Farmshare's Marissa Lankes can teach you the fundamentals of organic gardening!. Photo by Carrie Kenny

Starting February 7th, Farmshare Austin will offer classes on organic gardening - sign up now!

Learn the fundamentals of organic production for home gardens just in time for spring! Farmshare's six class series will take place at the beautiful historic Boggy Creek Farm and will cover:

-Intro to sustainable/organic

-Soil physical and bio processes

-Manage fertility and composting

-Propagation, transplanting, and seeding

-Weed, disease, and pest management

-Chickens!

Classes are Saturday from 9:00 AM to noon February 7th to March 14th. Tuition is $200 for the series.  Individual classes can also be purchased for $40 each.  For more information and to reserve your spot, please click here.

Kate Payne will host a pickling class at JBG on February 28th! Photo by Scott David Gordon

We have a lot coming up this Spring at JBG, and it's not just vegetables.  Make sure you mark your calendars for these great events.

On February 28th, we will welcome Kate Payne, author of the Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking, back to JBG!  She's be leading a pickling workshop out at our River Road farm - come learn from one of the best!  Stay tuned for more info on how to sign up. On March 7th, March 14th, and March 21st,  we will host our Annual Spring Organic Transplant Sale.  This year, it will be out at our River Road Farm, located just ten miles east of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.    So, get busy and start planning your Spring garden now!

And our Spring Potluck will be on Saturday, April 4th, also out at the River Road farm.  This year's Spring's potluck is going to be a blast!  We have a 5k and a fun run/walk scheduled (start your training now) and have the following great bands lined up:  La Tampiquena, Mr. Will Dupuy, Show and Tellers, and Gumbo Ce Soir.  And, of course, there will be great food, community, and conversation.  We'll keep you posted on the details as we get closer to the date, but make sure you mark it on your calendar now!

Spinach harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We seem to be on another weather roller coaster - can you believe the temperatures we've had this week?  Our crops are doing well despite the ups and downs!

Just harvested rainbow chard. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Chard harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

The sugar cane fence line goes up. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Sugar cane close-up. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Taylor washes a bunch of parsnips. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Just washed parsnips. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Check out all of those transplants  - we are more than ready for Spring! Photo by Scott David Gordon

By Jessye Hipp

Looking for a festive and healthy option for Valentine’s Day dinner? Check out my Roasted Carrot & Beet Soup! Valentine’s Day equals chocolate to most of us, but it also means the first big step in surrendering to those New Years weight loss resolutions. Chocolate upon chocolate treats seem to stare you down wherever you go at this time of year, but you don’t have to give in! You can still be festive and celebrate love this year. My Roasted Carrot & Beet Soup can be the star dish and decoration at your Valentine’s Day dinner party…. It’s pink!! The beets in the soup turn it the most shockingly gorgeous pink; it’s hard to believe it is natural! Carrots and beets are well stocked in my CSA box this time of year from Johnson’s Backyard Garden, but I have been saving this delightful soup for the Valentine’s Day celebrations. Most of us aren’t used to sitting down to dinner and seeing something bright pink on the plate, but trust me; the delicious flavors are there. The addition of some spices gives a little kick to the sweet roasted beets and carrots. Have fun with your guests this Valentine’s Day! Pink soup! YUM!

Roasted Carrot & Beet Soup Time: 45 mins Serves: 4

5 beets, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

5 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise and across

1 medium onion, diced

1 head of garlic, tail end (opposite from the “hair”) cut off exposing all of the cloves

4 scallions, white parts only, thinly sliced

olive oil

3 tbls butter

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/8 tsp chili powder

1/8 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp dried parsley

salt & pepper

1 cup of heavy cream

3 cups of low-sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup of water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the carrots and beets on a sheet tray. Toss with 1 tbls of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Wrap the garlic clove in aluminum foil. Drizzle with ½ tbls of olive oil before sealing the packet. Place the packet on the tray with the beets and carrots.



Roast the veggies in the oven for 30 minute until everything is very fork tender. (you want the veggies to be super soft so the puree will be fairly smooth.)

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the butter into 1 tbls of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder, parsley, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook over medium until the onions until they are softened, then reduce the heat to medium-low so they can caramelize. This will take about 30 minutes.

When the roasted veggies are done, add them to the onions. Toss to coat the veggies in the butter.



Remove the garlic from the foil, and squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves. Add all of the vegetables, and the roasted garlic to a blender or food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth.

Slowly add the chicken stock until the soup is your desired consistency. I like this type of soup to be a little bit thick, so I used about 2 cups. The amount of stock will depend on how thick your carrot and beet puree is.

Next add the heavy cream, and stir manually. (This will turn the soup a bright pink color! I just love that beets are so naturally colorful!)

Taste the soup for salt and pepper, add more if necessary.

Sprinkle each serving with roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) if desired!

Our thanks to Katie Woodfin for sending in these great pictures all the way from Oahu, Hawaii!  Katie writes,, "Hey JBG! Me and my brother love your farm and your hats! Here is how we like to show our support! Your fans in the long lost island of Oahu, Hawaii."  We thank Katie and her brother Caleb for showing their support for JBG in Oahu!

Katie Woodfin in Oahu, Hawaii.  Check out the JBG sticker on her car, too!  Thanks, Katie.

Caleb Woodfin wearing JBG in Oahu.

CSA Box Contents Week of Jan 26th

Angel disks a cover crop in anticipation of a new crop being planted.

The beginning of the week started to dry out so everyone was playing catch up after many weeks of rain and mud. There is always a lot of work to do on the farm!

Close up of the cover crop.

Flats of kale transplants are lined up outside of the greenhouses.

Unloading transplants from the cart.

Montana changes out a blade on the bed shaper.

The farm dog goes along for the ride as cabbage transplants are put in the ground.

A row of freshly placed transplants.

The transplants go in right as the bed shaper prepares the rows.

Montana uses the bed shaper to mound and smooth out the dirt surface right before the transplants are planted.

Just harvested Collard Greens.

A field of Collard Greens.

Rows of spinach.

The beets are looking great!