CSA Box Week of May 6th

Fennel,
Lettuce,
Radish,
Thyme,
Chard,
Spinach,
Beets,
Cabbage,
Onions,
Carrots,
Cauliflower or Broccoli

sarahlewluv!  Thanks for capturing this great shot of the JBG truck at the SFC Farmers Market at Sunset Valley!

Take your best shots of anything JBG-related – the JBG logo on a truck, the JBG vegetables in your CSA box or the meal you cooked with them, JBG at the Farmers Market or in the grocery store, etc. Then, label your pictures on Instagram with #jbgorganic or #johnsonsbackyardgarden. Each week, we will select winner to be featured in the newsletter. The winner will also receive his or her choice of a JBG hat, tote, or t-shirt. Get out your phones and start taking pictures! We can’t wait to see what you create.

Cabbage close-up. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We've got lots of cabbage growing in the fields right now.  We planted about ten different varieties, including lots of trials of red cabbages and larger varieties of Savoy cabbages. Before, we've grown mini Savoy cabbages, but this is the first time for the larger varieties, and we've been really happy with the high-quality results.  We'll be harvesting cabbage now through the end of May; then, we will be storing much of this crop.  One of the great things about cabbage is that, unlike so much of what we grow, it lasts when stored properly.  To keep cabbage fresh once you get it home, refrigerate it in a hydrator drawer in a plastic bag and do not remove the outer leaves before storage.

A field of cabbage. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Cabbage. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Cabbage harvest: each plant gets harvested one time only. Photo by Scott David Gordon

My dad, uncle, and grandmother (Mama Nell) visit the JBG booth at the farmers market.

Last week, I was lucky enough to get a visit from my dad, uncle, and grandmother, Mama Nell.  I say lucky because they almost didn't make it onto the plane!  What happened is my dad dropped Mama Nell off at the terminal after driving from Alabama to Atlanta.  Then, he went to park his car; however, he didn't quite make it to the parking lot as his car died on the way there.  To make matters worse, he had a really hard time getting anyone to help him because he had broken down in a kind of no man's land that wasn't technically airport property.  Finally, an airport facilities manager took sympathy on him - and on Mama Nell's plight since she was still waiting in the terminal - and offered to drive my dad to the terminal in his company vehicle.  Then, this manager said he would come back and deal with the broken down car.  Given his predicament, my dad decided to trust the manager and handed over his keys with the agreement that he would call as soon as he landed in Austin to find out what happened with the car.  Once at the terminal, my dad got Mama Nell a wheelchair and they raced to the gate, making it just in time!  Then, after touching down in Austin, he called the manager only to find that his car had been impounded!  Apparently, by the time the manager made it back to the car after dropping him off, security had located the car and impounded it.  The good news is that my family made it safety to Austin - the bad news is my dad had a real headache to deal with once he got back to Atlanta.

Blue skies over JBG. Photo by Scott David Gordon

While they were here in Austin, my family really enjoyed themselves: we went to Zilker Park, Barton Springs, Lake Travis, Blacks BBQ, Chapala, Sandy's for ice cream, the Triangle, Downtown, & Barton Creek farmers markets, and, of course, to see JBG's River Road farm.  The last time they visited, it was 2006, and I was still at Holly Street growing in my backyard.  Seeing the farm as it is today, they couldn't believe it!  My dad was really impressed with the quality of the vegetables and the organization of the farm.  Hearing this from him made me really proud of what we've been able to accomplish at JBG.  As I said to him, I couldn't have done this without the dedication of our amazing crew and the support of this great community.  Mama Nell kept saying how much she wished my grandfather, who passed away two years ago, could see JBG as he would have been equally as proud.  He worked for the Farm Service Agency making loans to farmers in Alabama and had a farm of his own as well.  I couldn't help but think back to when I first graduated from Auburn University with a degree in engineering and was telling Mama Nell about an internship I had just applied for on an organic farm.  She said, "You're an engineer now.  It's OK to apply to work on some hippy farm, but make sure you apply for some real jobs as well."  I took her advice and ended up with a real government job at the Bureau of Reclamation and stayed there for ten years.  Now, I can finally say my real job is farming.  When I saw Mama Nell looking over the fields at JBG, I could tell she was proud.

Lots of tomato cages! Photo by Scott David Gordon

To prepare our tomato plants for the Spring/Summer growing season, we either stake or cage them, depending on whether the plant is a "determinant" or an "indeterminant" variety.  Indeterminant varieties grow much taller throughout the season than determinant ones; therefore, we use the tall stakes on the indeterminant varieties (like Heirloom, cherries, and San Marzano tomatoes) and the cages on the determinant varieties (mainly, our large beefsteak tomatoes).  The stakes require a lot more work because, once they are in the ground, we have to continue to tie the plants to the stakes as they grow.  We do this once a week throughout the season and use a tomato tying tool made from pvc pipe to help us get around each plant more easily.  It would be a lot easier if we could just use cages on all of our plants, but the reality is that this would be too costly due to the amount of material we would need to make the cages high enough for the indeterminate varieties.  For the determinant varieties, though, the cages do very well.  Our photographer, Scott David Gordon, captured the following images of these cages being made and then placed over the plants. (To see Scott's images of our staked tomato plants, just click on the OLDER POSTS link at the bottom of this page and scroll down to last week's From the Farmer's Perspective).

Greenhouse Manager Mike Reed rolls wire he just cut into a tomato cage.

Mike has some fun testing his balancing skills.

Bonifacio places cages around the plants.

A tomato plant with cage.

Completed rows.

Local lettuce. Photo by Scott David Gordon

SFC Local Food Potluck & Graduation at Barr Mansion

In celebration of the completion of another season of Citizen Gardener and Austin Permaculture, the Sustainable Food Center (SFC) is proud to announce the Spring 2013 Local Food Potluck & Celebration at the lovely Barr Mansion (10463 Sprinkle Road) on Monday, May 6th from 6:30 -9:30 PM.

At the potluck, we will recognize the new crop (pun) of Citizen Gardener and Permaculture Design Course Graduates and honor many of your favorite Farmers, Ranchers, Gardeners, Chefs, Restaurants, and Market Folks.

The event is open to the public, all you need is a friendly smile and a friend, and a potluck dish - salad, side dish, veggie, meat & veggie, or dessert - made with all/some Local ingredients - from your own garden, a Farmers Market, Farm Stand, or retail market. Also, please bring a TX-Beverage of your choice for yourself and a little extra to share with an old/new friend.

We could use volunteers to set up at 5:30p-6:30p or help clean-up at 9:00p-10:00p. If you are available, please email Dick Pierce at dickpiercedesigns (AT) gmail (DOT) com

To thank the Barr Mansion for their hospitality, a $5 donation is suggested.

Pass this invitation around, invite friends, bring family - so we can make this the best Local Food Potluck yet.  For more information and to RSVP, please click here.

Pick up some JBG broccoli at the Pflugerville Pfarmers Market on Tuesday! Phot o by Scott David Gordon

The Pflugerville Pfarmers Market Opens Next Tuesday, May 7th! 

When: Tuesdays May 7th - October 29th

Time: 3pm to 7pm

Where: The Green Red Barn at Heritage Park, 901 Old Austin-Hutto Road, Pflugerville, 78660

Be one of the first 200 people at Opening Day on May 7 and get a pfree "Pfarmers Market" shopping bag with goodies inside! Helium balloons for the kids, too!