right then and there to address the easy fixes. For the bigger ideas and longer term improvements, the managers agreed to split up the workload and each take some of the sheets of ideas and develop a plan to prioritize and rank the suggestions to make a farm improvement plan. What I discovered in this quick little meeting was that teamwork and empowerment have tremendous potential.

Those pesky worms.

In addition to my own high energy, I have noticed our crew has been really engaged in this process, too.  For example, Temo, Head Grower, has started to call me after work hours with new ideas.  Since I love talking about farming, I can think of nothing better.  His initiative really helped out a lot this week with a problem we have been having with the squash and cucumbers we are growing.  The problem has to do with cucumber beetle larvae, and I mean a lot of them!  We looked closely at one square foot of planting and found we had nearly 15 worms in that square foot alone!  This year our planting of squash and cucumber have really been attacked by cucumber beetles as soon as they sprout from the ground. We have been trying everything to address the problem. In talking with other Texas growers recently, I have found that we are not alone. This made me feel better. Much of this increased bug problem is tied to the cool weather and all of the rain we had this Spring.  Temo, however, has been repeatedly telling me that he thought it was due to our decision not to use plastic mulch on these crops.

I was resolute, though, that we not go back to using plastic; instead, I told Temo that we needed to find another solution. So Temo and I called our friend Dr. Kevin Crosby at Texas A&M. He teaches commercial vegetable production at the College Station campus. Kevin said he, too, was having problems with his research plot in Uvalde this year which was utilizing plastic mulch, so this helped us ruled out the plastic as the culprit to the problem.

Kevin said that he would try to get us some help from his entomology colleges, but he warned me that most of their approach and proposed solutions would most likely be conventional, non-organic solutions that we as organic farmers couldn't use. While Kevin at Texas A&M continued to work on finding us an organic solution, Temo came up with one all on his own. He went home that night and did his research. The next day, he used a mixture of rosemary and herbal oils in the drip irrigation water that succeeded in killing the cucumber beetle larvae! I was amazed and thanked him for his dogged work on the problem. I thought for sure we would have a total crop loss. His dedication to the farm both during and after work hours is really appreciated - he truly deserves the title of Head Grower.

Back in colder days...working with Temo on irrigation design. Photo by Carrie Kenny

It is true that our decision to not use plastic mulch anymore has caused some difficulties. I believe in the long run, though, it will prove to have been worth the effort. I say this because I have been thinking a lot about the goals and mission of the farm. As a team, we have been hard at work at updating our mission and vision for the farm– and as soon as we perfect it, I will post it here. What I do know is that I want the farm to be a great place for our employees to work, I want it to provide our community with the highest quality certified organic vegetables possible, and I want our organic growing practices to be as sustainable as possible and a model for organic farms. Basically, I want our farm to be a force of good in our community. In this way, I find myself connecting back to that idealistic college student I was decades ago. Now, if I could just get that concept of teamwork down....