0 ITEMS IN CART 
JULY FLYING BY
07/15/16 — Heydon Hatcher
Racing from one thing to the next, farm life is one of ebbs and flows, a balance of looking forward, relishing in the present, and gaining invaluable insights from the past. We bask in our successes for a moment, turn a corner, and find yet another obstacle that needs hurdling. The constant stream of problem-solving keeps our minds sated, but our stress levels pulsing. Thankfully, we have moments like we did this past weekend where we can hang up our hats, loosen our boots, sink into our lawn-chairs, enjoy the company of one another over a cold beer, and disappear into the magic of the big screen.
![Photo by Scott David Gordon.]()
Photo by Scott David Gordon.
The Alamo Drafthouse’s screening of The Seer this past Saturday on the farm was a massive and resounding success. We couldn’t believe the turn-out, and were absolutely astounded by the support of our community. Around 400 people showed up, not even including the kiddos! Local farms from all over Central Texas were represented, and the panel lead by Evan Driscoll of the Sustainable Food Center was enriching. The farmers featured on the panel, including Jonathon Cobb from Green Fields Farm, Leah Gibson from The Boxcar Farm + Garden, Tim Miller from Millberg Farm, and our own Brenton Johnson, delved into the challenges and benefits of farming in Central Texas, the importance of water conservation and soil health, among an amalgam of other topics. The weather was kind to us, and as the sun descended and the movie screen lit up, we had an unforgettable heat lightning show as a backdrop. Ben McConnell from Bouldin Food Forest joined us in Garfield, and made drone videos that show the event in a very altitudinous perspective. Check it out below!
Last week, we worked really hard to tidy up our farm in preparation for all the movie-goers. This week we are tidying up the farm in preparation of Fall planting. Another season is just around the bend, can you believe it? Mid-July and the time is flying by. With the funds raised from The Seer screening, we are also starting on the reconstruction of the greenhouses destroyed by the Springtime storms in the next couple of days.
As of late, we’ve had an influx of inquiries from our CSA community regarding what kind of summertime crops are good for juicing. Well, folks, we’ve got tons of crops that would be delectable in your daily liquid concoction of choice. Our beets, red and golden, and carrots are some of our year-round crops that are a mighty delicious addition to any recipe. Other great hot weather ingredients of the green and leafy variety would be amaranth, mint, sweet potato greens, kale, malabar spinach, and our array of bok choys. Currently, we are introducing a super green, Egyptian spinach, otherwise known as Saluyot or Mulukhiyah. This green is a heat-thriving superfood mostly utilized in Middle Eastern and North African cuisine, and is chock-full of vitamins and minerals. Come by one of our market stands this weekend, grab some greens, and get that juicer started! Your skin and body will be real happy about your decision-making skills later.
![Photo by Scott David Gordon.]()
Photo by Scott David Gordon.
Our bees, albeit aggressive as we mentioned in last week's post, are happy and thriving at the farm. We are integrating local native flowers that attract pollinators into our planting plan to attract and provide habitat for beneficial insects. With growing fragmentation of land via urbanization and the widespread use of pesticides, these pollinators have suffered immensely. Our precious honeybees provide so many benefits: better pollination of crops leads to higher yields (more veggies!) with fewer inputs from us. Bees have a quite a large nectar-gathering range, so habitat around the farm benefits as well! We hope that by keeping bees at JBG, we’re doing what we can to promote healthy, diverse ecosystems both on and off the farm.
![Photo by Scott David Gordon.]()
Photo by Scott David Gordon.
Well, that’s all we've got this week! Until next time, folks. See you at the markets this weekend!
Want to work on the farm? We are looking for the cream of the crop to join us here at Johnson’s Backyard Garden. Check out the listings here, and see if you are interested!
Photo by Scott David Gordon.
The Alamo Drafthouse’s screening of The Seer this past Saturday on the farm was a massive and resounding success. We couldn’t believe the turn-out, and were absolutely astounded by the support of our community. Around 400 people showed up, not even including the kiddos! Local farms from all over Central Texas were represented, and the panel lead by Evan Driscoll of the Sustainable Food Center was enriching. The farmers featured on the panel, including Jonathon Cobb from Green Fields Farm, Leah Gibson from The Boxcar Farm + Garden, Tim Miller from Millberg Farm, and our own Brenton Johnson, delved into the challenges and benefits of farming in Central Texas, the importance of water conservation and soil health, among an amalgam of other topics. The weather was kind to us, and as the sun descended and the movie screen lit up, we had an unforgettable heat lightning show as a backdrop. Ben McConnell from Bouldin Food Forest joined us in Garfield, and made drone videos that show the event in a very altitudinous perspective. Check it out below!
Last week, we worked really hard to tidy up our farm in preparation for all the movie-goers. This week we are tidying up the farm in preparation of Fall planting. Another season is just around the bend, can you believe it? Mid-July and the time is flying by. With the funds raised from The Seer screening, we are also starting on the reconstruction of the greenhouses destroyed by the Springtime storms in the next couple of days.
As of late, we’ve had an influx of inquiries from our CSA community regarding what kind of summertime crops are good for juicing. Well, folks, we’ve got tons of crops that would be delectable in your daily liquid concoction of choice. Our beets, red and golden, and carrots are some of our year-round crops that are a mighty delicious addition to any recipe. Other great hot weather ingredients of the green and leafy variety would be amaranth, mint, sweet potato greens, kale, malabar spinach, and our array of bok choys. Currently, we are introducing a super green, Egyptian spinach, otherwise known as Saluyot or Mulukhiyah. This green is a heat-thriving superfood mostly utilized in Middle Eastern and North African cuisine, and is chock-full of vitamins and minerals. Come by one of our market stands this weekend, grab some greens, and get that juicer started! Your skin and body will be real happy about your decision-making skills later.
Photo by Scott David Gordon.
Our bees, albeit aggressive as we mentioned in last week's post, are happy and thriving at the farm. We are integrating local native flowers that attract pollinators into our planting plan to attract and provide habitat for beneficial insects. With growing fragmentation of land via urbanization and the widespread use of pesticides, these pollinators have suffered immensely. Our precious honeybees provide so many benefits: better pollination of crops leads to higher yields (more veggies!) with fewer inputs from us. Bees have a quite a large nectar-gathering range, so habitat around the farm benefits as well! We hope that by keeping bees at JBG, we’re doing what we can to promote healthy, diverse ecosystems both on and off the farm.
Photo by Scott David Gordon.
Well, that’s all we've got this week! Until next time, folks. See you at the markets this weekend!
Want to work on the farm? We are looking for the cream of the crop to join us here at Johnson’s Backyard Garden. Check out the listings here, and see if you are interested!
