Matt Pelkey, CSA Manager. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Today on the blog, we're introducing you to JBG's longest standing employee, our CSA Manager, Matt. Matt has been working for the farm since it was only just a backyard garden and has helped the farm to grow so much over the years. He's in charge of our CSA program, and by our (very rough) calculations, has packed over 220,000 CSA boxes since starting at the farm!

If you're a member of our CSA program, meet the guy who personally inspects your box each week - we thought you might want to know a little bit more about him. Matt is a man of very few words, but we were able to squeeze a few questions out of him. We hope that you enjoy learning a little bit more about one of the faces behind our CSA program!

Where did you grow up and what brought you to JBG?

I grew up in northern Maine, and about ten or so years ago I drove down to Austin looking for a change of scenery. Brenton put an ad of craigslist looking for a farmhand in the backyard - at the time I was working a job with half day Fridays, so I answered the ad and started working on Friday afternoons and Saturdays in the backyard. We would harvest and pack all the CSA boxes ourselves, then drive around town delivering them. On the way home, we'd usually grab a few beers and enjoy them in the backyard.

Any special memories from the original backyard garden?

After the farm's first expansion to Hergotz Ln, I moved into the back house at the Holly St location. So for a few years, the backyard garden turned into my personal garden which was pretty cool.

Matt and the CSA packing crew in the barn. Photo by Scott David Gordon

What is your current role at JBG?

Every week, I look at the farm's availability calendar and plan out the contents of CSA boxes for the next week. I weigh in on crop planning, letting the team know what crops do best and not so well in boxes. On a daily basis, I'm the head of our CSA packing line - I oversee quality control on the boxes and make sure they get filled correctly and sent to the right spot. At this point, I can pick up a box at the end of the packing line and, without looking into it, tell you if something is missing.

What's been the biggest change at the farm since you've started? Any surprising moments?

I think it's amazing that we've grown so much and been able to grow from a backyard to such a big farm. I remember when we first got to Hergotz and realized we had so many more CSA boxes to pack, and that we were going to have to shift our organizational structure and hire a few people to help us out.

Looking back, it's funny that that crew was still packing boxes on the floor of the barn for the first few years. This January, we hit an all time high for number of boxes packed in a single week - seeing that number and remembering the backyard garden days was pretty shocking.

Matt inspects each and every CSA box before it's sent out to a customer. Photo by Scott David Gordon

What's your life look life off the farm?

I have two boys and spend a lot of time with them. We just recently bought canoes, so we've been kayaking and canoeing on the lake and the Colorado River. I've been gardening with them too - we've been planting tomatoes, peppers, and garlic.

Matt's music collection, via Instagram.

What kind of music do you put on in the barn?

I listen to a lot of country and bluegrass - Hayes Carll, Todd Snider are two favorites these days. We listened to Merle all day in the barn on Wednesday in memory.

Favorite and least favorite veggies?

I really don't like eggplant at all, and cucumbers are probably my favorite - I just eat them whole all summer.

via Instagram

Favorite Austin businesses?

I've been spending time at Hops and Grain and The ABGB a lot recently. [fun fact: Matt's been wearing the orange ABGB hat pictured pretty much every day since we did a hat swap with the ABGB in November. Before that he was wearing a green hat from Callahan's, the general store right around the corner. Matt's green Callahan's hat was signed by Willie Nelson!]

Staff Survey: If Matt was a veggie, which one would he be and why?

Ada: An artichoke - he's got a big heart under a whole lotta layers! Once you've been around him for a while you learn how awesome and interesting Matt is - just like how an artichoke blooms into that big beautiful purple flower!

Krishna: A cabbage - Matt has a very pure center hiding under a lot of layers!

Brenton: I think there's a french fingerling potato named after a rat, and Matt is as quiet as a mouse. After some thought.. Raton potato!

Mike Mo: A beet - they are always around at the farm, just like Matt.

Thanks for all your hard work, Matt! Photo by Scott David Gordon